The never ending illness...

I blame daycare. I blame the kids in his class. I blame his teachers. I blame the day i forgot to wipe down the highchair at the mall. i blame myself sometimes too. The poor kid is always battling an illness. It's never ending. Not just one ongoing illness. A whole slew of them.

Ranging from ear infections, colds, viruses, pink eye, a viral infection, the undiagnosed illnesses, the rash, oh and the lovely hand-foot-and-mouth one, another pink eye, and the last one, the real kicker, the croup.

The croup. Ugh. Over this one weekend in particular, he was a bit sniffly but when isn't a daycare kid sniffly!? I remember at some point husband remarking that the kid sounded wheezy but - I had shrugged it off.

Monday morning rolled around. I strolled off (thats a lie. more like, raced off because i was Late!) to work early to teach a class. Husband later called saying the kid had a fever and sounded very wheezy. A trip to our good ole pediatrician was in order. He was diagnosed with the croup. Parent instruction? keep an eye on it and bring him back if it worsens. He already sounded awful - how we were to know if it worsened was beyond me.

Fast forward into Tuesday afternoon, I had just wrapped an invigorating teaching session with my ever excited, optimistic personnel (HA!). Husband calls. The kid was in the ER because his breathing became so labored he couldn't get enough air and/or oxygen.

"Okay. I'm on my way," I calmly told him.

I casually told my co-instructor I had to go, giving brief details of my sick kid. Not saying much. I'm sure he is sick of hearing it. My sick kid. blah blah blah. He doesn't have children. He is a man. and i doubt he gives two craps honestly. and to top it all off, my kid is always sick so - again, i'm sure he's thinking 'oh yea yea whatever, are you coming in tomorrow or what?' good times.

Turns out, he was transported to a peds unit for overnight breathing treatments, steriods, the whole nine. I went from a mom who flinches at giving him doses of motrin, to asking when he gets the next steriod treatment. I stayed overnight with the little guy, forcing husband home to rest (like he did ha. no chance - he was worried to death. not that i wasn't but i just handle illness related stress much better than him. he knows this. as i do obviously).

I begged of the doctor, "why does this keep happening to him? Is something wrong with his immune system? I mean, seriously? what is going on with all this sickness!?"

Doctor: "Is he in daycare?"

Me: "well yes."

Doctor: "yea, thats how it goes. I know its rough but by the time he starts kindergarden, he'll have the best immune system in his whole class," she throws out casually as she writes notes in his chart.

Me (thinking to self): Oh well, how wonderful. I feel fabulous now. I have something to look forward to FOR THREE YEARS! sigh.
(now verbalizing) "Um, is there anything I can do, to ward off any of these germs, illnesses, or to give him some level of...?"

Doctor: "Probably not. I mean, sure there are good ideas like a good diet, his vitamins, but mainly lots of hand washing. lots! Truthfully though, when a kids in daycare its a never ending germ fest. Turning into a germ freak won't help anything. Just be conscious. That's all you can do."

A never ending germ fest. so very medical doctor-ish sounding isn't it? I loved the terminology. And I really liked her. and she is absolutely right.

I spent the next two days sulking over his illness. suffering from guilt that we send him to that never ever germ fest. and wondering when it would end. I visualized dropping him off at daycare with rubber gloves on and a mask perhaps.

I am not a worrier. I am not. I don't want to become one either. I find that, being a mom, thats a little more challenging than prior. ya know, back when I just had good ole me to worry about. well, and the dogs.

We had planned a fourth of july trip to New Hampshire and upstate New York. We monitored him closely, trying to decide, should we should still attempt the trip? The doctor had sent him home with no meds, saying he sounded wonderful by discharge. She felt he would recover rapidly and assured us that making the trip that friday would probably be just fine. I missed the rest of work that week to stay home with the kid and keep my eye on him 24/7. well, i did sleep at night so whats that, 17/7?

Nevertheless, I put the worries behind me. We hit the road to NH. And I did not send him back to daycare till the next week (no gloves or mask, i promise).