Jun 18 2007
Doctor Trippin’
Well, I went to the doctor on Friday, after having the night from hell. I suspected strep, since it’s the only thing I knew of that could go from sore throat to puking and back to sore throat again. (”Sore throat” doesn’t even really seem to scratch the surface of what this feels like!) Fortunately, my dear mother-in-law watched the kiddos for me so that I could go a little more easily.
On my way, I decided to stop in at my old house to gather some more stuff up and I was going to clean out the van and get the oil changed (just because a girl is sicker than a dog doesn’t mean she doesn’t have things that simply must be done!) Upon arriving at the “old house,” I had to go to the bathroom–and thank goodness I did! Heretofore unbeknownst to me, I was covered in blood. Sweet little Aunt Flo had picked just this moment to express herself–all over my jeans. I had no back-up for such a thing. It was totally unexpected. I haven’t had a real period since my latest miscarriage three months ago. I felt like I was in Jr. High school again. What to do? I couldn’t go out like this, but I couldn’t just not go to the doc either!
I scoured the basement to see if somehow I’d left anything wearable. Finally I found something. An old box full of clothes that I was way too familiar with.
My maternity clothes.
In desperation, I found something that hopefully didn’t make me look too pregnant (though with my current configuration of body fat, I pretty much look pregnant all the time…) and off I went to the doc.
After sitting in the waiting room for a FULL HOUR, I was seen. The friendly nurse stuck her little magic wand into my ear and cheerfully announced that I had no fever.
I considered beating her to a bloody pulp.
Because even the slightest touch to my forehead would confirm that I did indeed have a TERRIBLE fever.
Stupid nurse. But the doctor was actually really great. She commented on my obvious fever, and even said, “oh wow. Oh WOW!!!” while she looked at my throat. Somehow I needed that validation! I needed her to look at me and say, “of COURSE you feel like crap! You’re SICK!” In the end, it was determined that both of my ears are infected and I do, indeed, have strep.
I called Hubby with the news, and learned that he too was feeling sick and had a sore throat. He wasn’t nearly to the stage that I was, but I still made him go to the instacare on the way home and get tested for strep so that he could start on an antibiotic before he got too much worse. His strep test came up negative, but the doc gave him a prescription of antibiotics anyway because if he had a fever and a sore throat and his wife had strep, what were the chances that he didn’t?
Yesterday we went to a big family party at Hubby’s parents’ house–a Father’s Day celebration. I didn’t think I could miss it. By the time we came home, after hours of chasing and disciplining children, cooking, setting up chairs, socializing in those high-pitched cheery “oh-you’re-so-darling” tones, cleaning up, and single handedly washing all of the dishes, I was dead. Though I do not have first-hand experience, I suspect that I felt the way one might feel after cooking in a microwave for a few hours.
Therefore, wasn’t it a lovely treat that Scooby decided that he too was sick last night. Hubby was up with him for the first half of the night and I took my shift for the second half. He screamed and screamed and tugged at his ears. His skin felt like a furnace.
So this morning, when my other dear children “pleasantly” surprised me by waking up at the crack of dawn, I knew that I’d have to make some phone calls and take Scooby in to the doctor–an adventure that seemed absolutely unconquerable, since I didn’t feel like I could even put one foot in front of the other, let alone haul four little ones all the way across town.
But it had to be done, so I did it.
And wouldn’t you just know it, that by the time we got to the doctor’s office, he’d made a miraculous recovery. POOF! In what can hardly be called an “examination,” the doctor determined that he had no fever, no sore throat, no sore ears. “Call us if he acts sick,” she said, trying not to sound condescending (but failing). With an office full of doctors and nurses staring at me with that look of, “why did she even bring him in here?” I trotted off with my healthy children.
Of course, now that he’s home, he has a fever.
Gotta love it.
Oh, and that pile of hair on the floor? Yah, that’s mine. I’m ripping it out by the handfuls right about now…
br>
ugh the misery of being sick. I’m right there with ya, although i can’t claim doctor-level sick; just a bad cold. I’m just glad the dr. validated how sick you are… there’s nothing worse than having to come home and say, “oh, they said it’s just a cold” and have everyone think you were EXAGGERATING your misery!!
But at least you’re really sick. Validation from someone with MD after their name always justifies my misery.
Yuck. My kids did the same thing when I was sick a few weeks ago, but fortunately didn’t carry it far enough to make me drag them to the doctor’s office, they just moped around complaining mostly, while I lay on my back waiting for the drugs to start working.
Hope your antibiotics kick in double quick!
Yay for the validation! Yuck for everything else. Wish I lived down the street from you so I could come over and help out. Your poor girl!
Ew. Yuck. I hope you feel more better more sooner! And same with Scooby and Hubby!
I don’t even know where to begin! I think I’ve had strep twice and there are no words that can describe how truly painful it is! Each time I got it I was like, “I took swallowing for granted…”. You poor thing, and to deal with the lovely monthly visitor…ugh. I honestly don’t know how you manage to take all of your children to the Doctor’s office while you are still so sick. I so hope you feel better soon! And if not, there’s always liquor. Lots and lots of liquor.
The worst of all is that moms can never really go ahead and be sick, even when you’re about to drop dead.
