A weird thing with E’s, too, the doctor prescribed 10 days but there was only 8 and slightly less than a half in there. Called the doctor’s office and they said call the pharmacy who, I know, is probably thinking I’m an idiot who didn’t dose it right. I know I did it correctly. They were like well we put as much water in there that it says (so they couldn’t possibly ever be wrong) so if the doc wants him to have another day and a half he’s going to have to write another scrip. Ugh. So the doctor’s office said well just forget it got now but if E had more eat pain we’ll do that.

Stacey and I are getting ready to shoot a wedding this weekend. It’s going to be interesting because it’s a bit unorthodox, but I think the weather is supposed to be nice enough that we can do some outdoor pics. Also unorthodox… for February.

I’m excited because we have scheduled several for this year already and have just experienced an influx in inquiries, too!

— We had a flat tire Saturday, just as we rolled in to the Land of the Beyond. Steve was with me, though, so he promptly changed it. He’s been saying for months though, “we need to get new tires, we need to get new tires.” So tomorrow, we’re getting some new tires. Nine-hundred-freaking-bucks. That caused me to faint, too. And I’ll probably faint again when I take the Jeep in for the new tires. Praise the Lord for overtime, huh? He worked Saturday before the tire event. Ten hours. He gets paid for twenty. That freaking rocks.

— We also saw 61+ deer on Saturday. In the wild, we weren’t at a park or anything. That was awesome, and those were only the ones we could see to count. First it was a spike buck (see left) followed by a button buck and two does then we saw a fawn, spots and everything. Then after Steve did some bow hunting and me some nature photographing, a young buck with two does. Then, a mama with some does in one field, another doe in the other field across the road. And then? A whole field of them. Of course, there were more to make up the count of 61, but you get the idea. :)

— Was invited to a friend’s house today, along with another friend, to scrapbook. Our kids played. We scrapbooked. Yup, them sitting there with their paper and stickers and scissors and tape and glue and buttons and photos and and and… me with my laptop. Ha. I did the layout at the left. I don’t understand how they did 3 to my 1 considering I did my 1 faster than any of their 1′s. I guess I really can’t talk and do computer stuff at the same time. Good thing I wasn’t chewing gum, too. I took the photo in the layout today, too. Though one of the boys wouldn’t cooperate, he decided he didn’t want any photos done.

– Picked up my new medicine today: Xyzal. I’m hoping it works for me but I guess we really have no way of knowing unless I can make it through the fall, winter, and next spring in better health than I have been (especially of the last year, ugh). Not that I think it will be a cure-all, of course, but hopefully it will help keep me from getting so very sick and infected so much. Plus, according to the doctor, maybe my sinus cavities are perpetually swollen and therefore imitating a blockage, so this might help with that. But anyway, after our insurance (which rocks so far with medications) and the discount card that the doctor gave me, the medicine was FREE. I know I can’t use the discount card all the time but it looks like if I get a new one when it expires, I can get the medicine free 5 months out of the year. Not bad.

– But apparently, even though I didn’t have to pay for it, I’m still required to wait in long lines and have it scanned and sign for it. I looked at it and was like, “I don’t have to pay? SWEET. Let’s go, Elijah.” Next thing I know, I’m halfway out of the parking spot and the checking girl comes running out and asks if I had a prescription. Instead of, “yeah” I should have said, “what, do you routinely chase after people who don’t stop at the check-out counter?” So I had to go back in and wait and wait until it was my turn. She scanned it and had me sign. They got a nice squiggly line for their troubles. I always thought before, when signing, that I was signing because of using my debit card, but apparently not. What am I signing? Selling my soul to the pharmacy??

– One of my Jr High teachers found me on Facebook. Some of you might freak, but he was one of my all-time favorites, his wife, too. I love them. :)

– Um… lots of other stuff, too, methinks but I’ve already bored you enough. :P

We’re both doing better though. Of course, Elijah never really acted sick other than taking a nap the other day. My voice is still crud, and I’m coughing a lot more now, though. But there’s no pressure in my head anymore and I don’t feel like puking all the time. The two of us actually got out today to take some pictures and what not. Mostly we drove around, but we got some sun, too.

The new dehumidifier is working out great and maybe that’s helping, too. In just short of 24 hours, I already had to empty it. I don’t think its tank is any smaller than the old one, it’s just gotten pretty damp down there in between normal stuff and all the rain we’ve been getting. This evening Steve said it was almost full again, so I’ll have to check on it when I do some laundry here in a sec.

Anyway, more to come later.

So, anyway. Elijah’s been sick. It all started last Wednesday when I got sick, but my fever broke basically overnight and the flu symptoms were gone by the next day and replaced with cold-like symptoms. It was probably Friday, I guess, that Elijah got the same thing and just as quickly, it was gone. He and I went out for breakfast on Saturday and did a little shopping. On Sunday, we all went to church.

