Considering it Joy-Fall Flu Fiasco

October is here. ahhh Fall...except it brings with it those days of quarantining your home so you don't spread the snot, coughs and gross germs to other families. School started almost 2 months ago and I thought for sure we'd be sick by now. and "by now" arrived Wednesday.

 Evie woke with a low grade temp. She was super bummed that she wouldn't be able to go to school (must get that from her Dad). Fever came back every 3-4 hours, but ibuprofen seemed to do the trick. Thursday was much of the same with the temp reaching around 102 and still a poor appetite, some complaints of belly ache and sore throat. I assummed she had something viral since her throat wasn't red and she had no other symptoms.

 However, since she's in school now, I didn't want her to miss more days than necessary her birthday is coming up. SOOoooo, I drug her up to the after hours clinic last night.
 **  going to the Peds After Hours clinic is actually a BRILLIANT idea. The wait is shorter than the doctor's office and since Zach is home at night, I can take ONE child at a time instead of hauling all 4 into an appointment. AND-its the SAME PRICE! taking notes for future visits! **

 Long story short, after holding her down twice, we concluded with a quick test that she had the FLU :( It was recommended that everyone get the flu shot in the morning and we got her RX for Tamiflu. Easy. Peasy.  

Then started the unraveling of a perfectly manageable sick child scenario. 
Let's see if I can keep this brief...here's how the next 24 hours unfolded: 
9:20 pm Arrive home and Zach leaves for CVS to get the Tamiflu 
9:40 pm Zach calls. CVS has Tamiflu on backorder 
9:45 pm Tracking down Tamiflu around town 
10:00 pm Zach finds a CVS that has it but has a different concentration, so we end up paying DOUBLE the price so we could get the correct dose. 
10:30 pm Evie is in bed and I take a dose of her Tamiflu as prophylaxis 
 1:00 am some baby is crying, zach gets up to handle that and my stomach is burning. I throw up-NEVER taking liquid Tamiflu again!
 **Had a great few moments with God and felt challenged to memorize the book of James-no, I didn't DO THAT today, but I started with the first 4 verses and begged God to allow me to "consider it all joy"*** 9:30 am Arrive at our 1st dr. visit, Dr. Carter is out of town and we got scheduled to see a "nurse only". after an hour of waiting and a mommy breakdown filled with real tears, we are told we need to make an "appointment with a doctor" to get a prescription or have a nasal swab done. make an appoinment for 4:45pm
 11:00 am Arrive at MY doctor, who is also out of town (seeing the trend?) Wait 45 minutes to be seen only to have NOTHING done for me. unsure about this and that, blah blah blah. however, everyone was VERY nice! 
12:10 running late, drive through McDonald's (which I LOATHE). Baby B is crying, no SCReaMInG! 12:20 Arrive at Dr. Kathy's office for baby B to be seen (they take her medicaid as opposed to OUR pediatrician that does not-so convenient) **MIRACLE here-although Dr. Kathy is out of the country (see the trend now?!) we are seen by great ladies that give baby b a flu shot and call in Tamiflu for ALL 3 KIDS so we don't have to return to the other office at 4:45!!! 
1:40 We arrive home, 1 sleeping baby and a tired clan still considering it all JOY. 
3:40 Zach gets home and I run out the door with the dog to the vet for a horrible skin thing she's had going on for a week. With 4 kids at home, poor Maggie gets dropped down a few notches. :( 
5:15 leave the vet with a $128 bill (THE MOST FOR ANY VISIT-go figure) 5:30 arrive home to dinner on the stove brought over by a friend-PTL 

Evie is feeling better and we have tracked down enough Tamiflu to get everyone started tonight. Its 8:52 and everyone is sleeping...except mama. so on days like this, I know my God is faithful and able. He is greater than my circumstances and certainly watching me grow as I CHOOSE to consider it ALL, yes, ALL of IT JOY. 

“Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” (James 1:2-4 MSG)

How did we get here?

okay. I did it. I shouldn’t have, but I did.  with a few clicks, there I was…scrolling through our blog. images of me holding a tiny baby in my arms. the words on the page seem like they were written ages ago. by a mom that was so new and dreamy. her small little face seems almost unrecognizable in pictures, but so familiar.

fast forward. HERE. NOW. TOMORROW…Its Meet the Teacher Day at school.  I’ve heard it all a million times, “blink and its over”, “she won’t be small for long”, “you’re gonna miss this”.

they were right.  all of those strangers in the checkout line at Target…you know them too, right?

Its exciting, sure. but downright life altering.  Who is Beckett going play with during the morning hours while I get ready?  Who is going to watch Elin while I jump in the shower? (certainly NOT her big brother!!)  and early mornings…are you kidding me?!  This child has never seen the sun rise.  but she will. and soon.

and its not just around here that will be different. its down the road.  at a little school where she will spend more time with a woman she will come to love as her teacher than she ever will with me again. ouch. that will stop you in your tracks. I mean, will they know when she needs me? when she’s scared or embarrassed? what happens when someone picks on her for that missing tooth in the front of her mouth? who gets to hold her when she falls on the playground? not me. ouch. that hurts too.

and it’s a deep hurt. the one that drains the water from your eyes and causes you to bite your upper lip so you don’t just sob out loud.

but its here. the day I thought was over-hyped. its just Kindergarten. yep. its just Kindergarten.

and the funny thing is…I’m gonna miss her. I mean, really miss her. but I’m just a little afraid that she won’t miss me-not that much at least. and I just don’t know if I’m okay with that quite yet.

so here’s to Kindergarten. to a year of new friends and a new way of life…for all of us. grace for each moment…