Grab a chair and a couple of root beers...

Well, what a very intense two weeks it's been! Let's see... the Impertinent Daughter got cleated in the ankle during a game four weeks ago, and has never gotten better, despite rest (okay, as much rest as you can force on an active 14 year old), ice, and ibuprofen. So, I took her to our regular doctor, who immediately benched her and after reviewing x-rays, determined that while there were no stress fractures, she needed to see an orthopedic specialist.

In the meantime, soccer season opened for the recreation league on Saturday, so the Impossible Son had his first game. And it was cold, extremely windy, and a brief shower. Which meant we were cold, wet, and miserable at first. It only rained for maybe 8 minutes, but it managed to soak me from the knees down, and the wind blew it up under the hem of my jeans and completely soaked the ankles of my wool socks, which then seeped down into my shoes. Mr. Impossible was soaked through to his Under Armour cold gear and was shivering, even after I shoved his hoodie on him, yes, I literally shoved it on him because he didn't want to wear it!. The Husbandly One, being such a Killer Macho Dude, chose to acknowledge that it was chilly by wearing jeans instead of shorts, and only wore his light coach's shirt instead of putting on a jacket. Needless to say, he spent a great deal of time either rubbing his hands together, shoving them into his pockets while hunching, or shivering.

*insert eye-roll here*

Mr. Impossible started off as a forward, but seemed to slow down more and more as the first half went on. And the kid the coach had chosen to play goalie had never played it before and had all the attention span of a gnat, so he only noticed a ball coming into the goalbox after it got shot in. So, 5 goals later, she switched out GnatMan with Mr. Impossible.

Of course, after the game, we found out why he wasn't playing like himself. He changed clothes, curled up on the couch to play his DS, then came to me an hour later saying, "Mom, I have a headache." The next thing we knew, he was hotter than a baked potato. I stuck a thermometer in him and whoa, it was 102 F!!!

An hour after that, I was peering into his throat and wondering just how the hell he was breathing, because his tonsils were so swollen, they were almost touching! And everything in there was bright red! Hello, Benadryl!! I was pretty sure at that point our old friend Steve, the Strep Bug, had made yet another visit to our home.

So, Monday rolls around. Monday was the day the Impertinent One was supposed to go to the orthopedic doctor. So, bright and early, I started calling our regular doctor to get Mr. Impossible in because, yes, still sick, with the added attraction of a lovely bumpy rash covering his stomach, groin, and back. WOO-HOO!!!

They couldn't get him in until 1:30.

Miss Priss had an appointment in San Marcos at 3.

Oh, yeah, THAT was fun!

Dose Impossible with Benadryl for itching, run to freshman campus to pick up Impertinent, take both to Dr. W. here in town. Sit in the waiting room, twitching and looking at time, thinking, "I have to be out of here at least by 2:30 to be even close to not being late." Finally get in, they swab his throat, and he's so positive for strep, the tester starts changing the second they put the swab in the medium. So, I called the ortho, Dr. S, told him what was going on and said, "Okay, so... do I bring her in with Impossible in tow, or do we cancel and make another appointment?"

I hear a brief flurry of conversation in the background, and then he says, "Bring her in, but your son needs to have a mask on, and if you've got hand cleaner, use it!"

So that meant a swing by the pharmacy to pick up a small package of masks, and turn in Impossible's prescription, and I love my pharmacy, because they let me grab what I needed and not pay for it until I was back in town.

Dr. S, after an extremely paranoid look at my son, poked and prodded Impertinent's ankle and peered at the x-rays, and confirmed no breaks, no stress fractures... it was a badly sprained ankle that hadn't been allowed to heal, and he gave her a very stern look at that. She's off athletics for four weeks, and she's to go for physical therapy during that time. Seems the ligaments and tendons in her ankle are loose and need to be built back up and if she doesn't do it now, she'll be chronically prone to injuries in that ankle.

*sigh*

When we finally got home, I was ready to collapse. Two nights of little to no sleep, and then all of that? Yeah, I was wiped!

The Impossible Son went back to school today, and I'm hoping like heck the rash he has now is still from strep, and not because he's developed an allergy to the antibiotic he's on. And I'm hoping like heck I didn't get it from him, because I've got a fever and I haven't had a chance to buy new toothbrushes yet.

Oh, and the high school soccer team had their last game last night, which Miss Impertinent could not play in, and it was killing her to have to sit on the bench and have the coach turn to her, about to put her in, and remember that she couldn't play... she was not a happy camper when she came home after.

I need to call the therapy center today to set her up and get her started. And email her coach again about starting her on Pilates.

I think I'll be incredibly stubborn and just refuse to get sick. That'll work, right?

*falls face-first into bed*

Whew! Got my rontoberfest finished up and sent off, what a RELIEF!!

Talked to my mom. Dad is going to be in the hospital for a while, but he's doing much better. He has pneumonia, but from the sounds in the background as I talked to her, is as feisty and mischievous as ever.

I've been under the weather myself. As I mentioned, the Asthma Monster has made a reappearance, and I've been Auntie the Human Slug since Sunday. And yesterday, Miss Priss woke up with a fever, head and chest congestion, and a very, very sore throat.

We went to the doctor today, both of us, and I told the doctor's PA about our activities on Saturday. She sighed, and said, "Well, you're not alone. We've had people in since Monday, all of them folks who went in to Houston over the weekend, and all of them are coughing, with low-grade fevers, and body aches... all of that. We're kind of jokingly calling it the Ike Flu."

