Wrote this post once, damn Blogger ate it!
Ok, let me start with a little medical background refresher for my family for the last month...
August 14th... my sister has her knee put back together from a complete ACL and partial MCL tear.
August the next week... she passes out and convulses in her bedroom - double pulmonary embolism.
August/September... my brother-in-law (sister's hubby) winds up in the hospital with some sort of bladder issue *and* viral meningitis.
Two days after that... my dad is diagnosed as needing a (basically) immediate hip replacement.
Today... my parents arrive in CT from NY. Dad gets sick with vertigo, nauseau, and chills.
Also today... my sister-in-law is diagnosed with Lyme Disease and sky high BP.
Also today... my youngest has been running a high enough fever all day that we've been crisscrossing the ibuprofen and acetaminophen - no other symptoms.
As you can see, we've got some pretty damn nasty medical/bad luck cooties floating around.
So, here's my problem. I'm having major abdominal surgery Wednesday morning and, of course, it's not like they can put it off. Katie turns 4 tomorrow. We're supposed to be having my folks and John's mom over for dinner tomorrow. Also, my parents are supposed to be babysitting my children at 5 a.m. on Wednesday whilst I go have the aforementioned major abdominal surgery. I do not have any urge to catch whatever Dad's got right before said surgery. I have no urge to have my children catch whatever Dad's got when I won't be around to take care of them. I have even less of an urge to have a newborn exposed to this shit. Do I disinvite Dad to the birthday celebration? Will Mom be carrying enough exposure to expose us? Should I be finding an alternate sitter for Wednesday a.m. (pretty damn difficult to find someone for that early on such short notice!)? I don't want to cause a family rift here... maybe I'm overreacting?
Got The Suitcase just about packed - one thing I learned from the last 2 stays is that what you really need most is stuff to do, decent shampoo, and toothpaste. It gets boring lying around in bed, particularly when you're still attached to a catheter and can't move around. Also, when you're finally allowed to shower, you really don't want to use the industrial strength bar soap provided. And, of course, toothpaste isn't provided. Worse to worst, you can always use your finger if you don't have a toothbrush but it's not the Ritz... they don't have a front desk to keep you stocked.
In other news, got my hair cut - yay! Now sporting a very Tasha Yar-esque 'do. Good thing is I like it. Bad thing is I like it... I'm supposed to think it's too short. I, unfortunately, don't. And the shorter my hair is, the more often I have to have it cut, which gets expensive.
Any advice out there on the family medical situation?
6 comments:
Hmm... I'd think, given the circumstances, that the family might understand a delayed celebration. They might actively welcome it, if they're feeling scuzzy right now. But, then, I don't know your family, so I can't say for certain.
As for short hair, what's expensive about it? Oster clippers, a good blade, and you're good to go. ;-) (And are you serious that they charge as much to trim hair short as they do for more extensive styling? Yeesh, no wonder I never cared for hair salons...)
remoness - upscale hair salon specializing in minimalist styling at astronomical prices.
I bet you're very pretty with your new hair!
I think post-poning the party all together would be a good idea. Who says you have to have a party on the actual day? I'd say wait a month, you'll feel better and have your routine once little boy is here. You can always tell K that you wanted him to be part of the festivities!
I'd start looking for another sitter. You really don't need to expose anyone to anybody's sicknesses.
Good luck!!
LOL, DL! Actually, what's more expensive about short hair is just that it has to be cut more often to keep the style looking like a style and not an "oops, a muskrat sat on my head". I got quite spoiled not having my hair cut at all for 3 years - very inexpensive!
Thanks for the advice, ladies! Katie wouldn't understand about a delay, unfortunately - she's been looking forward to this since her kid party 2 weeks ago. We did explain that "Poppa" was sick and might not be able to come. We're hoping that they'll have the consideration not to come if it's still an issue today.
We quarantined ourselves for Easter because so much of the family got sick... but Gayle is a bit older than Katie so it was easier to explain it to her.
I vote stay away from germs as much as humanly possible - but I'm a paranoid individual.
I'd make the party smaller, and keep the infected away from your pregnant self. The childcare thing is trickier. You may have to risk infecting the kids and have your mom watch the kids. I think the important thing is not to infect yourself.
If all else fails, have you thought about a Hospital themed dress up birthday dinner? Lets all wear masks and scrubs at the party! Okay, maybe not.
"Soletee" the favorite, and therefore only t-shirt worn by a high school boy. As in: "Man, his soletee is rank! Go wash that bad boy."
PPG - Probably too late, but I don't suppose you could do a small party for K as planned, sans infected adults, then a third "big" party once everyone's feeling better? (The idea of an extra party might appeal to her, at least...)
egene - one's genetic tendency to favor electronic devices. (In the future, this term is appropriated by genetic engineers as a name for artificially modified DNA.)
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