Biaxin Blues

I was a determined child. I was blessed with the ability to decide upon a course of action, and pursue that course with an unyielding focus. I was tenacious, persistent, and unrelenting. All my life, my parents said that I was "stubborn". They were wrong. They had no idea what "stubborn" was. They hadn't met Beth.

All three of my children are on Biaxin. Biaxin is awful tasting. I've tried it. It's absolutely horrendous. But it works. Twice a day, I give Katie and Sarah their Biaxin. They take it quickly, without any fuss, and with a shot of juice afterwards. No problems.

Biaxin will not go down Bethie's precious throat unless she is first chased around the house. I have to catch her, sit on her, and hold her protesting limbs down. I then try to pry her jaw open and get the syringe far enough down her throat that she is compelled to swallow the medicine. Once, I didn't get the syringe far enough down her throat, and she spat the medicine back in my face! Yeah, that went over well.

I have tried bribing the child, promising her all sorts of wonderful things if she takes her medicine. I have tried mixing it with juice. I have tried mixing it with chocolate sauce. I have taken the child to the neighbour's house in the hope that the neighbour could convince my little angel to take her medicine. Nothing prevented the eventual "throw down". Until I mixed the medicine with cream soda. If the stars align and the moon is in the right phase, Bethie will drink the Biaxin if it is mixed with a whole lot of cream soda.

The stars didn't align this morning.

I had been up until 3am dealing with Sarah. Then at 3:30am, I started dealing with Bethie. She wasn't sick. She just wanted to sleep with me. I tried to get her to sleep in her bed, but I lost that battle. We slept together. At 6:15am, I was wicked tired and I had to consciously try not to take it out on the twins. And I did a pretty good job. I was proud of myself...until I gave the children their Biaxin. Bethie refused to take her medicine.

I tried to bribe her. I offered her extra love and cuddles. I threatened her. I yelled at her. I told her that she couldn't go on the bus unless she had taken her medicine. If she missed her bus, she would have to walk by herself to school. She called my bluff. She stood outside our house, completely ready for school, and waved as Katie left on the bus. And didn't take her medicine. I was livid! She can't really walk to school. I knew that I had to get the sick baby, load everyone into the car, and drive Bethie to school. To make things worse, it was raining.

A neighbour saw that Bethie's short life was about to come to an end, and offered to drive Beth to school. My little darling accepted the offer and calmly drank her medicine. And I raged...inside. Bethie should thank God that there are 7.5 hours before she comes home this afternoon. I need that much time to calm down! Tonight, her father can give her the medicine!