Anatomy Of A Hospital Visit (Monday Morning)

This week after a month filled with one dilemma after another, God took a moment and reminded us of what's most important in life. Over the past few weeks I've been stranded by the side of the road in short sleeves, next to a river in the 10 degree temps that have gripped our area. My freelance income has all but disappeared due to reasons beyond my control. I've had to use a vacation day and a sick day, in order to take care of Fred. After 9 years at Suntrust Bank, starting as a part-time teller and battling her way to Asst. Mgr. Lucy was given a can't refuse offer to not only work for a long standing prominent real estate firm as their office mgr...but this fall her new employer has promised to send her to real estate school free of charge on the condition she sticks around for a couple years. And then Sunday night at 11 P.M. our washing machine which is less than 2 months old quit in mid-rinse leaving us elbow deep in cold water as we scrambled to figure out how that could be possible. It also left us wondering how things could dare get any worse. That next morning we got our answer.

What you are about to read started out as a way to track the changes in Fred's temp, but eventually turned into a form of escaping the unbelievable events that were taking place all around me. And it all started........

Monday Morning

6:15-Alarm went off and the week began

7:30-Dropped Fred off at daycare with a high five and the image of him running to play with friends echoing in my mind as I made the 20 min. trip across town to work.

9:30-Daycare calls. Fred has a fever of 101

10:00-Doubtful that anything is wrong. Lucy heads toward Fred wondering how things could be bad as they were described on the phone.

10:15-Things are worse. Fred's fever is climbing, can barely raise his head, and begins throwing up. Without a second thought Lucy grabs him and immediately heads to the Dr. despite the fact they claim to have no time to see him and are booked till 4:30. Her exact words were "Tough I'm on my way"

10:30-Fred vomits in the car twice. Lucy calls to tell me this is major and something feels seriously wrong. I meet her at the Dr. moments after she arrives.

11:00-You know things are bad when the Dr. claims to be all booked up then rushes your child in after taking one look at him.....or maybe it was the fact that he puked in the lobby.

11:30-After a complete exam and of course x-rays (they always do x-rays on Fred), the Dr. calls it a virus. He says to watch his fever (which reached 103.9) and things should be fine in a few hours. I follow them home in order to make sure everyone is settled in before heading back to the office.

11:50-Fred vomits in the car again

12:10-More vomit

12:30-With vomit covering several towels and multiple outfits, I begin trying to get somebody to fix our washing machine for free per the instructions of the warranty......and was pretty much told it wasn't going to happen today.

1:00-Fred's fever drops to 102.6 and barely blinks when Blue's Clues comes on. This is a major sign things are off, because the kid dances the entire time it's on no matter what.

2:00-I head back to the office thinking everything is fine. Plus as long as I work 4 hours it doesn't count as a sick day.

2:30-The washing machine repairman who couldn't come till Wednesday, shows up. All Lucy can do is point the way. The motor has burned out, is replaced, and the warranty does cover all the costs.

Check back this afternoon for Part II