What you DON'T want to happen to you...

This is a post about things that you DON'T want to happen to you when your child wakes up in the middle of the night with a wild ear ache, screaming that won't stop, pain that is intolerable, and a fever that is spiking.

1. You don't want to go in a frantic search of your bottle of Similasan Homeopathic Ear Drops, only to NOT be able to find them. Don't worry. At this point, they won't work.

2. You call the doctor and explain what is happening and that Tylenol and Motrin aren't helping. You explain that a friend of yours shared with you about a magical ear drop that totally numbs ear pain for 6 hours... SIX HOURS. The doctor feigns ignorance. You do NOT want that to happen when you are listening to your baby scream in pain. All your dignity will vanish and you will become irritable, short tempered, and mean with the doctor... and you will begin to repeat yourself over and over again... very loudly, and very slowly... as if they can't understand you.

3. Doctor finally promises to call in prescription. You give doctor 10 minutes, call pharmacy to confirm prescription is there, and jump into your car to go get it. You do NOT want to see that police car parked in a dark driveway with all of its lights turned off.

4. You do NOT want to see that nice policeman's lights suddenly flick on as you pass them. No, you do NOT.

5. You do NOT want the nice policeman to walk up to your window in the wee hours in the morning when your child is in a crazed screaming frenzy due to pain, and you are the only link preventing his relief. And when the nice policeman asks you if you realize that he clocked you going 41 in a 30 mph zone, you DO NOT want to start crying and telling him how sorry you are, but you're on your way to the 24-hour pharmacy to pick up a pain prescription for your child who is screaming in pain at home. Because he will still ask you for your drivers license.

6. As it turns out, you DO want to start crying. Crying helps. Nice policeman asks how old your precious baby is, you report that he is 29 months old, and he hands you back your drivers license and tells you to proceed with caution. You do NOT, however, want him to get back into his own car and follow you the entire way to the pharmacy, because hands down--you WILL be a nervous wreck of a creature the entire way there.

7. You do NOT want to get up to the counter to find out that your "I have no idea what you're talking about" pediatrician did not give the pharmacist instructions on how to use the medicine. Further, you do NOT want to know that the pharmacist can not find instructions in any of their mediciney-prescriptiony books.

Evidently, the doctor assumed I knew how to use it. So, we went with my friends instructions on the box she had given me, cut it back a wee bit, and prayed for the Lord's protection. And pain relief.

It worked. Praise God!

This happened to me two weeks ago. It was Hunter's second ear infection in as little as 15 days, and it was a short 4 days prior to my own hacking illness. Pleasure for all, I tell you.

Ever feel so sick you could die?

Just when you don't think things could get worse... they do. Which proves that it really doesn't pay to think.

Recap -- Husband: Flu and bad cough. Son: the dawning of the stomach virus and another ear infection (which would make it three in 35 days) or the flu. Me: Walking pneumonia. In other words, death warmed over. No. Not warmed over. Chilled. Very chilled. Or hot and sweaty. I really wish the owner of the fevers would make up their mind.

Anyway, my husband spent the entire weekend taking care of Hunter, which was a huge feat, because he was pretty sick, too. I drove myself to the Urgent Care on Sat morning, only to be told there was an hour wait. Feeling too weak and fainty-like, I turned around and went home. I went back at 5:30, thinking that since they close at 6:00, maybe I can get in and get out. I prayed the whole time that God would clear the path... and literally... I'm not kidding... I cried when I pulled into the parking lot and only saw 2 cars. Tears of joy, my friends. REAL tears.

So "in and out" came true, and the doctor sent me home with a prescription for an antibiotic and... zyrtec. Yeah. You read right. Zyrtec. That night, and the following couple of nights, my chills racked the bed, I went through 4 soaking wringing shirts alternating with my heating pad, down blanket and a heavy wool blanket. My nose was completely blocked -- impacted, if you would -- with a constant drip. Nice image, huh? I bet you didn't realize just how important it is to have a little bit of air in your nose when you swallow, cough, talk, etc. Monday rolled around, and after coughing blood up for two days, I saw my real doctor... who, after giving me a breathing test, informed me that the results showed that I had an obstruction in my breathing pattern, and he told me I had walking pneumonia, and sent me off with an inhaler, cough syrup with codeine, steroidal nose spray, and a script for a chest x-ray (which, fortunately, was negative, and ruled out full-blown pneumonia).

Now. Let's go back to the previous prescription for Zyrtec, which for those of you who are wondering... is an allergy medicine. Let me say that slowly... a.n. A.L.L.E.R.G.Y. m.e.d.i.c.i.n.e.

