“You should’ve been a nurse,” my Aunt Mindy (the licensed nurse practitioner) told me after we corresponded back and forth about yet ANOTHER medical situation.
Yep, having some medical training would definitely come in handy with the group we have.
Every day is an adventure and it is even more of an adventure during cold and flu and strep throat season.
Every morning I wake up and I have absolutely NO clue what the days will hold.
Not a clue. Not an exaggeration.
A week or so ago, Rylan developed a fever and cold symptoms. That grew into a chest infection, ear infection and chicken pox (yes, he’s been vaccinated — twice!).
He seemed to be responding well to a new antibiotic (he, of course, is allergic to amoxicillin), until literally an hour after his second dose when he developed a scary, crazy looking and itchy rash up his neck and all over his face.
Now we know Rylan is also allergic to THAT medicine. A little antihistamine later and he was just fine.
A few weeks ago, Masen brought home hand, foot and mouth disease and lovingly shared it with his siblings. That was such a fun “disease!” The kids were contagious for seven to 10 days (can you smell my mom’s-been-couped-up-too-long-sarcasm?)!
Poor Mae had it the worst of the four though, with painful blisters all over his hands, feet and down his throat.
During the same illness, the little guy was suffering through one of his many ear infections and the high fever exasperated the blisters.
His skin literally peeled off for a few weeks after (Molting Mae is what we called him). Recently we discovered that he is also losing his finger nails (Google says that’s a normal reaction to the “disease”).
Masen is also the worst picker in our bunch (second place would go to Rylan) and I found him at my side on a pleasant Saturday afternoon with one of his nails totally peeled off.
“Look, Mom, there’s meat under there!”
(Gag. Toes curled. Shoot me now.)
I literally had to have him leave the room with his discovery until I could compose myself (remember, I am a passer-outer!).
After his shower that night I discovered that we are in for at least a few more lost nails and Mae is super excited about it!
It’s not that my kids are abnormally sickly, it’s just that if anybody is sick within a 10-mile radius of our farm (whether we leave the house ever or not), we get it.
Strep throat.
Throwing up flu.
Phantom fevers.
Ear infections (colds lead to these).
Chicken pox.
Hand, foot and mouth disease.
Roseola.
Coughs (some of our kids almost always have either a cough or a runny nose).
And on and on and on.
During the blizzard earlier this year, all six of us sat at the doctor’s office and bought a local pharmacy out of amoxicillin! (Talk about a hefty co-pay!)
But, thankfully, our illnesses are typically fast and furious and the kids are soon back to their normal routines.
Right now, the chicken poxed, ear/chest infectioned, non-antibiotic taking patient is out picking walnuts.
I realized something a few years back that has made a world of difference.
If I’m too busy stressing trying to figure out how we will survive, I lose sight of the small joys the madness brings.
So bring on the sickness; we have a great doctor.
Bring on the craziness; my sanity is a lost cause.
Bring on the unpredictable adventure that every day of this fleeting life holds, because this too shall pass.
Yep, having some medical training would definitely come in handy with the group we have.
Every day is an adventure and it is even more of an adventure during cold and flu and strep throat season.
Every morning I wake up and I have absolutely NO clue what the days will hold.
Not a clue. Not an exaggeration.
A week or so ago, Rylan developed a fever and cold symptoms. That grew into a chest infection, ear infection and chicken pox (yes, he’s been vaccinated — twice!).
He seemed to be responding well to a new antibiotic (he, of course, is allergic to amoxicillin), until literally an hour after his second dose when he developed a scary, crazy looking and itchy rash up his neck and all over his face.
Now we know Rylan is also allergic to THAT medicine. A little antihistamine later and he was just fine.
A few weeks ago, Masen brought home hand, foot and mouth disease and lovingly shared it with his siblings. That was such a fun “disease!” The kids were contagious for seven to 10 days (can you smell my mom’s-been-couped-up-too-long-sarcasm?)!
Poor Mae had it the worst of the four though, with painful blisters all over his hands, feet and down his throat.
During the same illness, the little guy was suffering through one of his many ear infections and the high fever exasperated the blisters.
His skin literally peeled off for a few weeks after (Molting Mae is what we called him). Recently we discovered that he is also losing his finger nails (Google says that’s a normal reaction to the “disease”).
Masen is also the worst picker in our bunch (second place would go to Rylan) and I found him at my side on a pleasant Saturday afternoon with one of his nails totally peeled off.
“Look, Mom, there’s meat under there!”
(Gag. Toes curled. Shoot me now.)
I literally had to have him leave the room with his discovery until I could compose myself (remember, I am a passer-outer!).
After his shower that night I discovered that we are in for at least a few more lost nails and Mae is super excited about it!
It’s not that my kids are abnormally sickly, it’s just that if anybody is sick within a 10-mile radius of our farm (whether we leave the house ever or not), we get it.
Strep throat.
Throwing up flu.
Phantom fevers.
Ear infections (colds lead to these).
Chicken pox.
Hand, foot and mouth disease.
Roseola.
Coughs (some of our kids almost always have either a cough or a runny nose).
And on and on and on.
During the blizzard earlier this year, all six of us sat at the doctor’s office and bought a local pharmacy out of amoxicillin! (Talk about a hefty co-pay!)
But, thankfully, our illnesses are typically fast and furious and the kids are soon back to their normal routines.
Right now, the chicken poxed, ear/chest infectioned, non-antibiotic taking patient is out picking walnuts.
I realized something a few years back that has made a world of difference.
If I’m too busy stressing trying to figure out how we will survive, I lose sight of the small joys the madness brings.
So bring on the sickness; we have a great doctor.
Bring on the craziness; my sanity is a lost cause.
Bring on the unpredictable adventure that every day of this fleeting life holds, because this too shall pass.
"Look mom, there's meat under there!" lol Another classic! :)
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