Day 4714: Back to the Doctor...

Elizabeth stayed home from school yesterday. She had said she was not feeling good the day before but yesterday she couldn't even get up. (She's 15.. this is not a sign of dire illness... it could be not very much at all) I was a bit miffed at her because I thought she was not as ill as she's making out.

The problem with Elizabeth is that I can't tell if she's exaggerating or understating... but it's always one of the two. The only thing I always know for certain is that it's not exactly how she says it is. (This refers to illness... not so much anything else.)

But, being a mom, I called her later up in the morning from work to see how she was feeling and she told me she had a fever of 108°. !!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, I asked her about four times if she was sure it was 108° and not 100.8°. My boss overheard my conversation and told me to go on... it was a slow day, he could manage without me. Of course, I'm panicking all the way home and I get her into see the doctor (who tells her that it couldn't have been 108°, she'd have been in convulsions... it was 98.6° by the time we got to the doctor) and we decided that it's probably strep throat even though her test for strep was negative. Not only has Emily had strep last week but Eliz has a headache, sore, red throat... etc. Classic symptoms. And it's something she might have avoided if she's been taking her antibiotic (from last week) on schedule... but she just quit taking it half way through the run.

And the nurse told Elizabeth that the two of them really needed to give me a rest... she was sure I was tired of going to the doctor so often!

Day 4713: Scotch on the Rocks.

God, what a hell of a day.

I was MOD when Heidi cut the tip of her finger off and then I get the manager and the owner second guessing me. My attitude toward this is "If you wanted it done your way, you should have been here. You left me in charge, I dealt with it my way."

My way, of course, was to call 911 and get an ambulance to come and get this poor hysterical girl before she passed out and see what could best be done for her. I had Debbie (what a trooper!) and Allen hold her down (laying down) and elevate her hand and keep pressure on it. Debbie also managed to keep her from passing out by talking to her while I called 911 and the owner. Who told me I should have just taken or sent her to to doc-in-the-box. Hell, I don't know where the DITB is close to where I work. I did what I've been trained to do since I was 2 yrs old and called 911. I don't care if it costs $300... Chip should have insurance. Not my look-out if he doesn't. Heidi deserved professionals who knew how bad (or not) it was and could calm her and give her pain meds on the way down. She's only 18... of course she's scared to death. Somehow, my car is not equipped with either morphine or a radio or sirens... I don't know how that happened. Gross oversite on my part, I'm sure. I sent her boyfriend down after her... he would have been useless the rest of the day with worry and since they live together he's more her immediate family than her mother... although I did try to call her mother third and gave her boyfriend instructions to do that while he followed the ambulance to the hospital. (I deal with realities, not legalities.)

On the good side of the day, my new room is almost finished. By the time I get home from work tomorrow, it should have everything done except paint, stain and trim strip which is mine to do. I also, of course, have to clean the windows and everything before I move anything in.

Whew! I've had TWO scotch on the rocks.. and before dinner too. Can you tell?