By Thursday afternoon Oliver’s lingering cough had shifted from lingering to persisting to aggressive and angry-sounding. Friday afternoon saw us back at the doctor’s office, our second visit in less than five days. Our doctor put my pneumonia fears at ease – Oliver’s lungs were clear, thankfully, but his throat was infected. Because I was starting to feel shitty myself I asked him to peer down my throat and lo and behold, I was working on the beginnings of an infection too. Not to be outdone by the rest of my sickly family, I threw in a head cold for good measure. Because, you know, a throat infection simply is not enough.
“Gosh, you guys sure have had a rough fall,” the nurse at my doctor’s office said as she handed me two prescription slips. “Wait’ll they’re both in school.”
I smiled weakly at her. I’m just…defeated by the continuous stream of illnesses that have passed through my household in the last two months. For old time’s sake, let’s re-cap, shall we? Since the beginning of October, it’s gone down like this:
Dave: bronchitis, sinus infection, head cold
Me: two throat infections, a head cold, a sinus infection and a violent reaction to a medication resulting in a short stint in the ER
Julia: two throat infections, a nasty head cold and a persisting cough that turned into bronchitis
Oliver: a head cold, bronchitis and a throat infection
At present, the only one in this house not taking an antibiotic is Dave.
Julia hasn’t been to school in a week and a half and we’ve watched every kid’s movie we own like, three times already. We really should by stock in Lysol with the amount of spraying and wiping down I’m doing. I’ve washed toys, changed sheets, thrown open windows and have disinfected the shit out of this place, to no avail. I’m thinking about buying us all plastic bubbles for Christmas.
I promise once ’07 rolls around I won’t whine about illness or snot or how sick we’ve all been…for a few days. But for now? This fucking sucks. Hard. I know we’re not the only ones – it seems like everyone I know is sick or has been sick lately. It kind of astounds me, though – we’ve never been consistently sick like this. I’m just…done. Like, stick a fork in me. I’m exhausted and cranky and I just blew whatever remaining holiday spirit I had out my nose. I just want us to be feeling halfway decent by Christmas, especially the kids. You know?
Fuck, man. Sick sucks.
Okay. Rant over. Carry on.
35 Comments, Comment or Ping
I hear you. I have only not been sick for about 4 days since Sept: flu, sinus infection, countless colds. Luckily Cakes and BP have not been catching all of it.
December 17th, 2006
We have been in the same circle of hell. Flu’s that return a few days after they’re gone, asthma, pneumonia, snot, snot, snot.
I feel for you.
December 17th, 2006
It’s been rough here too, but not as rough as at your house. Somebody recently recommended a product called Primadophilus, (they have a kids version) which is supposed to boost the immune system. I think I’m going to give it a try.
Mine are in school, so I know where theirs is coming from. I harp at them about handwashing, but well, they’re kids, and they’re boys.
Nothing sucks harder than being sick at Christmas. I hope you guys can get well enough to enjoy it a little bit.
December 17th, 2006
“disinfected the shit out of this place” … erm … excellent work.
December 17th, 2006
Ack. We’re sick here too. I couldn’t even move yesterday. K had to be a single parent.
December 17th, 2006
That blows Kath. We’ve stayed fairly healthy the last month or so, but both kids had colds for about 2 weeks…luckily they didn’t involve fevers or throwing up, so they could still go to school.
I really hope everyone is feeling better soon! Sick and Christmas don’t go well together.
December 17th, 2006
Damn. You got some serious cooties over there. Damn.
December 17th, 2006
oh…sister.
sick does suck. it feels endless and awful and challenges everything good inside of us.
this too shall pass. and i am certain it will in time for xmas.
December 17th, 2006
I’m with you. Been sick for fucking ever. And just when I get over it, one of the kids or my nephew brings it back home again. I’m thinking of giving the kids away and running away to a tropical destination….
But then, my husband would follow and he’s been sick since Sept.28. Fucker won’t stop breathing on me.
Here’s to you, me and all the other moms out there having a germ free Christmas.
December 17th, 2006
Yikes! Totally a Plague House. Sending you healthy thoughts!!!
December 17th, 2006
Oh girl. I wish you healthy vibes for 2007. We’ve had our share of the crud, too, but no ER visits (hey since July!) ;)
Knock on wood.
Take care. Lysol needs to hook you up!
December 17th, 2006
Dude, i don’t even know what to say to that. That is just all sucktasitc, indeed. ((your family))
;)
December 17th, 2006
Uck. Feel better soon, Mama T!
December 17th, 2006
Oh no! Poor kids, poor you! I hope everyone is feeling better in time for Christmas.
December 17th, 2006
We’ve all been healthy so far this season (knock wood). But we spent last year vomiting around the Christmas tree.
