Fever

Yesterday Jane came down with a high fever. I first noticed that she felt hot when I got her up from her nap, and her temperature registered at 102. We left a message for our pediatrician's answering service and meanwhile dressed her lightly, encouraged her to drink water, and tried to remember what the panic level is for fever in a young child. While we were waiting to hear back from the nurse on call we tried calling a couple of friends to ask for advice, since this was the first serious fever she's ever run. At least she exhibited no other symptoms and did make the occasional remark, thus evincing coherence and alertness despite her extreme apathy. It was a very odd evening, with us just sitting around taking turns holding a very hot (but so quiet and well-behaved!) child, not feeling very hungry, and not daring to do anything or go anywhere.

By the time the nurse called back, Jane's temperature was almost 104, but since she had no other symptoms and the fever hadn't lasted long enough to justify a visit, we were instructed to give her Tylenol to bring the fever down, keep giving her liquids, and check on her throughout the night. It was reassuring to know not to panic, though still very worrisome.

Today she's still a bit listless, but her temperature is down around 100, so we'll keep an eye on her and bring her in tomorrow morning if it persists. Otherwise, we'll just enjoy our quiet day.