Friday night when I came home from work, my son was sleeping. It’s not that unusual for him to take a nap after school. Therefore, I didn’t think anything of it.
When I woke him up at 7pm to decide what he wanted for dinner, not only was he dripping in sweat, he was bright red, glossy eyed, and lethargic.
And that’s when I thought… Great. He’s sick.
I took his temperature which was 102, and that is unusually high for my son. I gave him the typical over the counter medications for cold / flu & fever / pain reducers, fed him dinner, drew him a bubble bath, and gave him fresh from the dryer pajamas.
[when he is sick, that is just about the ONLY time he lets me ‘mommy’ him.]
He was back to bed and completely unconscious by 830pm.
Saturday was more of the same, but we kept dispensing Motrin every 6 hours to keep the fever, aches, and pains at bay. He seemed to be feeling much better.
Whew.
Sunday morning, he said he felt 100% better and he looked 100% better.
Good. Great. Grand.
Sunday afternoon, just 6 hours Motrin free, his fever was right back to where we started on Friday night. And now, not only did he have a sore throat and a headache, but he was complaining that his body, mostly his neck hurt.
[insert maternal alarm bells, over reactions, and definitely a million questions]
Okay…maybe he has strep throat?
~Right? That makes sense. I wonder if that is going around his school?
Maybe this is just the flu?
~No…the flu is viral, not infectious. And is not usually accompanied by a fever that lasts for THREE days. Hmm.
A fever normally equals an infection somewhere in the body. JCH rarely gets fevers. ~Especially a fever that lasts for THREE days…without breaking. This is making me nervous.
Why is his neck bothering him? Maybe he just slept weird?
~Yeah. He slept weird. That sounds right.
But wait…maybe he didn’t sleep weird. Maybe? It’s meningitis?
~No. I have been watching way too much TV. Calm down. Lets not get carried away.
[Yep. That’s the carnival that goes on inside my head.]
Fortunately I have his pediatricians ‘after hours’ phone number.
I am not one of those parents that abuses this sort of information. I think in all of the 11 years she has been JCH’s doctor I may have used that number once. Or twice.
After talking with my parents (who saw JCH with their own eyes) they demanded I called his doctor.
She is AWESOME. She assured me that this was probably nothing more than strep throat. She explained how bad this season has been for everyone. She told me to give my son the Adult Dosage of medication to get us through the night and that I was to be in her office at 10am.
[Except that in my worried state of mind, I tend to hear what I want to hear instead of what is actually being said.]
Justin’s doctor told me to CALL her office at 10am.
Not to be IN her office at 10am.
But I didn’t figure that out until I was AT the doctors at 10am Monday morning.
The receptionist tried explaining to me that JCH’s doctor did not come into the office until after 1pm. There must be a misunderstanding. And, “Would I like to schedule and appointment for the afternoon?”
“But, I spoke to the doctor last night on the phone. She told me to be here AT 10am.” I said confused.
“No.” [long pause] “She does not come in until after 1pm.”
“Are you sure?” I asked.
Then, I slowly replayed the conversation I had with the doctor the night before over in my head.
“Oh…” “Wait.” “Now I remember. She must have said to CALL the office at 10am not to COME to the office at 10am.”
Oops. My. Bad.
So, after driving all the way there, for NOTHING, I rescheduled for the correct time.
[At least I didn’t do anything really embarrassing, like getting into the wrong car. Again. ]
*M: Was this yet another ‘Liz Lemon’ moment in my life?
Anyway, I went back to the doctors at 130pm and sure enough JCH is sick with strep throat. We have plenty of anti-bioics and fluids. JCH should be fine in a couple of days.
I had to go back to the office today (even though I wish I could have stayed home and watched movies all day with him) but I can rest assured knowing that Poppa Sye is taking good care of my boy.
Hope he feels better soon. Being sick is no fun!
Poor kid!! I love the instinct that kicks in for us Mothers. I too would have known that Friday night, something was wrong. You just know, when they change their routine a little bit that something is wrong. And yes, my brain carnival would have had the same conversations and jumped to the same conclusions that yours did!! LOL!! I hope he feels better Soon! There is a lot of miserable stuff going around right now.
Lis:
Me too. I wish I was home with my bean…but I am busy blending into the miserable corporate landscape that is my ‘life’ ….
Chef Mom:
I knew he was sick on Friday, I just didn’t know HOW sick until yesterday. I feel so bad for my little buddy.
Glad to know I am not the only mom that gets overly nervous / cautious.
I hope that I dont ‘catch it’ with my weak immune system. I will be pissed if I have to use up all my vacation time for SICK days (like last year) UGH
I hope JCH is back to MC’ing game shows before long and yes, I was going to say that this smacks of you doing another ‘Liz Lemon.’ I admire your commitment to doing ‘Liz Lemons.’ I might try to do a few at work today myself…or would those be ‘Michael Scotts?’
😉
OH I hope you don’t get it!!! That would be miserable for you. Get yourself a bubble, stat!!!
I hope JCH feels better and that you didn’t get it nor take it to your office. 😉 Strep is HIGHLY contagious. Sending feel better vibes your way.
Michael C:
Yes! That is so funny. I will continue to enjoy and have ‘Liz Lemon’ moments and regale you with my tales…as long as you have ‘Michael Scotts’ moments and tell US about them!!
Chef Mom:
I know right?!
Leslie:
JCH isnt even allowed to go back to school until Thursday this shit is so contagious. I told my Office Manager and my Boss that JCH has strep…do you think they care if I am carrying it all over my office? Nope. I HOPE I dont have it, or get it, or spread it. That would SUCK. Thanks for the good vibes! (We need them!!)
