Both girls felt better for not quite a full day, and then restarted the fevers and respiratory symptoms. I decided to take them to the doc today, thinking that if it IS bacterial, they can start antibiotics and feel better by Monday. My prediction going in was Lainie sinus infection and Natalie ear infection and possible bronchitis.
I was close. Lainie, doc said, might still just be fighting the virus, but she's willing to go ahead and start the antibiotics for sinuses and see what happens. Doc said with a fever that high (102.5+) that it made her think it was viral.
Natalie surprised me with a possibly ruptured ear drum, definite ear infection in both ears, and "her lungs don't sound good either." She also is starting antibiotics, with instructions that if she isn't much better by Monday, she needs to be seen again. Much better than what?! She was fussy, wouldn't eat, and had an on-and-off low fever. I would think a ruptured ear drum would elicit more response than that!
But then again, Natalie IS Maggie's little sister. Maggie, who never cried when her ear drum ruptured multiple times, who had a bit of a cough and ended up hospitalized for bronchiolitis, who fell down the stairs and came up laughing.
And Lainie's symptoms and reaction this past weekend mean an appointment with her neurologist in two weeks. I wonder what THAT appointment is going to bring.
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Because our lives aren't completely engulfed by illness, school is going well, too. We now have less than 40 days of classroom time until graduation. I think we have 3 ATIs (a standardized test) yet to do this semester, and who knows how many more classroom tests, worksheets, critical thinking exercises, care plans, assessments, and journal entries. I can see the finish line.
And, speaking of finish lines, in 8 days, I will run my first 10K race. I've been training for it since New Years and am scared, anxious, and already feeling the adrenaline. My goal is to not walk any of it, but I also know it's a tough, hilly course.
I love running. I don't love getting started, but once I'm out and moving, I love it. It's alone time, prayer time, quiet time, thinking time. This is the first year since college that I've been able to dedicate scheduled time to exercise. It's also the healthiest year I have had in years. This nasty round of sickness that hit Jay, Katie, Lainie and Natalie? I didn't get it, despite being sneezed on, coughed on, cleaning up all sorts of body fluids, and the added germs from school/clinicals. I don't think I'm doing anything different than last year, except the exercise. If that's not motivation to keep it going, I don't know what is.
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And since my life right now DOES revolve around (sick and healthy) kids and school, I didn't realize anything was going on in Japan until after noon today. The pictures and video are so stunning, breathtaking images of mass destruction. But I just keep thinking with each wave, how many people were killed? How many lives destroyed?
We watched the move 2012 last year and enjoyed it. But, you can't watch that movie and not get a little freaked by the recent events. What would you do if this was our last year on earth? Shouldn't we live as if every year, every day, is our last on earth? If you knew what tomorrow would bring, what would you change?
The more I think about it, the more my plan is simple: enjoy the present, plan for the future, let go of the past.
What's your plan?
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