Life With Boys

Here I am again, up in the middle of the night, hacking. I hate this.

Let me back-up and give you the timeline of events here:

Tuesday, Oct 19 — Tyler stays home with low grade temp, me too
Tuesday, Oct 19 11:30 p.m. — Morgan stumbles down the hall with at 102 degree temp, hacking like a seal (Start breathing treatments every four hours)

Wed, Oct 20 — Tyler fine, no temp, back to school. Morgan stays home, me too (low grade temp, GI issues, achy)

Thurs, Oct 21 — Taking hacking, fever boy to doc to make sure it’s not swine flu (it’s not, ruling is croup) Start steroids. Watch way too many cartoons, try to get fever boy to drink somewhat successfully.

Friday, Oct 22 — Fever boys declares “I’m not on fire anymore” because temp is now at 100. Still bouncing off the walls. Me not feeling so fantastic, just want to sleep, fever boy needs constant attention, breathing treatments, trips to the shower to get him to stop hacking. (We’re both prunes at this point). Matt takes Tyler to the Cub Scout family camp out. Morgan stays home despite some very convincing arguments that he should be allowed to go as well (“If I can’t go then no one can go.” “I’ve packed my bag so now you have to take me, I even have two pairs of underwear” [but no pants].) Matt and Tyler freeze their butts off. I stay home and do more of the same (cartoons, laundry, force fluids, more cartoons, coloring, more fluid coaxing)

Sat, Oct 23 — Boy has returned to the “on fire” level of fever, finishes steroids, still hacking like a seal. I call Doc again. Doc calls in script. Me still feeling like I’ve been run over by the Mystery Machine and suffering from a major case of cartoon overexposure. Matt and Tyler return from camping, everything smells like campfire. Do even more laundry.

Sun, Oct 24 — Boy does not get up until 10. Worried that something is really wrong. Thinking we’ll end up in the emergency room today. But no. Once up and fed bouncing off the walls again with fiery fever. Remain in quarantine of my bedroom with Morgan in hopes of not contaminating the entire house at once.

Monday, Oct 25 — Still haven’t been fever free for 24-hours so Matt and Morgan spend a lovely day together. I go to class that night, grateful to be free of cartoonland — but still feel crappy.

Tues, Oct 26 — Fever has finally broken. Boy can return to school — just in time for the Halloween festivities to begin. Now my symptoms have morphed to throat on fire, head going to explode but go to work anyway.

Wed, Oct 27 — Morgan comes home from school and falls asleep on couch.

Thurs, Oct 28 — Halloween parties at school, raining like we’re in a car wash, me still feeling like crap.

The pattern continues through the weekend. Morgan and I hack. Tyler and Matt try to avoid us. Morgan sleeping through night most of the time. Me, not so much. So here we are at 2 am on Tuesday. I’m on antibiotics, hacking, drinking Thera Flu and wondering if there is ever an end in sight.