The View From Kalamazoo

Still enjoying the washed-out feeling of being on antibiotics. Yay me.

Finished laying The Great Tome today. Now, I can die.

So the last several days of my life have been a laugh riot. Two children, two days, 4 doctor appointments, ‘scrips…and I’m bleeding co-pays, let me tell you.

The Girl woke up Wed. morning with a puffy eye. Now, she had been crying half of the night (another special Emma evening) and we have 3 cats – so I hit the kid with some Benadryl and send her to school.

The Boy woke up Wed. morning with … a very angry John Thomas. He was red, swollen (think plum. No, seriously.), it was owie – not a pleasant diaper change. He’s walking like he’s trying to carry a Nerf Ball between his knees, and he’s crying. I call the ped. immediately, and after dropping Girl off to catch bus at sitter’s house I rush off with Boy to see what went wrong with the weeter. (Apparently, somehow, he managed to get it caught in Just The Right Way in his pull-up that it cut off the circulation…in other words, he kinked his hose. Don’t ask me, I’ve never heard of it, either, not that I grew up with the right equipment…)

Leaving the ped. the first time with a ‘scrip (in case the unhappy member decides to infect) and instructions, I get a call from the school to come get her because they have a paranoia standard regarding eye weirdness to uphold.
I rush there, call the sitter, and drop them both off there.

(Then back to work, tote that barge, lift that bail..Program, you know)

I pick them up…both of Girl’s eyes are now affected, and worse than before, and Boy – let’s just say what was found there was described as looking rather like a foot. I call the ped. again, manage to get her fit in, go home to shove something in both mouths and wait for Bri to watch Boy whilst I make my second ped. trip of the day. They think it’s allergies, too, and are sure it isn’t bacterial…but want to see her again the next morning.

That evening we get to start Boy on his antibiotic (picture: hold him, hollering, down and squirt the med into the back of his mouth so he has to swallow it) and The Regimen. This consists of lots of nice, warm baths to soak unhappy parts…

And repeating, at intervals, complete with fighting and screaming (and later therapy): several-minutes long compression. Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. No, not in a million years could I have imagined it, and yes, Dad chickened out so I had to be the Bad Guy. (I think it was sympathetic pain, dunno…but he’s on crotch duty next time. Damnit.)

So the next morning (and co-pay #3, not counting the ‘scrip) I take Girl to the ped. again, it isn’t better, but isn’t worse…but eyes being a point of paranoia for everyone, apparently, we are referred to an opthamologist. After a long wait and co-pay #4 it is decided that yes, there is allergy stuff, plus what might be virus-y (there have been colds in the house, colds in the eyes is something my kids get. does anyone listen to me about hand-washing? nooooo), definitely not bacterial. Oh, and because colds can be contagious 10 days, and viruses are easy to pass around, we’re out of school until the 31st because we have to just ‘wait it out’.

The good news? My sitter, because she has a separate area that Emma can hang out and work on homework and coloring books away from the rest of the kids, will take her so I don’t have to spend my (precious – I have surgery coming up) sick time. The bad news? Can you even imagine my child care bill for these two weeks? Keeee-rist on a crutch.

Eventually I made it in to work.

Another day passes – Girl’s eyes look much better, the whole week off will do her no favors academically, and she looks like she’ll be back-to-normal in a couple of days. Crap.

Boy’s weeter is almost back to normal. Boy, however, ask if I’m going to “Hurt penis, Mom? In water?” every time I draw a bath. Niiiice.

Will someone explain, again, why I thought it was a good idea to have kids?

FYI : all interested parties

The 40th Congress Program is now online (directly) at

http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/40congress

enjoy. I’m going to bed.