My six year-old was sick last week. Sore throat, bad cough, headache and congestion. Poor little thing was miserable and you couldn’t help feeling bad for her. And of course Doctor Mom was on the case 24-7: plying her with pain relievers and decongestants, cough syrups and just plain Mom medicine (hugs, cuddles and kisses).
She’s better now, back to her running, skipping, gregarious self. What a relief. The only problem is this: during my doctoring duties, I managed to catch her bug. And for a variety of reasons, I guess my immune system just wasn’t up to the challenge, and I’m as sick now as I can honestly ever remember being.
It all started Thursday afternoon. I was knackered and headachy enough to skip my yoga class (which means I was actually pretty sick already as I love yoga and hate to miss it for anything). By dinner time, I had a whopper of a sore throat. Thursday night I barely slept for the building sinus congestion and intensifying sore throat. But, life and motherhood being what they are, I was committed to accompanying my nine year-old daughter’s class on a day-long field trip. After several doses of my wonder-drug (Advil Cold & Sinus, if you’re wondering), I was sufficiently alive to board the bus and join in the grade four fun.
I probably should have stayed home and rested.
By Saturday morning I felt like I was at death’s door, but I had to go to my French class (I’ve already missed two and even though it’s a class, it feels like a break to me). I got home by lunchtime and then had to take my daughters (and a friend) to the Science Centre (had promised it earlier in the week). I wisely “treated” the kids to two IMAX movies there and managed to doze through both of them!
And then last night I was so, so miserable: I couldn’t breathe well enough to even sleep, and when I did fall asleep I’d wake myself with my own hacking cough. I think I only managed about four hours rest altogether. Today, my voice is almost nonexistent and I my sinuses are so clogged that drilling a hole into my forehead sounds like a pleasant relief. Nevertheless, children need to be woken, fed, dressed and bundled off to school and I have three baskets of clean laundry that needs folding.
You know, there are aspects to being a mother that are truly wonderful and invaluable. The adoring eyes of your children looking up at you; the feel of a warm, small, trusting hand in your own; watching them slumber with peaceful, carefree abandon. But there are aspects that are thankless and miserable and hard. And being the mom — with a bad cold — is one of those.
But, as the verse says (and you won’t often see me quote the Bible, so take note): Physician, heal thyself. Guess I’ll hobble back over to the medicine cabinet to OD on Advil Cold and Sinus and try to catch an hour of sleep before the kids get home from school.
*sniff*
Ugh kath – I hear you so much and hope you’re on the other end now. I spent Boxing Day reading Will books while sitting on the can and barfing in a bucket (nice visual?). It’s the WORST. I guess the good thing is that once we’ve made it through you can put that on the list of accomplishments?
It sucks to be sick and be the Mom, been there, I also empathize with you and hope you feel better soon.
My DD tries to be the caregiver when I am sick (she’s 3 1/2), that is the only bright spot for me. I get to see through her eyes how you look after someone you love, and feel like I must be doing something right because I know she learned that from me. I hope you can find a bright spot of your own while you are feeling so rotten!
oh kath, i hear you. i’m sick too and there is absolutely no opportunity to rest. i’m so sad and miserable right now, i really empathized with your post. take care of yourslef and i hope you get better soon .xo
There is the WORST bug going around – we all had it and I was SO sick (actually, I’m still so sick) that I was in bed for nearly a week. A WEEK! AWFUL! And I definitely got more run down when I was looking after my kids who were ALSO sick. So now they’re all better and I am STILL sick. UNfair!