December 17th, 2006
Hee’s the guy with his probably useless advice; besides wanting to tell you I’m sorry it’s been so rough.
Think about some other places that might need disinfecting, because it sure sounds like you’ve got some bugs somewhere. Have you tried putting some Clorox in the dishwasher? I don’t know. Wish I could fix it (another guy trait). Good luck.
December 17th, 2006
It just doesn’t seem fair. You get sick, so you get weaker, then you get MORE sick…it seems like piling on, to me. If you get sick once, you should get some kind of “get out of sick free” pass good for at least 6 months.
December 18th, 2006
Ahh, now I see why I’d fit in so well at your house. It’s bad enough when one person is sick, but as it happens in households, everyone gets the cold. I might have to teach my dog how to measure 2 tablespoons of Robotussin soon.
December 18th, 2006
We’ve had a variation on the same cold floating through our house for four weeks, nothing too bad, just not too good. I’m hoping we make it through the holidays without anything more serious. We’ve had to cancel Christmas plans for the past four years due to something (bedrest, minor surgery, vomiting, another minor surgery). I’m hoping this is our year (knocking on the same wood that everyone else is counting on).
December 18th, 2006
Complain away, m’lady! You have every right.
For what it’s worth, the worst time for illness when I was growing up was when I was a young kid in school and when my brother was a baby. It actually did get better when we were both in school–maybe because we’d already had everything and had built up some immunity???
December 18th, 2006
Not fair, and not cool at all. I hope Santa doesn’t drop off any exotic germs from the North Pole, either.
December 18th, 2006
I knew it had been a bad couple of months for you guys, but when you write it all out like that? Sheesh!
Feel better soon!!!
December 18th, 2006
Arabella is right. As miserable as this is, the more they get sick as preschoolers, the more immunity they have in elementary school.
Sounds like you couldn’t do anything else to clean your house. My advice: replace your toothbrushes now and then throw out the new set next week and hope for the best.
December 18th, 2006
Sorry to hear all the illnesses and woes. I don’t know if I am well behind the 8-ball, but read this advice only recently – when there is illness in the house, throw away ALL the toothbrushes – as toothbrushes harbour infection.
Wow – who woulda thought it – but then, I have always said that as a mother, I stink as a nurse!
December 18th, 2006
i hope your entire family feels much better soon.
get well, darlin!
♥
December 18th, 2006
That sounds terrible. One of the things I’m so grateful about working from home now is that maybe I’ll avoid getting sick from the work folks. I’m hopeful anyway!
I really really hope you are all feeling better soon. This is no way to spend the holidays.
December 18th, 2006
Oh boy, do I hear you. We haven’t been well since Thanksgiving and I and so tired. Everything seems like a chore, and the Christmas spirit is dangerously low.
December 18th, 2006
Just think! It’s all up from here! Hope you’re feeling just a teensy bit better by now.
December 18th, 2006
We have all only been sick for about a week and a half, but damn I know how bad it sucks, I can’t imagine how annoying (to put it mildly) dealing with all that sickness for so long must be! I hope everyone gets better soon.
December 18th, 2006
Sending you and yours ‘healthy thoughts’.
Sick sucks. Seriously hope you’re all feeling better really soon.
December 18th, 2006
There is nothing like two young children (plague rats) to make an entire household sick. The nurse is wron by the way. By the time they are both in school your immune systems are going to be soooo strong.
I hope you all feel better very very soon.
December 18th, 2006
Oh do I EVER hear you!!! I have spent so much in the last 2 months in copays, I could buy my dr a nice vacation!
Between me and the 5 kids, we have been nonstop sick around here. If you find those bubbles, pass the word on, I think I will be interested in some myself!
Hang in there, winter can’t last forever!!
December 18th, 2006
~*~*~*~*~*healthy vibes for 2007~*~*~*~*~*~*
My fucking god….you guys deserve it. YOU deserve it to have some healthiness raise it’s head in your household. SICKIES BE GONE!
*hugs* sweetie….
December 19th, 2006
Sick does suck! Brendan has been saying his throat hurts today. I am thinking, “Dear God, please not now!” He has to sing a solo in the Christmas play tomorrow night, and his cousins are coming Wednesday. Hopefully, the “sick” will wait or decide never to come at all!
I sure hope you all start feeling better soon. It’s one thing to be sick, but when your kids are sick at the same time, that’s tough.
Oh, I received the picture today. So cute! Thank you!
December 19th, 2006
Hug hug hug! Hope you get better soon. Perhaps you need to treble your vitamins or something? Pao went mad taking vitamins after his op and he hasn’t been ill at all!!
December 20th, 2006
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