Antibiotics...

[pantryslut]

So this evening I lay April down on the couch and asked, as I have asked every dose, three times a day for two and a half days now, if she would please open her mouth so I could give her her medicine. I prepared to hold her arms down and tilt her chin up and braced for the wrestling and crying and pink stuff all over hands and shirt and couch and everything. That's the way it was this morning, and at lunch. I've tried giving it to her on a spoon. I've tried using the syringe to squirt water in her mouth to show her it's OK. Yesterday she took the water but today at lunch she refused it. On Tuesday she took her first dose without complaint but every one since then is a fight. Meanwhile Simone begs for a chance and I have to explain to her that no, the pink stuff is for April but she can have some water from the syringe if she wants. I give her two or three squirts and then go back to April and say, "See? Your sister likes it. Do you want to try it?" I've done this three times now to no particular effect.

This evening, April lay on the couch and listened to me talk to her. I asked if she was ready for her medicine, if she could open her mouth, please. She didn't fight. She didn't clamp her jaw shut or turn her head away. Instead she pursed her lips and sucked on the syringe, tentatively. I pushed slowly. She made a face but didn't spit it out. I let her swallow and pushed again. She pursed her lips again and let me squirt that goopy sweet pink stuff into her mouth. I finally got the entire dose in, minus some dribbles out the side of her mouth.

No crying. No wrestling. No refusal at all. Quiet curiosity and patience. From nowhere.

And trust.

Afterward she asked (mostly body language) if she could hold the syringe. So I let her carry it around with her until bedtime, more or less.

We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Comments

[vito-excalibur.livejournal.com]

SWEET.

[marialuminous.livejournal.com]

Oh that is just beautiful. It is wonderful to see how your efforts at communicating with the ladies can pay off and result in them trusting you and being willing to try things they don't like. And I think it is especially sweet that you let her carry the syringe around afterward.

[pennski.livejournal.com]

Whew!

[aquenigmatic.livejournal.com]

aw.