The Saga of the Sick

We consider ourselves a relatively healthy family, but when we get sick, boy we do it with style. There are no pictures from this week, and trust me, you wouldn't want to see them if there were.

Tuesday night Bennett started getting, well, goopy. I know, it sounds gross. That's because it was gross. His eyes were gooey and his nose was constantly running and his little cry was hoarse from all the coughing he did. Being the excellent doctors we are, however, we diagnosed him with allergies and gave him some medications. It didn't seem to be working though, as was evident from the looooong, sleepless night that followed. So Wednesday morning we took him to a real doctor, who diagnosed him with double ear infections, a sinus infection, and the beginning stages of pink-eye. I think he was off on the pink-eye thing, but he has the PhD. Of course, this same doctor (who is not Bennett's regular pediatrician) insisted that Bennett's skin color, which is olive like Matt's, is due to overeating carrots. Bennett hates carrots. Anyway, Bennett got an antibiotic and has been on the very slow road to recovery since then.

But wait, there's more!

When we got home from the Doctor with Bennett, I started feeling a little feverish myself. By that night I was full-blown flu, but without the stomach part, THANK GOODNESS!!! I was really looking forward for Matt, who was battling allergies of his own, to come home and take over the house and his sickly family. But he called from work to tell me he had been selected for guard duty that night and wouldn't be home until 7:00...the next morning. Too tired and sick to care about every warning and horror story I have ever hear, I put Bennett in bed with me and we both slept a restless 13 hours.

Matt came home Thursday morning, having gotten about six hours of sleep in the last two days, and did a wonderful job of giving out drugs and hugs. (Hugs are an important part of my recovery process. I am a little bit of a wimp when I get sick.) By Thursday afternoon though, Matt was laying on the couch with us, NyQuil bottles and various pills scattered around the house in a spectacular display of patheticness. Even the strongest of our family could not withstand the sickness. The rest of the day was a blur to us all.

Friday was better. Matt recovered and put me and Bennett to bed while he cooked, cleaned, and went grocery shopping. By that night we were all sitting around the table, eating spaghetti like a normal family.

Today is Saturday, and I am still in fragile condition. I hardly ever get sick, but when I do it lasts and lasts. It's a good thing I guess. It is kind of nice to get to sit and type this long dramatic story. And, we finally got to stay home one weekend! Bennett is almost back to his normal self--he isn't goopy any more. And Matt is out banging on something in the car, which is a good sign. Looks like we are all going to be OK.

Thank goodness for medicine.