In Sickness and in Health

2010 has started with a lot of tissues.

Max and I have both been sniffling from bad colds. The kind of cold that requires me to wipe my nose and then lean over to wipe Max's nose. And repeat. And repeat. And repeat. I think we will keep Kleenex company solvent for the upcoming year.

After being unable to make it through the entire day on my first day back from vacation, I was extremely grateful when human contact seemed possible again on Wednesday. But no, because Wednesday night my ear began to ache. And ache. And ache. I woke up at 3 am in tears from the pain. I knew sitting and waiting for hours for my primary care doctor to fit me in on Thursday was not going to be an option. So I called one of the pediatricians that I work with and begged her to check my ears before her first patient. Fortunately, she is a kind and generous soul, as is my co-worker who watched Max at our office while I had my ear exam. After dropping Max off at ITP and downing my medication and pain pills, I climbed back in the bed to try to ignore the stabbing pains and rest. When I woke up, the stains on the tissues indicated that my ear drum had perforated. Great.

I dragged my unwashed body, bloody ear, and greasy hair out of the bed to pick up Max. I stepped outside to set something on the back porch and managed to lock myself out of the house. I wanted to cry. The temperature was in the 20s, I had an ear infection, I needed to pick up my child, and some workers were due at the house to replace a mirror. No phone. No coat. No tissues to blow my nose. That is what our new neighbors saw when I appeared on their doorstep and asked to borrow their phone to call my husband.

Then, as if the week had not been bad enough, Max's pediatrician (not MY pediatrician) has been watching some swollen lymph nodes on his neck for the past few months. He ordered a chest x ray and blood work to help determine the cause. On Friday, Grammy and I took Max to the hospital to have it completed. He did not make a peep while they took 3 huge vials of blood - amazing! Although, he did enjoy sliding on his stomach on the floor of the blood lab. As did Pelt. I cannot imagine what type of germs are there!

We are both returning to normal, although I still cannot hear out of my left ear. The other day Max picked up the box of tissues and said "Mama" and then brought them to me in the bed. Me, Max, and Tissues - we go together like peanut butter and jelly.