This too shall pass, I hope in a hurry
Oh dear! I’m feeling your pain. Get well soon!
My daughter has a total propensity for being really sick in the nights and perfectly fine in the daytime. Just like you describe here, burning with fever-writhing in pain-up all night misery, only to be greeted in the morning with a cheerful “Mommy, can I go play?” It’s mind boggling to me.
SO sorry for your misery. I don’t think there is anything worse than “real” strep, and I mean the actual infection not the namby-pamby sore throat that others identify as strep without having a culture made. Once you’ve had real strep, you just can’t tolerate the fakers laying claim to it. It’s an all out horrible affair. You should go to bed Brillig, and stop doing other people’s damn dishes!
Blesssings on wing for your quick recovery. And for no more midnight sickness from the kids!
Ugh. You have all my sympathy for today; no one else had better need any. I hate that doctor’s office recovery thing! It’s happened to me many times.
Everyone, everywhere is sick! That’s awful - feel better soon! You did way better than me - with that diagnosis, I’d have taken to my bed straight away!
I hope everyone feels better soon! Amazing that you are still Supermom even when you are suffering from Microwave-Fried Syndrome.
Since my husband and I are both physicians, we have the strep test kit at home and just swab the kiddies throats in our kitchen. Oh wait. You probably didn’t want to hear that right now, did you?
Hope you and your family are responding to the antibiotics. Nothing’s worst than the all night sick shift.
Oh, geez! What a time, eh?
So. Sorry.
Don’t you just HATE when that happens? How does GETTING TO the office make them better?
I was convinced that Sunshine had meningitis. CONVINCED. For a day and a half, all she did was convince me more and more. So I made her an appointment and took her in after work. Nothing. Not even a fever. “But she HAD a fever!” I said. “Well, it’s gone now…she’ll be just fine.” She did have the flu, but apparently I gave her just enough time to get over it. Glad I could offer you that $120/5 minute bonus, buddy.
That completely happened to me last time my youngest was sick. Took him to the ped and he was flirting, FLIRTING with the nurses. 24 hours later, we were back in hell and had to go to emergicare where, of course, he was diagnosed with a double ear infection.
You gotta hand it to kids! Hope you’re feeling better.
First of all, in this post, I didn’t see anything that needed to be done badly enough that a sick girl should be doing it!
I repeat, sometimes being strong means KNOWING YOUR GOD DAMN LIMITS!
Yeah, I’m cussin at your blog! What you gonna do about it, sick-o!
Let’s just pretend for a moment that we are familiar with the word “REST.” REST is an important and valuable thing. It doesn’t just mean SLEEPING at NIGHT. It means RESTING.
Now, get some rest before I spank you.
By the way, my son once had strep that, within two days of having it, turned into scarlet fever. It’s not a thing to mess around with dammit! (more cussing)
Hey, I’m so sorry about the strep. I get strep at the drop of a hat and I’m one of those that continually pukes and the whole nine yards. I feel your pain. These are the times when I just put on a movie…or two…or three…or ten and let my kids and house live it up!
Good luck to you for the next few days. I’m so sorry for all of this!
Oh my poor darling! You make my little episode look bland by comparison. You are so right on two scores: it feels better when someone says, “you are deathly ill, you poor thing”; and even when dying sounds a preferable option, mothers don’t have it.
I wish you much better health! and may the gods of children’s throats and ears keep theirs healthy!
i absolutely abhor going to the doctor’s office.
i do everything i can to stay away.
self medicate–just be sick–whatever.
shucks, this post reminds me that i need to schedule my yearly pap.
hhmmm. now where did i put that glittery spray?
hey sugar kane, can you spare some?
Going to the Dr’s office is a CHORE and I don’t even have kids.
Well, at least there’s no where to go but up from here!
oooh… sympathy by the boat load. Hope your shitty day gets one hell of a lot better. Make someone make you soup!
~CableGirl (aka Paige)
I’m echoing everybody else here: forget the dishes and get to bed. I hope you & everyone in your household is feeling better soon.
Oh my goodness, hope you are all feeling better very soon.
Does it kind of feel like you’re swallowing razor blades ? I’ve had that and it is the worst without a doubt.
I’m feeling for you , my dear!
My first son actually became very ill when he was barely one with bacteremia pneumococcii (If that’s how you spell it) The hospital had actually sent us home saying nothing was wrong - but after hours and hours of an extremely high temperature and my son becoming floppier and floppier we were sensible enough to go back to the hospital. (luckily we did - it was very seriously sick)
When our next three were born we were always overly paranoid about every single temperature they ever had- and would dash down to emergency as a matter of course! They really got sick of the sight of us and must have thought we were completely neurotic!
Get to bed, get rest, and get better soon!
Take care. Hope you feel better soon!
Just reading this wore me out! I hope you’re all feeling better… at least a little!
Hang in there!
Darn that Aunt Flo. She is a pest. Glad to hear you didn’t have to reschedule.
I love that we are both the same personality on the Jung test. Not to get weird or anything, but are you a late summer baby?
take care and feel better soon. Hope ev1 is on the mend.
Okay…forget my birthday request in my last comment….you need your rest!
BTW…don’t rip too many handfuls of hair out…you might end up looking like me!
I feel your pain.