Prescription & Pumpkin Problems

I know it's Halloween, but we had quite a scare today. Yesterday was TERRIBLE for Luke. The spots on the cheeks started to fade, but he was horizontal almost all day. He felt so yucky. As the day went on Jared and I both started to notice how shaky he was. The past couple of months we've noticed it a little--I think it's the Lamictal--but yesterday was bad. And then his speech started to sound slurred and he walked like he was drunk. In fact Jared and I had him walk back and forth across the room several times and not only could he not walk straight, but he stumbled every time. He drew several pictures yesterday and today, all of which you can see the shaking in his hands. I have felt so sad. Today he got home from school and was asleep within minutes of getting home.

At about 3:30 Dr. Fishman returned my call. I told him we'd started Luke on the new medication (NEURONTIN) and also told him about all the shaking, headaches and feeling sick. He seemed a bit surprised and said that there shouldn't be a problem with the Lamictal and ZARONTIN. He said ZARONTIN a few times, and I thought he must have just been saying the wrong thing. I almost didn't say anything...I hate correcting people, especially the former chief of Pediatric Neurology at Baylor and Texas Children's...but I had a strong impression that I needed to clear it up for me.

So I said: "Now you're saying Zarontin with a 'Z'?"
Dr. Fishman: "Yes, with a 'Z'."
Me: "That's not what he's been taking. They gave me NEURONTIN."

He checked the nurses notes on Luke's chart and it did indeed say that she called in ZARONTIN. I didn't have the bottle with me, so I told Dr. Fishman I would double check when I got home and call him back. He told me that if it was NEURONTIN I needed to take it back to the pharmacy and have them contact him.

After soccer practices and getting everyone fed...I headed over to the pharmacy while Jared went on a hunt for pumpkins to carve. I was ready to spit nails as I waited in line. When it was my turn I told the girl that I needed to speak to the pharmacy manager. I was told that he was not there, but there was a pharmacist that I could speak to.

As I waited I said a little prayer that I would say the right things and would be helped in getting it all taken care of. The pharmacist was a very kind woman. She asked what she could help me with. As soon as I started talking I got emotional and I told her what had happened. The anger had soon left and the concern and sadness for Luke set in. She was wonderful. She must have apologized a dozen or more times. She was very genuinely concerned for Luke. She kept asking if he was okay. I told her of what had happened over the weekend and how he had been having headaches and couldn't walk or talk.

She was very helpful. She took my name and number and is going to do some research on how much he has taken to compare with the dose of the ZARONTIN (the dose part was correct for the ZARONTIN, I just don't know how that compares to a dose for a 42 pound child of Neurontin--from the way it affected him I'm guessing that it was way more than he should have had.)

She is filing a report for me. The 2 pharmacy managers are supposed to be calling me tomorrow to follow up. She said that there will be a lot of follow up probably including doctor's visits to make sure he is okay. What a fiasco. I'm sure he will be fine as it gets out of his system. I'm so glad I listened and asked Dr. Fishman about the name. Somehow it has brought back terrible memories of taking Rachel to the doctor over and over knowing something was wrong, but these people who are supposed to know more than I do are telling me that all is well and I'm just an "overly concerned first-time mom." I will certainly pay more attention from now on when I give my kids medication. We've been given the wrong insulin for Rachel before, but I know enough about that stuff to have caught it immediately. But I am in the dark with all this neurology stuff.

I've always wished we would have filed a complaint against the doctors when Rachel was finally diagnosed. I think we were too overwhelmed at the time that it never got done. I will certainly follow through this time. I would hate for a more costly mistake to be made for someone else.

Jared and the kids just came back pumpkin-less. I guess Tomball is plum out. I'll have to look around tomorrow...and if I can't find one to buy then maybe I'll have to "borrow" one from someone's porch. To my friends in Tomball who may read this...I promise it won't be your house. ;)