So. About That First Week.
Monday, August 23, 2010 at 9:45AM - If you are my mother, I'm sorry I didn't call you back this weekend. Hopefully this blog post will suffice as an explanation.
- If you are my sister, Nicki, I'm sorry that my phone call to you on your birthday was incoherent. I seem to remember sounds of partying on your end. I'm glad you have friends to celebrate with as your older sibling is pathetic.
- Before I launch into my tale of woe, you should know the most important news from the first week: Reagan made the sophomore volleyball team, Hayden passed his Tae Kwon Do belt test (he's now a black belt candidate) and Faith scored a goal in the season soccer opener. This is very exciting. I'm always so pleased when my kids have an athletic accomplishment.
Now for the woe:
Hayden came home on the first day of school with one of the weirder viruses I've encountered. His entire torso was covered with angry, red hives. I gasped when he took off his shirt. Then I took pictures and sent them to Rich. Then I gave Hayden 2 Benadryl and sent him to the shower.
In case you didn't know, the active ingredient in Benadryl is Diphenhydramine. Diphenhydramine is the ingredient in Tylenol PM that knocks grown ups out like a light.
How did it affect Hayden?
It made him merely listless. Say what you will about the down sides to ADHD, but it also gives super human energy levels which will probably come in handy for Hayden one day when he no longer lives at my house.
I gave him 2 more at bedtime when the hives had moved from his torso to his limbs.
The next morning he still had a slight rash which I knew would get him sent home from school so I kept him home. You have never seen a more delighted child than my son who got to return to summer vacation on the second day of school.
Which turned into the third day of school when that night the hives reappeared on his hands and feet and he threw up multiple times.
I told you it was a weird virus.
Of course he was fine for the weekend. Stinker.
In the meantime, I went to bed with a tickle in my throat on Wednesday night, which turned into slight stuffiness on Thursday.
On Friday I was sick with a butt-kicking cold. I came home after work and went to bed and pretty much stayed there until Sunday morning. I do not know what happened in the interim. When I came to on Sunday afternoon the kids looked washed and fed and the house was still standing so I guess things went fine.
Rich is pretty much awesome as a pinch hitter.
And now it is Monday and we're back in the saddle, because there is no other choice. I can't take a day off for several weeks because until the school kiddos get into a routine it totally throws them off when a sub shows up.
If I worked in an office I would feel badly about exposing my co-workers to my killer cold germs but since I work in the germiest building outside a hospital I figure I'm just adding to the mix.
Reader Comments (21)
did you find out what the virus was? were the hives itchy?
and isn't a constant cold one of the many perks of working in a school?
Wow on #3. Congrats to them all!
And feel better soon! ...in time for the next virus to run through the school :/
Sarah - no, I'm a bad mom and didn't take him to the doctor. I figured that as long as he wasn't having trouble breathing that we'd just deal with it. The doctor never tells me anything but "it's a virus" or possibly "he's allergic to something" anyway and I don't need to fork over a $30 copay to figure that out.
Katy - I fear you predict correctly!
I caught some kind of virus too last week--for five days now I have been feeling nauseated unless I have a little food in my stomach. It's almost like I'm pregnant except I AIN'T bc my hubs had a vasectomy.
Oh no, hope your all feeling better!! That doesn't sound like fun at all.
And these are the true signs that school has started... feel better
SUT - I hate to break it to you, but that's not a guarantee. ;)
Jenna and Kendra - Thanks, I think we'll live.
I'm so sad that you were so sick - not that I would have come over to
take care of you if I lived closer. But I would have been happy to
bring in a meal, and leave it on the front porch. Congratulations
to all of my talented grandchildren - good start!!!!!!!!
Much love,
Grandma/Mom
Yeck, sorry to hear you two got sick. I just got back from picking my daughter up she is sick too. Congrats on all the happy good news:)
Mom - That would have been a good thing. Rich is good at a lot of things. Cooking? Not so much.
SC - Bummer! What a way to start the year, huh?
Did you figure out what was all over Hayden? Tyler had a similar starting from his waist and went upward, which we found out was a fungus caused by being wet from the pool and sweaty from baseball all summer. Crazy stuff! And once again another co-pay....gotta love those co-pays. I can't remember if I'm serious or sarcastic about those darn things??
Oh wow...what a way to start the school year. Hope you're feeling better soon!
Wow! You are off to a crazy start! :)
You are forgiven :)
*Ahem* Attention: I am about to put on my nursing hat. Sorry. I can't help it! My first thought was, "Uh-Oh, he had strep." You know strep can give a rash with a fever, but the rash doesn't itch. And, since you felt crummy and had a sore throat, I still expected to hear you say it was strep!
But, you didn't!
So, that's what I get for attempting to practice medicine through the blogosphere...Not to mention practicing medicine without a medical license and all that folderol...
Well, I bet this week will be better, right? :)
Marla @ www.asthefarmturns.wordpress.com
Amy - we didn't figure out the cause, but it went away. That's good, right?
Joyce - thx. :)
LJW - Tell me about it.
Nicki - you are very kind. :)
Andi - I too, enjoy a good game of "diagnose that condition". In this case though, the hives were very itchy and no sore throat. You're right though - Scarlet Fever is a good guess.
Marla - Goodness, I hope so!
so sorry about last week. hope this weeks has no viruses, kids and parents who easily adapt to the routine at work, more athletic accomplishments for your kiddos, and maybe a margarita with missy.
I remember my first 2 weeks teaching, every day I'd leave the school crying and saying, "Why, WHY did I think I could do this?!" It reminded me of your first week. Thankfully I had an older, wiser sister who told me that any first two weeks of a new job have the potential to make you hate it and think you've made the wrong choice. Then it gets easier. If not for her, I may have quit! But she was right. You remind me a lot of her, you have that same good wisdom. But you're younger than me!
YIKES!! Hope everyone is doing better this week.