Can someone please explain what sense it makes to prescribe an allergy medicine to a woman so close to death? Seriously... WHAT SENSE DOES THAT MAKE???

Now that I've expended all my energy typing this and need another nap, I just wanted to tell you that we're okay... thanks to my awesome husband who is waiting on me hand and foot while recovering from his own bout of the flu and taking care of an overly active 2 year old at the same time, my wonderful sister-in-law (Auntie Sunshine) who took Hunter home to her home for the night Sunday night, and watched him Monday so my husband could recover a bit (as I lay limp on the bed), and my awesome in-laws who are watching him today because he stayed home sick. I'm exhausted just thinking about all they have done to clean and organize my home in the last two hours, and word can not even begin to express my thanks to them.

Finally, thank you all for your prayers and thoughts! I really appreciate them!

Must go and get medicine into Hunter--his fever is almost 103 degrees. Prayers. Lots of them.

Owie...

Well, I was in Urgent Care on Saturday, and today, I'm off to my regular Primary Care Physician. My lungs are gurgling...and I'm coughing up a lot of blood. I know -- TMI. Sorry about that. And evidently, it is not such a good thing ... an owie you can't put a band aid on.

So if you think about it, say a prayer for me! I would really appreciate it.

Thanks!

He is Risen!

I pray that each of you enjoy a glorious day with your family. Happy Resurrection Day!!

I love this song, and hope yoiu enjoy it too. I used to listen to 2nd Chapter of Acts sing it... remember them? Anyway, have a wonderful Easter day.



(If you think of it, will you please lift my family up in your prayers? We are all so sick, and it seems to have struck me hardest. I have a sinus infection, two mild ear infections and bronchitis. Just walking down the hall sends me back to bed exhausted. My husband has been struggling to care for Hunter all weekend, but is also wiped out with the flu. It isn't pretty. I missed Easter Service for the first time in 28 years of being a Christian. Thanks!)

Reality

Reality: He was beaten. He was disfigured. He was crushed.

Reality: He was crucified. Real nails. Real hammer. Real flesh. Real blood. Real pain.

Reality: There was nothing beautiful about this selfless act this man named Jesus did.

Reality: He did it for you. He did it for me. He did it out of sacrifice. He did it out of obedience. He did it for our sins.

Reality: He died for us so that we might have life everlasting.

Warning: The following video is very graphic. But while this is just a portrayal, it really did happen -- 2008 years ago. And nothing can change the fact that WE were the reason he suffered. WE were the reason that he gave up his life. HE is the reason we are forgiven of our sins. HE is the reason we can have life eternal.



The reality is, that without Christ in our lives, without his forgiveness, without the incomprehensible death that he experienced, we would not be able to reach God. He "crossed" that gap for us. And now, he stands quietly, calling you, knocking at the door of your heart, patiently waiting for you to answer.

If you don't know Jesus as your savior, won't you take a moment accept him into your life?

Bloggy Break

Just wanted y'all to know I've got to take a bloggy break. Things are crazy at work with overhead forecasts, and I'm just too exhausted to think about clever and witty things to blog about.

Hopefully, I'll be back next week! Keep your eyes peeled for new posts!

WFMW Backwards Day: Removing stains from leather furniture

Ever see that commercial (Delta? Kohler?) where the couple goes to a fancy schmancy architect, and when the fancy schmancy architect is done schmoozing them, he asks what he can do for them. The wife takes a faucet out of her purse, plops it down on the desk, and says to the architect... "Build a house around this."

That's what I feel like... Find a solution around this...

You see -- I have a leather chair and ottoman. The ottoman has random, and undescribeable stains on it from random drippy sippy cups. Actually, suddenly, I'm not feeling like that faucet ad anymore. Now, it sounds sort of like Dr. Seuss. The drippy sippy cup slipped down on the leather ottoman and out slithered slimy, slippery sippy stuff that sank slowly into the sitting ottoman, leaving a silly, stinky, stain.

Anyway -- what can you do for me? Describe how I can clean drip stains from my leather ottoman. Seriously -- I love my leather chairs, but we got them BEFORE a child. They are not too child friendly!

So, now I'm dashing back to work, to continue frying my brain... but until then, check out THIS POST, which leads you to a cool video.

And ... visit the lovely Shannon, who hosts Works for me Wednesday for more opportunities to share your knowledge or get some tips!

Overfamiliarity...

Recognize the word? Know the meaning? Does it apply to your life?

Check out my this video that my friend Wretched Sinner did, then come back here and let me know what you think... and leave him a little comment love, too!

As for reading blogs, commenting, or writing my own... I have been overwhelmingly swamped at work... but hopefully I will catch up soon! Besides... you can't miss me if I won't go away!