CindyLou is sick. You have to love day care for all of the ways it, um, strengthens your child's immune system. If I had been a better, more "in-tune" mother, I probably would have realized that her (most unusual) grumpiness on Monday morning was a sign of impending illness. Unfortunately, I just chalked it up to the fact that we had altered her schedule by me dropping her at day care instead of her Daddy. Mondays are supposed to be a "half day" in the office for me, but, as you may have read previously, this is seldom the case. Yesterday, I was finished with seeing patients by 2pm, but then I had the ever-present paperwork and dictations to complete. I left the office by 4 in hopes to pick up CindyLou early to go Halloween costume shopping. When I arrived in her room, I found her lying down, with a fever of over 102 degrees. Her teachers had not yet phoned my husband or myself, which made me a little upset, but I think that they had just taken her temp a few minutes before I arrived. The teachers said that she hadn't been acting herself all day long. I felt terrible that she had to be in school all day, feeling as badly as I knew she must.
Luckily, I was able to take her straight to the pediatrician, and they diagnosed her with tonsillitis. Since she's considered contagious for at least 24 hours after initiation of antibiotics, that meant no day care for her today, and a mad scramble for Mr. Whoo and myself to get things in order. We did some juggling, and decided that he would take the "morning shift," and I would see the patients scheduled in the morning, and cancel my afternoon patients in favor of staying home. Mr. Whoo could then head to the office and take care of some appointments and prep for an early morning meeting on Wednesday. I felt bad canceling the 19 patients that I had scheduled between 1 and 4:30, but I really didn't think that bringing CindyLou to an OB office, where she could spread her germs to pregnant people, was the best idea, and Mr. Whoo, while his job is far more flexible than my own, still has plenty of responsibilities. I don't think it is fair to always ask him to make sacrifices at work when problems arise at home.
So, here I am, home in the early afternoon, feeling as though I am playing hooky! Little CindyLou is taking a much needed nap. Her temp was still up to 101 this morning, so we've been alternating Tylenol with Motrin, and she's taking lots of fluids. Most of the day has been spent on the couch watching Disney movies and cuddling. Just what a sick day should be! For me, staying home sick with my mom meant Sprite, soup and saltines, Phil Donahue, and Days of Our Lives. I always felt cared for and safe, and I want CindyLou to feel that way. Even if my job is demanding, I want her to know that she comes first. Now I am going to do laundry, clean the kitchen, and cook a real dinner for tonight. (Color me domestic!) For today, I get to be a normal Mom, tomorrow, I'll get back to being a physician.
11 comments:
I never thought about how hard it must be for physicians to deal with the schedule interruptions like sick kids and the like, as opposed to other people.
Recently discovered your blog, and I like it! Although, a teeny request - could you maybe separate into paragraphs every now and then? Would be easier to read for me . . .
Hope the dd is better!
Aww, you're a nice mommy and a nice wifey, too! I hope CindyLou feels better soon - but that you get another day to play!
We stay home in shifts when needed, too. Hubby started his current job two months before our son was born, so when I first went back to work, I took most of the "stay home days" since he was new. Now that he's been there longer, we tend to split it more evenly. I guess that's good for my work...But I always enjoyed being the one who stayed home. It was good that I was "the one" early on, because as an infant, nursing was usually the thing that helped most when he wasn't feeling well. He was definitely a comfort nurser at times. He still loves his milk every bit as much as he ever did, just now he gets it from a cow in a cup. =)
Hope your daughter feels better soon! When I hear tonsillitis, I think of tonsils being removed. That is not always the case?
sarebear~ Hi and welcome! Yea, it can be rough, because our absence means that other people don't get taken care of as they should. Oh, the guilt.
I'm glad you like the blog, and I promise to do better with making it "reader-friendly." Most of the time, it is just stream of consciousness from my brain to the keyboard. :)
GG~ I am trying to be good! Thanks for the well wishes :) I don't *wanna* do laundry...but I have no excuse, now, do I?
3carnations~ It is nice to be able to split duty on sick days. When she was small, it really wasn't an option for me because I was in residency, and you just DON'T take sick days in residency unless someone sends you home. (i.e. you must be upon death's door!) I really like staying home with her, too, but I feel way more guilty cancelling patient appointments, or, heaven forbid, surgeries, because I know those women have been waiting to be taken care of, as well.
I think that they only remove tonsils these days for recurrent infections or if they are so swollen that they are obstructing the kid's airway. Most of the time, tonsillitis is either bacterial and treated easily with antibiotics, or viral, and best treated with rest, fluids, anti-inflammatories, and time. Thanks for the well wishes...now, back to laundry. *sigh*
I'm feeling (cough) a bit sick. Would you mind being my mommy for a wittle while?
Awwww you are an awesome mom and doc. Hope Cindy Lou feels better!
Children remember that stuff, too. I still remember how when I was a little girl and got sick, my mom would cut up an orange into little bite sized pieces for me.
I did wonder how you'd do the sick day thing. I've had two throwing up at the same time (I mean the same time...holding a big storage tub between them), and had at least three sick at the same time...if not four. Sick days are a time when they get pampering and whatever they can handle to eat/drink. Plenty of books, movies, cuddles, back rubs, pedialyte pops, and rest. My kids have learned to avoid milk when they are throwing up and only pops...and when there is a throaty thing, they've learned to take the medicine. My daughter who often avoids being sick (she washes her hands like crazy and never eats or drinks after the others) got a stomach flu and refused to drink. In order to get her to take her medicine by mouth and to drink, we showed her a suppository (anti-up chuck med), and then explained what we'd have to do if she couldn't hold down liquid. She quickly decided that pedalyte is not so bad after all and she rapidly got much better. I felt bad giving her the threat, but it kept her out of the hospital for deydration!
aw, poor CindyLou! I hope she feels better. Popsicles were my favorite sore throat treat as a kid, but I'm sure they made me super hyper and a pain to take care of for my mom. It's sometimes hard to imagine juggling a family and being a doctor... maybe one day I'll wrap my head around it and have a child but for now I'll stick to half-dead houseplants.
Hey OBGK, is everything alright? You haven't posted in a little while, so I got worried that CindyLou got sicker or something. Just thinkin' about ya.
You all are awesome! CindyLou is feeling much better, and while she will be on antibiotics for the next week or so, she is back to her sunny self.
aw, FD, you bet! I bet you need some mommying after your long work schedule! :)
Thanks, anon! CindyLou is, and I quote, "all beer." Heh.
abrn~ I know that I distinctly remember sick days with my mom, too. It is weird that I'm the mom now.
jawndoejah~ Wow, your multiple ill children stories leave me in awe. I have no idea how I will handle things if I am fortunate enough to have another kiddo. I hated being sick as a kid, too. My reward? I got to puke every living day of my pregnancy until I was about 37 weeks. Haven't puked since, either. TMI, I know. :)
medstudentitis~ I'm one of those people who knew having kids would be a challenge, and then barged ahead and did it anyway. Best thing I have ever done, by the way. I've not been as successful with plants, however (looking guiltily across the room at my own wilty housplant, ah well!)
GG~ You are so sweet! Mwah! Sorry for the silence, but yes all is well. Fie on blogger for being down at the usual times that I want to blog and publish comments. Fie, I say! :)
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