Tuesday morning, around 3:30, he was up and crying. I took his temperature: 104.1. Some ibuprofen took it down right away, I mean, very fast. Another dose later in the morning. At 12:30pm, he seemed fine, temperature seemed to be gone completely. I’m talking, a 98.7 degree reading on the thermometer. But after a long nap, just as I was going to check on him, he woke up: 104.9. By this time, it was too late again to call the doctor. More ibuprofen and it came down again. I talked to a nurse on the Children’s Hospital hotline for several minutes. She ran through a lot of symptoms with me, stuff that if he had it, we would have probably taken him to the hospital. But nothing. Stuff like his breathing (it was fine), no purple rashes, he could touch his chin to his chest without pain, etc.

This morning around 5, he felt a bit warm, but certainly not hot. I woke him up and gave him medicine. At 9, seemed like the fever was gone again. Despite my best efforts, he was running around the room singing that when Daddy got home we were going to go get Chinese food (his idea), etc. I should have noticed earlier than I did that he was getting sluggish again. Like he suddenly didn’t want the food I’d made that he’d begged to have, he kept making excuses that it was too hot to eat long after it wasn’t. Taking his temperature again, he was back to 101.7. Some Tylenol and I made him lay down again.

So I called the doctor and that’s where we stand now. They just called back and I’m taking him there in 50 minutes. He’s sleeping now, fell right to sleep. He’s going to freak out, too, this whole time he’s been adamant that he’s NOT going to the doctor under any circumstances.

So we’ll see what happens. I’m sure they’ll just put him on antibiotics though…

—————

Ah, yes, they put him on antibiotics. Both ears are infected again. Well, whatever. They said they’d like to see him again in a week if he’s not better. So we’ll see…

But, ya know, I felt totally stupid being in there for this. I’ve had sinus infections and what not for years, but like I told him, they are getting worse each time. I never used to have pressure in my head, never used to have headaches caused by sinuses up until the last few years. Now in this past week I’ve had a couple of days where the headaches have been absolutely excruciating. He did mention, however, that we’ll “try” this antibiotic and then maybe send me for a cat scan of my sinuses. :| He asked if I’d ever had that done before, i told him I’ve not, but that the eye doctor did recommend it due to my waking up in the mornings with headaches. But it was one of those things, the symptoms soon went away, I put it off, and forgot about it. Not to mention I’m a big baby. Anyone had a cat scan before?

The other thing was that when she weighed me, it seemed like our scale has been weighing me 15 to 20 pounds lighter than what the doctor’s scale said. I about had a heart attack. Well I am down 5lbs, and 5lbs is 5lbs whether you think you weigh x or y, but I also asked the nurse how I was in comparison to the last time I was there. She couldn’t give me an answer. Apparently this was my first time in there since they changed from carrying around paper charts to Fujitsu Lifebooks even though I’ve seen them use these before (must have been E’s appointment), and apparently they are incapable of entering in old information of patients so there was no record of my previous weight. Whatever.

The end. /boring post.

I got kicked off the jury Wednesday morning because I had a fever. I located a doctor who would take not only a new patient, but take me NOW. I found a very small practice that was on our insurance. The doctor looked in my mouth and said, “looks like strep.” Then said she was going to do the test but it would take 24-48 hours to get the results and that she’d go ahead and start me on treatment. She prescribed me some antibiotics.

I slept the rest of the day. And the night. And all the next day (Thursday).

All the while, blisters continued to grow all over my mouth and tongue. Friday morning I’d had enough. It was either kill myself or go to another doctor. Of course, I talked to an emergency room nurse first who said that blisters are not at all typical of strep throat – how was I to know, I’d never had it before. Calling the doctor I’d gone to earlier as their office was closed due to all the ice we got Thursday and they left no other phone numbers. So I found, yet another doctor who’d take a new patient on short notice.

He felt that my antibiotics were not strong enough and prescribed me some new ones. And then he said that the blisters are a viral infection and prescribed me something for that.

I have never been so miserable in all my life. Seriously, childbirth was a piece of cake compared to this. I’ve done nothing but sleep and writhe in pain. My tongue and whole face is all just so swollen, I can’t completely close my teeth. There are marks along both sides of my tongue where my teeth have been resting.

I have not eaten anything since Tuesday. But, strangely. I’m not really that hungry. In between the two doctors’ visits, I dropped 8 lbs. I am, however, only now getting to the point where I’m starting to get hungry. I tried to have some chicken broth earlier today but I only succeeded in throwing up.

Since my new medicines, there have been no new blisters, but the pain in the current ones has increased. I am hoping that’s a sign that the stuff is working. I’m still tired all the time and unconcerned about everything around me.

*sigh*

I just want to feel normal again. I think it’s time for another nap now…