Life With Boys

Life with boys … is never simple … the boy complained of a pain in his stomach/chest before school yesterday … he also let me know there was a potential second-hand COVID exposure over the break … but he did not have a fever, sore throat, cough, loss of taste or smell … so figuring we were dealing with indigestion or an “I just don’t want to go back to school” situation … I told him not to be late for class …

After the first hour, he called and let me know it hurt to breathe now … I instructed him to see the school nurse … she had her hands full, and the day had just begun, having already dismissed seven students so far … because we could not rule out COVID she sent him home as well …

While he made his way here, I started to play the “are there any urgent care appts within an hour of here available today” game … the answer, after much investigation, was no …

In the meantime, we conducted an at-home test, which was negative … now on to plan C … I cannot tell you how much of my life has been spent listening to the soothing sounds of the Piano Guys style hold music while waiting for someone at the pediatrician’s office to finally take my call … twenty-eight minutes later I finally made first contact … they told me to take him to urgent care … I let them know that was not an option … they found a way to fit us in …

The ped office nurse ran a PCR test, which would give us results in maybe 12 hours depending on how backed up the lab might be … now the doctor came in to check things out … we agree it is not presenting like COVID; he is vaccinated and boosted … but given the placement of the pain, near his heart … and the history of asthma … we were directed to the emergency room for additional tests …

The ER is not the place to visit right now … there was hardly a seat in the house … this disease had no prejudice … it is taking down people of all ages, races, and genders …within one minute of walking in, we witnessed a bewildered older gentleman watching over, helplessly trying to comfort, a crying girl; a completely unreactive individual “melt” out of a wheelchair and was assisted to a gurney and maybe three hospital staff to aid them all … people were milling about with the disposable blood pressure cuffs secured around their arms like a pallbearers band … sitting across from us was a younger man with an IV port proudly protruding from the crook of his elbow … and we sat there, trying not to breathe and wait for a name to be called …

This is one time where continuing to qualify for the pediatric ER worked in our favor … we were more than happy to leave the misery behind us … the boy was treated to yet another nasal swab COVID test (for those of you at home counting, that makes three in one day) … an EKG … and a chest X-Ray … and then we waited … in our funny room with painted fish on the ceiling, a TV that had sound but no picture and a play station without a controller … and I swear we have been in that same room at least once before – but the TV worked that time …

One of the nurses asked the boy if he had already had COVID and was surprised by his no … when asked how this is possible, the boy responded that he had “skills,” … she laughed …

Finally, the results came in corona, but not COVID … so yes, he has a virus that causes an upper-respiratory infection … he and I looked at each other and laughed … I guess he does have “skills” … so much trouble just to get proof that he is not contagious … but I’m glad we did it … I am happy that we have access to care that can help us … and he can go back to school as long as he is fever free …

It was so hard to go back into the madness … to need to step around a nurse attempting to start an IV in a waiting room in a sea of chaos …

He has been asleep most of the day … not sure what tomorrow will hold … but it probably won’t be as eventful as our Tuesday … if we are lucky …