The second day at the Christmas house I woke up frozen half to death. My body didn't have an area that didn't hurt - no, not one.
And I guess I was too sick to realize that I was probably having fever chills.
As soon as I got up, eleven-year-old Jeremy put a blanket around my shoulders and nine-year-old Jenna just couldn't quit worrying.
"Grandma, why are you so cold? Did Grandpa hog all the covers?" I don't care how sick you are. Questions like that make you smile.
"No" I replied. "He didn't."
"Then why are you so cold? I know. Did you leave your arms uncovered all night because I've done that".
"No, I didn't."
"Are your covers too skinny then?"
I'm smiling just thinking about it. What a great conversation.
I went to the doctor on Monday and I was gone a long time. I was told that the kids were concerned and had found an artificial flower to give me when I got home but when I arrived, it was nowhere to be seen.
The day before we left the Christmas house, four-year-old Mary said, "When you were at the doctor we had a flower for you but you were gone a long time and we lost it".
A short time later she found it - a rose with a stem about 1/4" long. She gave it to me proudly while proclaiming, "Grandma, I found it!"
And the other memory that warms the cockles of my heart? "Grandma" "Can I have a cookie? Can I have a banana? Look what I have, did, wrote, wrapped." "Grandma I love you. Are you feeling better? I don't like it when you're sick." How honored and happy I felt every time a grandchild said Grandma. I know it's remotely possible that some of them figured out that they might have a better chance for a positive response by saying Grandma instead of Mom and Dad but I don't care the reason. I just care that many, many grandchildren felt they could turn to me and loved me even when I wasn't at my best.
I am a lucky and blessed woman.
Showing posts with label Sick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sick. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
I Need A Fresh Start
I look forward all year to the week between Christmas and New Year's Day because that's when my family comes to town. They come from all over - Kentucky, Michigan, Nebraska, Virginia, Colorado, and Valparaiso. The best part is that we rent a large house along with it's coach house in Beachwalk and everybody stays together for a week. It's awesome.
This year though, things were more complicated for me. I wrote this post on December 11th after seeing the doctor. A week later I felt much, much better but two days after the antibiotic was finished, the symptoms started to return. I called the doctor's office because I couldn't bear the thought of everything starting over again especially with Christmas right around the corner, and they called in another, different antibiotic.
I've always been a big believer in antibiotics. When things get rough healthwise, I believe that once I've gotten these precious little miracle workers, I'll be fine very soon. Not so this time. I seemed to get sicker and after about three days, I quit taking them. I was getting some strange and alarming symptoms but they started to subside so I resumed the antibiotic since the respiratory problems stubbornly hung on.
By the time we moved into the Christmas house, I was feeling pretty rugged. By the second day, I camped on the couch and didn't move. Another visit to the doctor on Monday resulted in yet another antibiotic and after I'd described my more worrisome symptoms, he commented that the antibiotic that I had been on could affect my kidneys and, folks, I believe it did.
After that last visit I began to very slowly come out of it. I'm still not all the way back but there's no comparison now to how I felt then. And I'm relieved. I think illnesses get more worrisome the older we get and I was definitely worried.
Now I have a virus going on and its symptoms match the symptoms of the virus that several of us seemed to pass around near the end of our stay. I have a follow up appointment on Monday. Hopefully, at that time, all this will be history.
I lost a lot though. I've always loved the chaotic breakfasts and lunches at the Christmas house. I love that interaction with the grandchildren because some of them we don't see much otherwise. And I love the staying up late, laughing and joking and listening to the kids. And I missed most of that. I'd be in bed by 10 and up by about 10 most days. Ugh! Not what I'd hoped for but I felt too miserable to care much.
I won't lament the time that I lost. I'll dwell on the time I had when I started to feel better and how cared for I felt when I felt bad.
And I'll start looking forward to next year.
This year though, things were more complicated for me. I wrote this post on December 11th after seeing the doctor. A week later I felt much, much better but two days after the antibiotic was finished, the symptoms started to return. I called the doctor's office because I couldn't bear the thought of everything starting over again especially with Christmas right around the corner, and they called in another, different antibiotic.
I've always been a big believer in antibiotics. When things get rough healthwise, I believe that once I've gotten these precious little miracle workers, I'll be fine very soon. Not so this time. I seemed to get sicker and after about three days, I quit taking them. I was getting some strange and alarming symptoms but they started to subside so I resumed the antibiotic since the respiratory problems stubbornly hung on.
By the time we moved into the Christmas house, I was feeling pretty rugged. By the second day, I camped on the couch and didn't move. Another visit to the doctor on Monday resulted in yet another antibiotic and after I'd described my more worrisome symptoms, he commented that the antibiotic that I had been on could affect my kidneys and, folks, I believe it did.
After that last visit I began to very slowly come out of it. I'm still not all the way back but there's no comparison now to how I felt then. And I'm relieved. I think illnesses get more worrisome the older we get and I was definitely worried.
Now I have a virus going on and its symptoms match the symptoms of the virus that several of us seemed to pass around near the end of our stay. I have a follow up appointment on Monday. Hopefully, at that time, all this will be history.
