Wednesday, 2/16 – Rudy went to class and came home around 9:00 as usual. He usually sleeps on the couch when he gets home late because he likes to relax and watch TV before he can go to sleep. He woke up during the night with chills and fever. He finally got back to sleep and felt a little better when he woke up, so he went to work.
Thursday, 2/17 – Rudy still wasn’t feeling great, so he went to the walk-in clinic. The doctor there diagnosed him with a sinus infection, wrote him a prescription for an antibiotic and sent him on his way. He came home feeling awful, but knew it was a sinus infection, so he stayed in the mix with the family that night.
Friday, 2/18 – I woke up around 4 AM because my throat hurt so bad I couldn’t breathe well. I took my temperature, but didn’t have a fever. I looked in my throat and didn’t see white pockets, so I ate a cough drop and went back to bed. I woke up still feeling the sore throat, but went to work because I didn’t have fever. (I have NO sick days left this year.) I pushed through my day at work and felt a little worse as the day went on. By 2:00, I was miserable. That’s when the chills set in. I went to the school nurse and didn’t have a fever, but I knew something was wrong, so I left work about 20 minutes early and went to the walk-in clinic. After I told the nurse all of my symptoms, the doctor came in and asked me, “Do you have strep or the flu?” I told him I hoped I didn’t have either one and I really didn’t want to be tested for either one because those swabs freak me out. He looked in my throat and told me that he didn’t even need to swab me. I had strep throat. He wrote my prescriptions and sent me on my way. I picked up my meds and came home to crawl under the covers. I hurt from head to toe and back again and thought I was going to freeze to death. I texted Rudy to tell him what was going on and he said he would take the kids to the boat show so that the house would be quiet. I fell asleep and barely remember anything until Saturday. I remember them coming in and I remember hearing Rudy and Nola coughing, but I was too sick to do anything about it. Plus – I sure didn’t want to give anyone else strep. So, I stayed in bed.
Saturday, 2/19 – I only got out of bed to go to the bathroom. Rudy was supposed to have gone to do a volunteer music program at the library in Fayetteville, but he called and cancelled because he didn’t feel well. Kathy was going to come over and watch the kids, but he cancelled that too. I listened to him coughing and noticed that it was getting worse, but there was nothing I could do to help him.
Sunday, 2/20 – I woke up feeling like a new person. I was still tired and weak, but I was able to walk and talk, which was a huge improvement. Rudy and Caleb went to church because Rudy was scheduled to play his trumpet. When they got home from church, Rudy was feeling awful. He mentioned going to the doctor on Monday, but I encouraged him to go ahead and go on Sunday. He did and texted me from the clinic to tell me that he had the flu. I got the bed ready for him and as soon as he walked in the door, he was quarantined to the bedroom.
This is what our kitchen counter looked like on Sunday afternoon…
Monday, 2/21 – I went to work and took the kids to daycare. They called me around noon to tell me that Nola had a fever. It was less than 100*, so I didn’t go get her. I left school as soon as I could and picked them up. I took both of them to the pediatric clinic. We saw Dr. Schaefer and he wrote prescriptions for both kids to prevent them from getting the flu. When we left there, we went to eat and then to WalMart to get the medicines and some groceries. By the time we got home, it was bedtime for the kids. Rudy was still in the bed with the flu.
Tuesday, 2/22 – The kids and I went to school as usual. Nola was still coughing her head off, but didn’t have fever over 100*, so I took her. We made it through the day and I picked the kids up as soon as possible. Caleb was a real trooper and entertained himself very well while I tended to Nola, made sure Rudy had what he needed and did the usual household things that need to be done. I called my mom to tell her that we were going to need some help because Nola was getting worse and Rudy wasn’t getting any better. She offered to come on Wednesday. I called Jan to see if she could come to watch Nola until my mom got here and she agreed to, but couldn’t come until Wednesday morning. Shortly after that, my mom called back and said that she was already an hour outside of Hot Springs and headed our way. I called Jan back to tell her that she didn’t need to come. Mom got to our house at 11:15 Tuesday night. I swear she was wearing invisible angel wings.
Wednesday, 2/23 – Mom stayed home with Nola. Rudy stayed quarantined in the bedroom. Caleb and I went to school. I came home to a hot meal, a clean house and the peace of mind that Nola had been taken care of all day without worry. It was glorious.
Thursday, 2/24 – Rudy tried to go to work, but only made it 1/2 the day before he couldn’t go any further. Mom kept Nola. Caleb and I did our usual thing. Again, I came home to a hot meal, a clean house and peace of mind. Still glorious.
Friday, 2/25 was a repeat of Thursday, except I had told Mom that I would pick up dinner. It ended up that I picked her and Nola up and they rode with me to Sam’s. After that, we went in a consignment shop and then to get Caleb from school. We stopped at PF Chang’s to get some take-out and Steak & Shake to get food for the kids. We came home and ate, then spent the rest of the night visiting and catching up.
Saturday, 2/26 – I stayed up into the early hours of the morning planning Caleb’s birthday party and decompressing my mind from the week. Mom had told me that I could sleep in on Saturday, so I was planning to do that. She woke me up at 4 AM to tell me that she had gotten sick during the night and had to go home. We scrambled to get her things in the car and I prayed that she would make it safely before going back to sleep. She called when she got home to tell me that she was okay. We spent the rest of the day being lazy and trying to recuperate from our manic week.
Sunday, 2/27 – Rudy was feeling a little better, but still not great, so we stayed home from church. Nola was still coughing and I was just exhausted. Caleb was still being a trooper. I took him with me to WalMart to get some groceries. We came home and I made dinner before getting ready for the week.
Monday, 2/28 – Amazingly, everybody went where they were supposed to go and stayed there all day. I had a meeting until 4:00 and then went to Weight Watchers, where I found out that I’ve lost 12 lbs since January 10th!! Rudy picked up the kids and I met them at home, then we all went out to dinner.
Tuesday, 3/1 – I picked the kids up from daycare and took them to the park. Rudy went back to the walk-in clinic to get some cough medicine so he can sleep. He found out that he has an irregular heartbeat and has to see a doctor about it. The doctor at the clinic told him it’s nothing to worry about, but that he should have it checked out sometime. We’re taking both parts of that advice.
Now it’s Friday night. The rest of the week has been pretty normal. Nola is still coughing. Rudy is still coughing, but has good cough medicine so he can sleep. I’m doing fine and staying very busy at work. I have an intern this semester, so I’m not having to bring home as much paperwork, which is nice. Rudy took Caleb to meet Jan last night and he is spending the weekend in Tulsa with her and Bill. Nola and I are hanging out tomorrow at home while Rudy has to work. Fayetteville is having a make up snow day tomorrow. School on a Saturday! I’m looking forward to getting Caleb home, then we’ll turn around and it’ll be spring break. I can’t wait…
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