The Callum Chronicle #112
Dear Callum,
As we wrap up another month of your ever-changing life, it’s exciting to think about what’s ahead. We’re almost done with the school year now—just two and a half more weeks of school, plus a day off for Memorial Day. You’ve had a really good third-grade year, full of friends and activities and a good attitude in the face of your personal challenges.
One of those challenges is your teeth. Your dentist discovered in an x-ray that you are missing quite a few permanent teeth. We noticed that you hadn’t been losing teeth at the same rate as other kids, so it was interesting to find out the reason. On your dentist’s recommendation, we went to the orthodontics clinic at the UI College of Dentistry (and you got to see the dentistry-themed Herky on display there). At the clinic, we talked to a dental professor as well as the Dean of the college. They both assured us that your situation is not really as unusual as it seems to us. It’s something they’ve handled many times and feel confident managing. It turns out most of your orthodontic work will happen quite a ways down the road. They want your growth to be close to done before you get braces, because apparently moving teeth around can weaken underlying structures. They want you to get solid bone development before they start making changes. They suggest braces when you’re seventeen, which sounds a thousand years away, but I’m sure it will happen far before I’m emotionally ready. Then, after a couple of years of braces and full jaw development, you’ll be eligible for implants or other permanent approaches. In the medium-term, they have some temporary cosmetic strategies they can use if you want to improve the aesthetic element of your smile.
In the short term, you need to get a couple of teeth surgically removed because they’re fused to your jawbone. Apparently not removing them can lead to bone weakening in the future. We have a consultation in the oral surgery department at the hospital next week, and you’ll probably get that done this summer. I am not clear on the specifics or rationale for that, but I guess that’s why we’re listening to the advice of dentistry faculty.
Another health challenge is that you’ve gotten strep throat three times this spring. I know it’s going around school like crazy. I’ve heard it anecdotally from other parents, and the PA who did your last throat culture at the clinic said they’ve been seeing tons of strep lately. I’ve stepped up our home hygiene game, switching to disposable cups in the bathroom, always washing your water bottle in hot water, and doing (even more) laundry. You have gotten new toothbrushes and are careful not to share food or drinks with anyone—at least those are your instructions. It’s hard to know what happens in the wild, wild west of the school cafeteria. So far you’ve tolerated the antibiotics well and they’ve done the job. Let’s just hope we’ve knocked out any remaining traces or lingering germs around the house. One concern I have is that you’re colonized for c.diff bacteria. That means you don’t have an active infection, but there’s evidence of c.diff bacteria hanging around in your body. Overuse of antibiotics can lead to a c.diff infection, which is a real bear to treat and often requires hospitalization. Nobody wants that, so we’re doing our best to avoid unnecessary antibiotic use, and we’re giving you probiotics along with and after your antibiotic treatment. That helps maintain a healthy balance and can reduce the likelihood of c.diff gaining a stronghold.
It’s not all bad news, though. I am thrilled to say that your allergies have been pretty manageable this year. Last spring was the first time in family memory that you didn’t have terrible symptoms. I was reluctant to get too excited about it, because I thought maybe it was a particularly mild year in terms of environmental allergens. This year, however, the allergens have been high, and it hasn’t been too bad. We still do our usual strategies: frequent showers, especially after you’ve spent a lot of time outside; Zyrtec morning and night; Pataday eyedrops; and even more laundry. We got a new washer recently to replace our old leaky one, and that is pretty much the only thing keeping me from losing my mind with all the laundry. All those efforts, plus what I have to assume is you outgrowing allergies to some extent, has made your life a lot better.
You have lots of good fun in your life. Baseball has started, which is one of your favorite things to do. You got put on a new team this year, but fortunately one of your good school friends is also on it, so you haven’t had much trouble adjusting. In fact, you seem to get along with your teammates great. You’re a little guy, but you have pretty good baseball skills. You even hit a home run at a recent game. Your hit was good, but you owe a lot to the lack of experience in the other team’s fielding. In any case, you were thrilled, your teammates were thrilled, and your coached crowned you one of the game’s MVPs. An older, much bigger kid who always wears a bow tie and goes by the name Stitches has taken you under his wing and cheers you on very enthusiastically.
You have become quite a Rubik’s cuber. You watch YouTube videos all the time to learn new techniques and methods, and you can usually solve it in around a minute or a minute and a half. On a recent drive to swimming lessons (about a nine- or ten-minute journey), you solved it seven times. We generally don’t allow you to take it to school, but you’re doing a stop-motion animation project based on your cube in ELP, so your ELP teacher is letting you have it for that purpose. When I picked you up at school the other day, you were at recess, deftly manipulating the cube as your friends looked on.
Your current favorites: baseball, playing outside, steak, chicken, ribs (most meats, really), your enormous stuffed cat, living the shirtless life, swimming lessons, watching the animated show Avatar, sleeping in, drinking Kool-Aid, and eating bowls of spray whipped cream (with or without cookies for dipping).
You are a fun, kind, and sweet kid. You tell me how much you love and appreciate me all the time. Believe me, I love and appreciate you even more. We’re going to have a fun summer, with all the whipped cream you can eat after you get your teeth removed.
Love,
Mom