One week and counting?

So Toddlerness has been sick for a week and a day now. Fuck. I've resorted to something I've never done before - cycling motrin and tylenol.

If I don't get the max dose of ibuprofen at the minimum interval, I turn into a basket case. In fact, I tried the "regular" dose this morning and am sitting here feeling like a living, maybe-kind-of-breathing, pile of SHIT. Did you know that case says "do not exceed 6 tablets in 24 hours unless directed by a physician"? Well, damn, if I take the max dose at the minimum interval, that's 12 tablets a day. I'm more irked at the labelling than anything, though. The idea isn't so much that it is dangerous to take that much, as that you should go see the all-powerful doctor because obviously, you're too stupid for words and need his input.

Anyway, Toddlerness is dehydrated. She's not peeing but once, maybe twice a day. And she's complaining of "stuck poopies." But I can't get her to drink anything! She'll nurse, but my supply is downright pathetic right now. I'm drinking all the water I can handle, but I'm feeling pretty gross and it sloshes around unpleasantly when I drink it, so that isn't a whole lot. I might have to run out to the store and do the unthinkable - buy her some soda. I think she'd drink THAT.

Argh

Kids are still quite sick. That sucks.

I'm sick too now. This doesn't touch the time I probably had pertussis (and was far away from any sort of treatment whatsoever), but it is actually drawing close. I didn't have to dry my skin after my shower, it dried itself, I'm so hot.

I've got the woodstove cranked and it is 78 degrees in here with the windows open. The woodstove is a PITA to keep going at this rate without letting it get TOO hot, but the fresh air is worth it. The house was starting to smell really sick.

So on Thursday I have this all-day class with the Red Cross, and supposedly you have to call 48 hours plus in advance to reschedule without paying a fee, but the (chatty and friendly) woman on the phone was forgiving. She asked that I call back tomorrow to let them know for sure, though. I am totally alright with going even as sick as I am (practicing rigorous handwashing, sanitizer, and cough/snot etiquite), but I am not ok leaving the kids with the prearranged babysitter: my next door neighbor whose youngest might be immunocompromised although she remains undiagnosed. So unless miracles occur and all three of them wake up tomorrow morning feeling like the world is theirs for the taking, I'm going to have to reschedule. Damnit.

Meanwhile, I am having trouble being coherent enough for long enough to write this post, and homework is decidedly out of my reach. So the shit piles up.

Oh yeah, and Boyness persists in acting like he's frigging being strung up by the toenails, well, all the time, but like he's being bounced by the toenails when he coughs. I love the kid and I feel sorry for him, but listening to him Tony-ghost (a loud, low-pitch wail) is getting on my nerves. Doing my best not to scream at him about it, because it's not like it's his fault he's sick. Tried to teach him a muscle relaxation exercise to use instead, but it's only marginally helpful.

Drawing personality test

What does your drawing say about YOU?

The results of your analysis say:

You are driven and ambitious and tend to make radical moves to reach your goals.
You are a thoughtful and cautious person. You like to think about your method, seeking to pursue your goal in the most effective way.
You like following the rules and being objective. You are precise and meticulous, and like to evaluate decisions before making them.
You feel morose and are prone to lethargy.

I was more than a little lazy and I suck at the drawing thing. But it was interesting.

Interesting side note: I'm listening to Sister Hazel - "Change Your Mind" right now. "If you wanna be somebody else, change your mind..."

Thermonuclear, or something

Well, boyness spent most of yesterday afternoon/evening asleep, but during a few minutes of awakeness I took his temperature and he measured in at an impressive 103.7. This is particularly impressive because it was his first ever oral-thermometer temperature-taking (previously done with an aural thermometer) and I'm pretty sure that the tip of the thermometer wasn't actually where it was supposed to be. If it wasn't, his real temp would be even higher.

I did give him motrin, more because of the restless sleep and uncomfy dreams he seemed to be having than because of the fever, although that number was unpleasant enough to be given weighty consideration. Within half an hour that fever had been beaten into sweaty submission, and he lay as asleep as asleep can be, sprawled out atop his covers. He slept all night and seems markedly better today.

Toddlerness, on the other hand, was doing her best impression of thermonuclear radiation when I woke up to her squirming at around 3 this morning. The thermometer I used on boyness could have been used rectally on her, but I wasn't thinking it was worth it. She was HOT, she was uncomfy, she was getting medicine. Which broke her fever, but didn't seem to get her comfortable enough to go back to sleep. She cried and whined and wiggled until I gave up, got out of bed, and hit her with the one-two punch of "Lilo and Stitch" and a bowl of dry cereal, and shambled to the kitchen for coffee (and, incidentally, to do dishes...pure fucking torture this morning but I knew this might happen when I put them off yesterday). She's sitting on the couch, jealously guarding her hot sock and fleece blanket, and looking a little glazed over but mostly content.

Oh, and for anyone who heard me bitching about LRQ pain on Friday...I am no longer in pain, but there is a palpable mass there. I think it is an ovarian dealie, but what exactly it is I don't know, and I'm going to go research that right now.

Adding: ok, I hear from ~L~ that this LLQ thing is some virus thingy that her husband and several people they know have had. Which makes more sense, because it doesn't FEEL like it involves my ovary, but it was the only thing that I had a lead on at the moment. So it should go away. Good.

Becca is coughing now too. Damniiiiiittttt.