sickness

This week has been filled with bugs...all sorts of bugs. Nolan started feeing rough last Sunday - Super Bowl party day and since only one Urgent Care facility is open on Sunday (to care for 100,000 residents, plus the thousands from surrounding counties), we were not able to get near the registration desk, much less get him to see an actual physican. I diagnosed him with strep throat about mid way thru the day Sunday and managed to secure some anti-biotics from a friend (Yes, I do this type thing when necessary...I am a nurse and we do what we have to do). Monday, our doctor confirmed that Nolan had strep and put him on his very own antibiotics....So, Nolan was home with me Monday and Tuesday - he's a good sick person though - he sleeps, eats a bit and then plays video games.

This brings me to Tuesday night when little Jackson (almost 5) tells me that he doesn't feel good. I knew it was coming so I kept him home Wednesday - he spiked a fever too. I diagnosed him with a sinus infection or some viral type thing. He's a good little sick person too...lays in bed and watches TV and that's about it. I slept with Jackson Wednesday night until about 2:30 am when along comes Nathan with "mama, I don't feel good". Yep, he had a fever and when he dozed off, he moaned like he was about to die. I diagnosed him with the flu right away...even his eyes were hurting.

Thursday, Jackson and Nathan were home with me and we were off to the pediatrician (2nd visit this week, 3 kids). I told him that Nathan had the flu and he agreed to test both the boys just to be safe. I was 2 for 3; Jackson AND Nathan had the flu. What joy. This was not your typical, layin the bed, ache, cough, vomit, near death experience kind of flu thank Goodness. This is a look worse that you feel kind of flu. Nathan and Jackson were given Tamiflu and Nolan was given a 10 day does of Tamiflu for preventative measures. (Pat and I didn't get a thing with regard to preventative measures...I guess it's okay if we get it and take to our beds - who will care for the children??). Do you know how much Tamiflu costs? I didn't have any idea as we have not been blessed with the flu bug until now. With our 20% co-pay, Tamiflu is $58.00 a prescription, without insurance it appears to be in the neighborhood of $275 to $300 a pop. Thank goodness for insurance!!! Today is Saturday and after the days home from school, the boys are now back to their old selves...running, playing and doing all the boy things they normally do. Thank goodness this is a mild case. My friend Deb, who I love dearly, has no children of her own and she tells me that she cannot fathom how I stay healthy with all my "typhoid children" running around. I agree...hopefully Bryson, Pat nor I will get this nasty thing...we all know it's worse on the old people. Ha. Thankfully, my kids are good "sick people" and do not act too sick. For this, I am grateful and I am also extremely grateful that this was a respiratory things and not the good old-fashioned "puking virus".

So that's been our week...well, my week. Pat has been off on his "father's life out" work and pee wee baseball functions while I am at home tending to the sick and weary. I guess that's okay...hopefully the boys will choose NOT to put me in a home for the elderly when I get old!!

Hope that next week is without illness.....

Addendum February 16 (Saturday). Next week was not without illness as I had wished for. On Tuesday the 12th, Nathan's teacher called at 2:30 and he was crying with his ear hurting. I knew that this was trouble so I loaded up on Tylenol and picked him up. The minute he got in the car I gave him some pain medicine and we headed for the MD. Sure enough, he had a fairly significant ("ugly") infection in the left ear. (2nd one in 7 years). He was put on Onmicef and we headed home for Advil, antibiotics and sleep! He felt fine the next day and went to school; his brothers were out for a snow day (except we had no snow).

Skip to Saturday 2/16 (today). Bryson has had a snotty nose for 2 weeks. The child has never, ever in 19 months been to the doctor for anything other than a well-baby check up. Last night, he woke up in the middle of the night. He wasn't crying but awake. I immediately had a flashback to when Nathan was a baby and had ear infections all the time. I knew that Bryson had one. Even though he had no symptoms, I took him to the MD. I was right. He had an ear infection in the right ear so....more antibiotics. This time, Amoxicillin x 10 days. He's feeling fine, just a little snotty and a little grumpy from the meds.

Now, let's home the upcoming week is healthy!!!

Who ran to help me when I fell, and would some pretty story tell, or kiss the place and make it well? My mother. - Ann Taylor