I'm back!

Sadly, it's not from a vacation.

Last Friday, as in eight days ago, my son came home from daycare with a Virus. This one deserves the respect of being capilatized, because it's a nasty one. It causes high fever, they told me, and it lasts about 72 hours. Okay, fine, we did the math and this meant that, in all likelihood, he'd have to be home from school Monday. We've gotten pretty lucky with this kid so far- he hadn't been out sick from school once- so we were pretty philosophical about it all.

So, Sunday morning, I woke up, went and interpreted in church, and came home early. Why? I had The Virus. I had a fever, chills and sweats, the works. So, all three of us stayed home Monday- Darrel to take care of the both of us, because I was too sick to even think about caring for Frank.

Tuesday we all stayed home again. Frank was fever-free by Wednesday afternoon, and they were predicting insane snow for us for Wednesday, arriving at the perfect time, so that meant, if all went well, the two of us would have one more day home to recuperate before going back thursday.

Wednesday- Yes! Snow Day for all! Frank seemed ornery, although fever-free, so we thought he was just bored and needed to go back. I still felt crummy, so I called in sick for Thursday.

Thursday- Darrel and Frank left around 8am, and I got dressed and drove myself to the local hospital. Why, you ask? I woke in the middle of the night with a pain in my torso, very similar to the pain I had two years ago when I had double pneumonia and an empyema. It wasn't as painful, but the location and type of pain were scarily familiar, and I didn't want to fool around and wait to call my Primary care doctor and try to get in later in the day.

After three hours of staring at the ceiling in the ER (the plus side? I now know what is involved in doing an intake for a detox bed- the guy in the curtain area next to mine was trying to quit heroin, and, curtains being what they are, I was able to hear everything!), I was diagnosed with bronchitis and "a little bit of pneumonia". Hm, isn't that like being a little bit pregnant?

The good news is, I am okay enough that they let me leave the hospital that day. I came home with a scrip for an antibiotic and orders to rest and not go back to work until at least Monday.

My mother is really worried, and she's not a woman who worries easily or outwardly.

I am just so frustrated- I am so useless, I cannot even care for my son through a virus without worrying about ending up in a hospital? It's really very depressing. The fact that winters seem longer and longer as I get older doesn't help, either. I'm starting to fanatsize about moving south, somewhere, anywhere. I've lived in NJ my entire life, but I may have to face the fact that the climate here just isn't good for me, at least in winters. I have to work in the NJ school s at least 25 years, though, to get the pension and be able to get the same health insurance after I retire. That means the earliest I can retire would be age 51. I am hoping to make it to 56, and make it a nice even 30 years in the system, but I just honestly don't know if my body will be able to handle it!

Oh, and the coda on this whole deal? The daycare called Thursday aftrenoon- Frank had another fever! This meant he'd be home with me Friday, because he has to be fever-free for 24 hours before he's allowed back. I called my best friend, the most wonderful, awesome, selfless, giving human being on the planet, and she graciously agreed to come and help me out Friday afternoon. Friday morning, I got Frank an appointment in with the pediatrician, and it turns out that he not only has bronchitis, but he also has a double ear infection, a bad one! Bronchitis, I had a feeling about, but the ears?? He never indicated pain with them! When I said this to the doctor, she shrugged and said, "Some kids just have a very high pain tolerance."

So, how do you explain to a little kid that there are some pains one must give in to and tell Mommy about without turning the child into a hypochondriac??