Sick Mister

Maybe it's my imagination, but I feel like the kids have been sick a lot more this past winter/school year.  There was at least a month around the beginning of spring where they all had runny noses and a mild cough the whole time.  It was beginning to feel like it would never end, and even though their symptoms weren't very severe I decided enough was enough and I should take them in to see the doctor- of course within a day they were all much better so we never went.

Mister has been sick enough to miss a handful of school days throughout the year, and he's home again today.  He's had a fever and runny nose since Friday.  Saturday night his temperature spiked beyond our comfort level at 103.8 degrees F.  We were 99.9% sure he was totally fine, (and I should probably preface this story by letting everyone know he was, lest you needlessly worry).  He was drinking water, he was due to take more fever medicine anyway, and he wasn't losing excessive amounts of fluids in any of the gross ways kids sometimes do when they're sick.

Still, we couldn't help but be worried.  His fevers don't usually persist much longer than 24 hours, and he looked terrible.  On top of that, when he was a tiny little baby he had bacterial spinal meningitis and spent a long time in the hospital.  After that he was susceptible to having seizures when he got a fever.  It has been years since he had one, and the doctor said once they're past 5 they're not really at risk of having them anymore.  But still.  Sometimes as a parent I think you worry and you just can't help it.  We really weren't comfortable giving him medicine and putting him to bed and then going to sleep.  We debated letting him sleep on the couch, and camping out down there with him to keep an eye on him, but it wasn't tempting.  We finally decided to take him in to the ER, just in case.  We put the girls to bed and I stayed home with them while Chris took him in.

Naturally, they waited in the waiting room for over 2 hours, spent less than 10 minutes with the doctor, and came home.  She checked to make sure there were no secondary infections, (there were none), and then reaffirmed what we already knew.  It wasn't a fun night, but at least once they did get home we all slept soundly knowing he was fine.

I have to say I am so grateful for Medi-Cal right now.  Visiting the ER costs something like $1000 minimum without insurance, even if it turns out there's nothing wrong with you.  I feel pretty lucky that when my kid is sick we not only have access to hospitals and doctors, but money doesn't factor into the decision on whether or not to take them in.  It's a luxury in this world, (it shouldn't be, but it is) and I don't take it lightly.

Anyway, he still has a fever.  As long as we give him something for it every 6 hours or so it doesn't really get above 99.8ish, but he still can't go to school.  It'll be another day of laying on the couch reading and watching Pokemon for him.  Hopefully soon he'll beat this super virus so he can get back to normal.  I feel bad for him, (though he's not complaining 'cause, ya know, Pokemon) and I hate when they have to miss school.  Fingers crossed he'll be over it soon.