Plagues of Bibilical Proportions

Thursday was a lovely day. Work was going by quickly and we were anticipating a fine lunch at my favorite Thai restaurant around the corner from our offices. At 11:30, we all climbed into my girlfriend's pathfinder and headed to lunch. We laughed and laughed, enjoying the the company and the amazing cuisine. We even got back to the office on time instead of ten or fifteen minutes late (which is usual whenever we all go to lunch). I sat down at my desk and began to work but noticed my throat felt a little constricted. The lunch I had was sprinkled with peanuts...not a big deal and I have no known allergies to peanuts, but I hadn't had any in a long time. I thought, "Hmm. Maybe I'm having a slight reaction to the peanuts." I continued on through the day, my throat closing up a little more with every passing hour.

Quitting time arrived and I headed out, but without the usual fervor I normally have when the day is done. I picked up Indy and headed home, thankfully through somewhat decent traffic. Hubby was working in the yard when I backed into the driveway. I opened the door, stood up and basically collapsed in his arms.

Now, I just assumed it was some sort of allergic reaction. I dragged myself into the house and took a Benadryl to help open my throat. Super-mommy had kicked in and the babe had to be at dance class (they begin sending notices home around this time of year to remind parents that missing class could potentially keep a child out of the recital. That last few classes are pivotal and the babe would die if she couldn't be in the recital. There was also a school skate party going on that I wanted to take her to after dance class (she'd had such an exceptionally good week and had received two awards for her behavior in school). I took a half dose of Benadryl and took my girl to dance class, then to the skate party. She was so excited to be there and see people she knew and I enjoyed watching her skate around, all the while my body began to ache without mercy.

We left the rink at around 7:30. Once we got home, I put Indy to bed and I fixed the babe something to eat. Hubby called and I told him that I didn't want anything but a hot shower and the bed. That night, I woke up every hour on the hour in miserable pain...taking everything from Ibuprofen to NyQuil. Nothing helped. My temperature was 101.1 and I felt like an Arctic wind was blowing through my house. I filled the tub with scalding hot water (at around 2am) and soaked for I don't know how long. I woke up, still in the tub, drained the water and got back into bed. I seriously felt like death was coming to take me...and in such a horrible way. By morning, I really thought I'd seen the last of my days. Hubby told me he would take the kids so that I could seek out emergency care.

Arriving first, I was quickly taken in by a nurse who reported my temp at 102.9 and elevated blood pressure. In the exam room, I detailed my symptoms repeatedly telling her how quickly they had come on and how I didn't believe it to be the flu. They swabbed my nasal cavity anyway to test for the flu. I didn't have it. The doctor came in and swabbed my throat for Strep. He indicated that the rapidness at which everything had occurred, led him to believe that it was what I had. Fifteen minutes later and a quick nap on the examination table, the tests results were in. Strep throat. Nice.

I could take ten days worth of antibiotics (I really didn't want to have to go through that song and dance again, not after doing it twice already this year) or a shot that would hurt. "Um, I'll take the shot that hurts, thanks." The nurse came in shortly after and injected Drano or something into my butt because it burned and burned. Ugh! I really didn't care at this point, though. All I wanted was to feel better.

I slept all day Friday and most of Saturday. Yesterday was the first day I really got up and out of the house for long periods of time. The babe was complaining a little of an ear ache, so I cleaned out her ear and told her to keep us posted on how it felt. Sunday night, 11:30pm - the babe awakened my hubby with cries and screams of pain in her ear. Off to the emergency room they went. The babe has a second stage ear infection.

So, I'm home again...now playing nurse instead of patient. The babe is resting and watching t.v., but Indy is inconsolable and won't lay down for a nap. Could she have something too? Oh, God. I hope not!