Sunday, October 6, 2013

Sick days

Its been quite the week.

It started last weekend when I woke up and thought that perhaps I was literally dying and maybe should be rushed to the ER. Fever. Shaking. Aches. Pains. Boob pain like you wouldn't believe. Given the tip off of the pain, I figured I wasn't in fact dying, but probably had mastitis.

And I was correct. So off Nate and Tillie went to collect my antibiotics. Monday rolled around and to be honest I felt terrible but I still went to work.

Why? Not because I am a model employee who just cannot miss a day. Not because I believed the world couldn't keep on turning with out me while I was out. No, because of what happened next.

Tillie gets called home from daycare. Fever. Took her in. Ear infection. Guess who gets sent home? Yes, I know that there is such a thing as back-up daycare, and sick care workers. But you don't know my child, and I can think of nothing more unfair that putting her in a situation that she is very uncomfortable  with WHILE she is sick with a fever.

And so Nate and I spin the calendar roulette wheel and we see who it lands on.

And then I pray that whatever she has it isn't infectious because what if Bea gets it next. THEN who will stay home? I remember quite vividly when I was coming through the ranks kidless, when I would see people leave over and over again from work because "their kids were sick". "Yeah. Right." was what I often found myself thinking. Thinking it happened way to often for it to be real.

Turns out I was wrong. And turns out these little toddler creatures are really more like germ-carrying monkeys....of whom we lovingly refer to as Typhoid Tillie and Bubonic Bea. And more likely than not, they are going to be rotating getting sick all winter long.

So knowing that, I am not just going to stay home because of a little mastitis (note: by a little I mean it was the worst pain I have ever been in). No. Unless I am throwing up or delirious with fever, I will be working through it because you never know when the kids will go down.

And calendar roulette played again.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dang! I hope everybody is getting to feeling better real soon. I had no idea humans got mastitis. Growing up on the farm it was always a bovine thing. Hang in there....always check the wheel for magnets....
Uncle Todd

Debra Fiterman said...

I had the exact same reaction when I had mastitis. I was like "well...32 years...it was a good run." No fun but luckily the antibiotics knock it right out. Feel better!

Schulz Family said...

So sorry, Greta! I hope you're all feeling much better now, after a few more days. I've literally been to the doctor with one or the other of the kids 4 times in the past week, and been on the phone with the pediatrician more than that. Cold season seems to be hitting early and with a bang this year. It's gonna be a long winter....