I lost a lot though. I've always loved the chaotic breakfasts and lunches at the Christmas house. I love that interaction with the grandchildren because some of them we don't see much otherwise. And I love the staying up late, laughing and joking and listening to the kids. And I missed most of that. I'd be in bed by 10 and up by about 10 most days. Ugh! Not what I'd hoped for but I felt too miserable to care much.
I won't lament the time that I lost. I'll dwell on the time I had when I started to feel better and how cared for I felt when I felt bad.
And I'll start looking forward to next year.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Falling + Being Sick = YIKES!!!!!
So I wrote about falling here and here and about being sick here. If you read these posts, you'll know that I found both of these situations dreadfully inconvenient. There was a plus side though and that is that the doctor (or a total of 4 doctors that I saw) prescribed that I not walk on my appointed rounds until at least next Monday. I miss my customers and I miss the exercise but I have to admit that I enjoy going home on a nasty, cold, rainy Spring day when the object of my appointed rounds is particularly difficult to handle. Like today. So it's all good, right? Wrong.
Because my unceasing exercise was the only thing that kept my weight from ballooning at an unprecedented pace. Now the lack of that exercise coupled with my unceasing boredom at home from not being able to do much of anything has caused the unthinkable. Weight gain. Not a little - a lot. Prior to getting sick I had been on vacation for a week which resulted in the usual weight gain but I expected to remedy the situation shortly after returning to work by walking 9 or so miles everyday. And just when the initial soreness was starting to fade and the pounds were starting to drop, I fell...and got sick....and you know the rest.
Fortunately my foot and ankle are feeling better..not great...but lots better and I fully expect to get back to normal, or at least start working towards normal, next week.
And until then, I get to watch more HGTV and learn more about decorating and spaces and buying houses and it's SO interesting. I'm seriously addicted and it influences my feelings about how I can improve my own space and that's all good.
Because my unceasing exercise was the only thing that kept my weight from ballooning at an unprecedented pace. Now the lack of that exercise coupled with my unceasing boredom at home from not being able to do much of anything has caused the unthinkable. Weight gain. Not a little - a lot. Prior to getting sick I had been on vacation for a week which resulted in the usual weight gain but I expected to remedy the situation shortly after returning to work by walking 9 or so miles everyday. And just when the initial soreness was starting to fade and the pounds were starting to drop, I fell...and got sick....and you know the rest.
Fortunately my foot and ankle are feeling better..not great...but lots better and I fully expect to get back to normal, or at least start working towards normal, next week.
And until then, I get to watch more HGTV and learn more about decorating and spaces and buying houses and it's SO interesting. I'm seriously addicted and it influences my feelings about how I can improve my own space and that's all good.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
And Being Sick
Friday I wrote about falling. A most egregious hazard of walking outdoors all day while focusing on something besides the walking itself. I really felt hurt that I fell and, while I always believe that there is a reason for everything, it's hard to justify the insult of a fall.
On to 'being sick'. I've been fighting a cold for some time. During the first part of the battle, I was on antibiotics for an infected tooth that had to be extracted. Even after the extraction I continued with the antibiotic for another week or 10 days. And during this time I had some rather mild cold symptoms.
Then, a few days after the antibiotic series ended, the cold started to get more serious. First came the sinus infection symptoms followed by the throat and ear pain. Everyday seemed to bring more and worse symptoms. Finally I woke up one morning with my first awareness being of a tight chest and pain with the lightest cough. And the body aches that accompany even the slightest fever were quick to make their appearance.
I knew it was time to see a doctor; and, of course Occupational Medicine doctors, at least where I went, would not even look at these other symptoms so I made an appointment with my GP. He prescribed a powerful antibiotic and slowly but surely I've started to feel better. I have a long way to go before I feel good again and I'm so tired I can barely function but it's getting a tiny bit better everyday.
And most importantly, now I know why I had to fall. It was so I would be put on light duty and not in a position where I would spread the nastiest of nastiness to 500 people on my appointed rounds.
On to 'being sick'. I've been fighting a cold for some time. During the first part of the battle, I was on antibiotics for an infected tooth that had to be extracted. Even after the extraction I continued with the antibiotic for another week or 10 days. And during this time I had some rather mild cold symptoms.
Then, a few days after the antibiotic series ended, the cold started to get more serious. First came the sinus infection symptoms followed by the throat and ear pain. Everyday seemed to bring more and worse symptoms. Finally I woke up one morning with my first awareness being of a tight chest and pain with the lightest cough. And the body aches that accompany even the slightest fever were quick to make their appearance.
I knew it was time to see a doctor; and, of course Occupational Medicine doctors, at least where I went, would not even look at these other symptoms so I made an appointment with my GP. He prescribed a powerful antibiotic and slowly but surely I've started to feel better. I have a long way to go before I feel good again and I'm so tired I can barely function but it's getting a tiny bit better everyday.
And most importantly, now I know why I had to fall. It was so I would be put on light duty and not in a position where I would spread the nastiest of nastiness to 500 people on my appointed rounds.
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