sick day

Henry slept all day yesterday. He woke up briefly to eat, he  took a  walk with me outside, he woke up to enjoy being put to bed. Today he is fine, I think. The antibiotics for his sinus infection are back in action. Phew.

Miranda with “the worst headache of her entire life.” When she added her teeth hurt, I was sure she had Sinus Infection, the sequel. And so we headed to the pediatrician’s office. And while he agreed that her symptoms sounded owl-y, she wasn’t quite infectious. And so she had a strep throat swab as a precaution. And we’re back to watchful waiting. Since she decided roughly 30 minutes before we went to the doctor’s office that she wasn’t really sick, that outcome seems fair. But she had a malaise that surpassed lazy summer day TV watching. And she was sleep walking the night before. So I will upgrade her to well, with caution.

I know the swine flu has provoked an abundance of caution, but it feels self-fulfilling. Miranda might be sick. I let her stay home. Multiplied over a school and it starts looking like there is an outbreak. When really, there is just caution. I hope. I am still nervous, in that “I know it is irrational” way.

The trees are spreading pollen everywhere I look. My allergies feel on the cusp of being bad. I am torn between wanting to nap during the day and not wanting to give in, because once I give in I might as well cancel my plans for the next week.

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We had our scary phone call of the month…maybe we can shoot for year, if you are listening O Universe? My grandfather took my grandmother to the hospital for feeling weird. And slurring her words. And not feeling right. And at 83, you just go with these feelings. But the call was that she was admitted to the ICU. Her blood pressure was really really high. And they wanted to scan various parts of her to see if anything was amiss. 24 hours later, I can say, the tests seems normal, all systems go. I can let go of that breath I was holding. My mom visited today. She is supposed to go home tomorrow. She is on a new blood pressure pill. And we’re at hopeful, watchful waiting that she’ll stay fine.

Hospital have changed for better in recent years. My grandfather got to stay overnight in her ICU room. She had unlimited visitors without hourly restrictions. I still remember waiting in the statue-clad lobby of St Vincent’s when my grandfather went in for something. My mom and dad could see him, but we kids were forbidden. It was such an unfair feeling, to be denied access when someone is so near. I can only hope we don’t get to explore more of those policies, procedures and rules anytime soon.