Tonsil Talk

Dominique, a second grader, paid me a visit today. He patiently tried to explain what was wrong with him, something about his head. This has been a typical Monday with kids piling up at the door, low on blood sugar, grumpy from lack of sleep and I was getting no where fast with a diagnosis for Dominique.

“Dominique,” I asked. “Is it a headache or maybe a sore throat? I’m not sure where you are pointing when you wave your hands around so much.”

“No Nurse Ehop, you see I don’t have tonsils no more.” He continued to explain as he flapped his arms out in all directions. “So cause I don’t have no more tonsils I say the wrong words sometimes.”

“No tonsils? What happened to your tonsils?” I asked.

“They were getting too big! Look,” Dominique said as he measured about ten inches with his hands on my desk. “They were growing up and across.” He pointed to his neck and traced up along his cheek to illustrate this phenomenon. “Now I don’t snore no more cause the tonsils don’t wiggle any. But now I have nightmares sometimes.”

Before I could saw another he looked up at the clock and said, “It’s time for my lunch. Can I go eat now? And I’ll come back later?”

“Sure, eat a good lunch today Dominique.” I said as he turned and headed out the door for the lunch room.

After lunch the ebb of kids slowed downed as the school wide blood sugar readings started to stabilize. Dominique came walking back into my office. “Oh, you’re back.”

“Yes Nurse Ehop, I have a grass-spurt.” He proclaimed looking very serious.

“I see, and what might that be Dominique?”

He fixed his best I’m-surprised-I-need-to-explain-this-to-you look on me. “Well, it’s like later on you get tall, and your muscles and stuff are different.” My blank expression urged him to continue. “I know I’m getting tall and all.” Dominique pointed to his knee. “The doctor said it is right here in my knee bone. The grass-spurt is right here. Do you see?”

Now it was my blood sugar about to take a dive! I assured Dominique he was ok to go back to class and I headed for the faculty room.