Wow. But then not that surprising, really, considering the mold spore counts are off the scale in Houston, and there's rotting vegetation, garbage, backed up waterlines, water damaged houses and buildings, dead animals, etc... I got scolded for not wearing a mask outside, and all I could say was, "I didn't even think about it!"

The Impertinent Daughter got swabbed for strep (yes, Steve, the Strep Bug was looming over us with glee), but she was also sent for a mono panel, because looking at her throat, and listening to her symptoms, especially her fatigue, the PA is concerned Miss Priss may have mononucleosis. Great. I missed from Thanksgiving to well after New Year's my sophomore year because of mono. I certainly hope she doesn't have it! And yes, I've already let my mom know so she can tell the docs that Dad has possibly been exposed to it. We should know by tomorrow.

Her throat looks... awful. *shudders* I think perhaps I'll avoid looking at it, and just keep making warm salt water gargles for her.

As for me, my lungs sound clear (which is a relief) but the constant low grade fever is a concern so... I'm on an antibiotic, and a mucus thinner to make breathing a bit easier. Plus, I've also gotten a steroid shot. To tell you the truth, I'd rather get the shot than have to take one of those 6 day packs. I actually end up feeling worse after that!

So, I will trundle off to bed to read for now, maybe Inkheart or the newspaper... whichever I find first.

I am sicker than a dog, y'all.

My throat's been sore the past couple of days, but I just figured it was (1) sinus drainage and (2) the fact they had a generic rather than Zyrtec-D at the pharmacy last time I went to buy more, and the generic just ain't doin' the job.

Then last night, it got worse, and I started losing my voice a bit, so I asked the Husbandly One to make me a hot toddy. Now, I have a very, very low alcohol tolerance, so THO is always rather careful when he makes toddies for me. I can always tell when he wants me to sleep because he'll make them a little stronger than usual, and we're both a little sleep deprived at the moment. So when I started feeling whoozy, I thought, okay, either he made this a little stronger than usual, or my tolerance level has dropped, because it's been a while since I've had anything alcoholic.

Finally, I woke him up and made him take the Impossible Son to his bed a lot earlier than I usually do, because I literally could not stay up any longer. He did, and decided to take an opportunity to get on the computer while I went to sleep. Next thing I know, I'm shivering under the covers and it feels like someone's been beating me all over with a bat. I had a FEVER!! After Advil, and a hot shower to relieve my body aches, I crawled back into bed to pass out for the rest of the night.

Now, my glands are HUGE, my throat is red and swollen, and while I have no fever at present (thanks to the Advil, again), I feel like crap. I suspect Strep.

Think I'm going to beg THO for a slushy. Because my throat HUUUUUURTS!!!

*whimpers and curls back up under the quilt*

You see that bear all curled up and hiding under the bed? That's me. Wanna know why that bear is hiding under the bed??

.....because THAT BEAR HAS STREP!!!!

Dammit.

Once the bear is over this, she's going to lumber over to the school, pin the principal to the desk and snarl into his face, "You are going to find the strep carrier who keeps reinfecting my kids, and you are going to report this person to the Health Department. Yes, I know the Health Department is a joke in this town, but you're going to do it anyway. And then, you are going to force this person to go to a doctor. If you have to accompany this person and tie them to a chair, you are going to do it. And we are going to force-feed this person antibiotics because I am EXTREMELY tired of buying new toothbrushes, and being sick, and having to take care of whiny, sick, complaining little people. Because if you don't, I WILL!!"

Yes, it's a nice fantasy, isn't it?

*grumble grumble, grumble... snarl*

Oh, this is it! The final straw! If you see a woman sitting on the curb, pulling out handfuls of hair as she rocks back and forth, well, that's not me. I'm the one standing by the building, rhythmically banging my skull into the bricks. AAAAAAHHHHH!!!!

The Impertinent Daughter finished her last dose of Zithromax last night. She had no fever yesterday. By the time she went to bed, her tonsils were no longer swollen. However, the Impossible Son, who is on a different antibiotic, STARTED running a high temp last night, and both of them have liquidy sounding coughs. Then Miss Priss started looking, well, you know how kids look when they start feeling bad, and she had that look. I took her temperature. 99, just enough to feel bad. I got the flashlight to peer down her throat...AAAAUUGGHHH! Swollen tonsils!! Red throat. Swollen glands! NOOOOOO!!!! I looked in Mr. Manzie's throat. AAAAUUGGHHH!!! Same thing!! So, we tripped in to the doctor's office, and after listening to Miss Priss, and feeling her glands, and observing her, said, "You know, it might be mono. It's starting to make the rounds, and she would be right in line for it, having just recovered from strep."

Great. And she has soccer camp in July, which, if this is mono, she won't be going to. Now don't get me wrong, soccer camp can take a flying leap where the Impertinent Daughter's health is concerned. But... the money...sigh... Well, we're waiting 48 hours. If she doesn't improve, then we have to return for a blood draw. Hopefully the Husbandly One will be able to go with us. Not fun. Not fun at all.

Somewhere in the middle of this, I need to try to manage to get some sleep. I'm strung out on caffeine as it is, and oh... I'm trying not to whine, but zarking fardwarks! Pickles! Puckernuts!! I am NOT a happy camper!! I know what I'll do, I'll go buy two pints of Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie and eat until I get the Migraine From Hell. By the time I wake up from the coma, it'll be a whole new world! Oh, puckernuts. Someone has to give the kids their meds. So much for that brilliant plan.

I'll get through this, I'll get through this, I'll get through this... and I'll get them through it, too. Rest assured, when the Husbandly One gets home, he'll probably bundle Auntie off into a hot tub while he goes and does something silly with the kids. I'll get through this, I'll get through this, I'll get through this...