I love you Justin!!!!!!(im saying that in a high pitched voice)
Hope he recovers quickly; I’ve had strep several times, and it is no fun at all.
I think you’ve inspired me to write a post about how ‘Liz Lemon’ should be a new verb! Normally I’d email this to you, but I’m at work 😉
BFF:
Thanks. I will send him your love.
ps….I cant believe you didn’t comment on what I did to your bathroom!
Bob:
I hope so too. He feels and looks terrible. Poor baby.
Michael C:
You BETTER write that post! (email me tonight!) xxoo
Oh, I will and I’ll give you some link love.
Strep. {shudder} I am highly susceptible to strep. While working in an elementary school, I got strep twice a year, every year. Not fun. My heart goes out to him–tell him I hope he is better soon!
It is so scary being a parent with a sick child. I would NEVER want to be there again! And then I had the added burden of having a father who lost a brother to meningitis, so EVERY time my kids had a headache, I was told they MUST have meningitis! NOT fun. The irony is, C actually came down with meningitis a couple of years ago. What can you say. Being a mother is like nothing else–both in the good and bad ways. 🙂 You take care, too–don’t need you getting sick!
My kids have all had it this year some twice. It’s a nasty bug.
I hope he gets better soon and don’t miss a dose of those antibiotics 🙂
I think there should be a buddy system for parents for when their kids get sick. It would work like this:
My child is sick, so I call someone like you. You come in and make all the right decisions and make all the phone calls and decisions so that my child recovers. That would leave me to do what parents with sick children do best…become blathering idiots.
Michael:
Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet xxoo
CMK:
I will send my son your well wishes. I used to get strep all the time when I was a kid, but I havent had that in ages. *fingers crossed* it stays that way!
and…No! Way! (about your daughter C & having meningitis) That would scare the crap out me.
being a parent is exhausting!!
Hammer:
I will make sure he doesnt miss a single dose. what is UP with the sickness this year? Its like a major epidemic of badness.
Lee:
Yup! Thats is a GREAT system
Oh wow, strep throat is awful. Hope he feels better. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.
Wait, that’s not entirely true…
Awww… poor baby! Strep is no fun at all 🙁
Get well soon!
I can remember I time way back, when everyone diagnosed everything as strep throat in my family. One cough … strep throat. Sneeze?? … strep throat Most of the time it was nothing.
Now, REALLY having strep is no fun at all. I hope things are all cleared up for your son.
Staying at home and watching movies all day does sound nice 🙂
hope he gets better..kids bounce back quick..I am now not to embarrassed to say I got into the wrong car once to…:)))))
Jillian:
“thats not entirely true” hahahahaha you are so funny.
Dawn:
xxoo xxoo xxoo
Speedy:
Thanks sweety. He is already looking and feeling better
Robert:
Thanks. Me too!
You did REALLY? You really got into the wrong car too? Id LOVE to hear THAT story.
You scared the crap out of me with the neck thing!!! I had encephalitis as a teenager and menengitis a few years ago…the viral kind, not the BAD bacterial kind. But, the bacterial kind has the same symptoms. Both encephalitis and the menengitis gave me a very sore, stiff neck. I’m so glad it’s (not GLAD…but you know what I mean) that it’s easily treatable strep!
Poor kid! You had me worried. I would have jumped to the same conclusion and assumed meningitis. My kids being sick has always scared me. Hope your baby feels better soon.
Yeah, that meningitis WAS scary with C. And to top it all off, she was pregnant! SHE is convinced that is why it was a pre-term labor thing with that pregnancy. (She’ll come up with ANY excuse–in her mind–for having preemies–she still doesn’t want to accept that she has high-risk pregnancies that are unexplainable.)
I agree with Momo Fali, when I read about the sore neck. I worried, too. Glad the Baby Boy is doing better.
MoMo:
I was NEVER so HAPPY to hear the words strep throat in all my life. As parents we have to be aware of all those symptoms. See! Thank you… I didnt completely over-react when I thought the worst.
OOOh NOOOooooo. I cant believe you went through that? That is terrible!! (glad thats over!) YIKES.
Terri:
Thank you I am NOT a crazy person for being temporarily terrified. And, Thank you for the well wishes. He is feeling and doing much better.
CMK:
I cant even begin to imagine….AND PREGNANT. Holy Fuck. She may be right about the pre-term labor as a result of the meningitis. Or…Not.
Yep. It was the NECK thing that threw me into a tail spin.
I am so happy he’s doing better. (we are watching Idol together and his commentary on the contestants is hysterical, so I know that he is almost back to his regular snarky self)
poor baby… strep sucks.. i have had it… well i am sure the antibiotics will kick it and if you dont get it… all will be well…..
Poor JCH. Hope he feels better soon. I go into full panic mode when Jake has a fever. I too, fear meningitis. I’m always checking his body for rashes and asking him if his neck hurts. It’s getting easier now that he’s older but when he was a baby I was a wreck when he was sick. Hugs to both you and JCH.
that strep and flu thingy are the worst and they come with the change of seasons… Hope your son gets well soon… take care…
Poor lil fella, hope your little baby gets well soon. I know how it feels to worry at times, being a parent and all that …
paisley:
He is doing so much better. whew!
Selma:
Thank you for making me feel like a NORMAL mother!
Arv:
Hey you! Thanks for the well wishes 🙂
Nick:
I know ‘my poor baby’ is right. Being a parent makes me a nervous wreck sometimes.