Mommy By The Book » sick

A post about why I haven’t posted

Rachel — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 23:37:31 +0000

I’ve had so many good intentions over the last several days, and yet this here bloggy has been a bit light in the posting department. I’m sure all of you have been wringing your hands and asking, “Why? Oh, why hasn’t there been a new post? Whatever shall I read?”. Well, have no fear! I am here to post about not posting! Quality stuff, I tell ya.

While brushing my teeth or showing in the morning I get all sorts of fantastic post ideas, including a title and pictures and the whole she-bang! But then as the day goes on it turns out there is actual work to be done (I know, lame) and a child to be fed and a house to be cleaned and a husband to be fawned over and before you know it, I’m plum worn out. Plus, I would like to include a picture in the post (that still exists only in my head), but that would require the camera that is upstairs, which would require hauling myself back up the stairs, requiring energy (you see where this is going?). So in the end, not a thing gets accomplished.

And then there’s all this pressure- a post must be witty! And moving! And informative! And creative! And all manner of wonderfulness! The pressure, I assure you, it’s crippling.

But really, despite all my laziness and insecurities, I did fully intend on writing something worthwhile (*ahem* unlike this post), and then the heavy hammer of disappointment came down upon my head, and I felt the need to wallow in it. And wallowing in disappointment does not lend to blogging, my friends. You see, I’ve spent the last month interviewing for a particular job. It wasn’t my dream job, necessarily, but the commute would’ve been so nice and it was something I was experienced in and comfortable with and felt would be a good thing. So I did my research, went through four (4) lengthy interviews, completed an extensive background check, sent emails to five (5) different references requesting they fill out a survey about me, and totally thought I had it in the bag. I was well qualified and really seemed to hit it off with all six (6) of my various interviewers. “Easy-peasy!” thought I, “I’ll have a sweet little commute instead of this tortuous, soul-sucking slog through miles of construction in no time!”.

And then, what did appear in my inbox this last Thursday but a general email of rejection thanking me for my time and admirable talents and informing me they’ve decided to go with another candidate.

Well!

So, wallow I did. It wasn’t so much that I was devastated about not getting my dream job, because it wasn’t my “dream job”. I already have a perfectly adequate job where everyone is very nice. It just might have been a more enjoyable and convenient job, I suppose. It’s just…I don’t know, the rejection? The fact that I really did my best, and really thought I would do so well at the job, and it turns out I wasn’t good enough? Maybe the fact that I put so much time and energy into the process, and didn’t even receive a phone call and instead got a generic email? Bah! Who knows?

In the end though, I am very fortunate. I have a job, a decent one, and that’s a lot more than many people are able to say, so I should be grateful. The wallowing in self-pity was short lived.

Since the pity-party ended quickly, a blog post should’ve been born, right? Wrong. Instead, my body decided to give up on its defenses and went and got sick. I woke up at 3 AM a couple nights ago coughing and choking uncontrollably every time I tried to take a breath. I got up to get a drink, only to be consumed by the most unsettling feeling of a racing heart, a cold sweat, a queasy stomach, and a spinning head and spent the rest of the weekend in such a state. The husband and I are both mystified as to how I seemed to get violently ill in a manner of minutes and then have it linger.

So hopefully this odd little post will suffice until an actual post with substance can be created and we can all be friends again. Deal?

A healthy dose of birth control

Rachel — Sat, 01 May 2010 22:47:27 +0000

Good news! I figured out a way to get Claire to let me brush her teeth. Apparently if I sing “Popcorn Popping” like a clown on crack she happily opens her mouth and lets me brush away.

In other news, she also came down with a nasty cough a couple nights ago. The husband has actually been sick for weeks and finally went to the doctor to find out he had RSV, of all things, so there is a good chance that is what she has too. At 10:00 PM we could hear the dreaded deep, strong, barky cough coming from her room. It woke her up and caused her to cough so hard that she threw up all over the floor. Poor girl.

Last night we went in to check on her around midnight and were punched in the face by the smell of vomit as soon as we walked in the room. It seemed extremely odd, since we never heard anything aside from a little coughing, so there’s no way she actually threw up, right? Upon closer inspection, we discovered vomit on her sheets. We rolled her over and lo and behold, there was barf covering her pj’s, blanket, and hair. It must have been a rather pleasant and peaceful experience for her this time around, because nary a peep did she make. We woke her up, stripped her and the bed, and discovered chunks of broccoli barf dried in her hair…and on her cheek…and down her neck…and onto her back… and on her hands.

This is the kind of stuff they need to teach to crazy teenagers in sex ed classes. Are you ready to clean up chunks of broccoli barf at midnight instead of partying with your friends? ARE YOU? If that doesn’t scare them straight, I don’t know what will.

In the tub she went, the poor little thing bleary eyed and bewildered, wondering why she was woken up from a peaceful sleep and thrown into the water.

I sure do love being a mom and my little girl. But if there was one thing I could eliminate from motherhood, it just might be cleaning up vomit.

What do you other parents think? What would be the one gross/onerous task you would eliminate from daily life with kids?

Kidney appreciation day

Rachel — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:40:07 +0000

I have learned a valuable lesson over the last 24 hours: never take your vital organs for granted.

A couple of days ago I came down with a bladder infection. Nothing major, but unpleasant nonetheless. I figured I could just flush it out with some cranberry juice and water. No big deal. Things didn’t really improve over the next couple of days, but I figured it would pass in time.

Then, last night I’m woken up at about 2:35 AM, wondering what that awful sensation in my back is. I’ve had lower back problems for years, and they have been aggravated recently by all the bending, twisting, and lifting that I’ve discovered motherhood requires. So I wake up thinking ugh, my back is really giving me troubles tonight. I tried changing positions over and over, and rather than it getting better, the pain kept getting worse and worse. It was so intense that it was shooting down my legs and my whole lower back felt like it was a big red, radiating ball of pain (you know, like you see on the commercials). I rolled over and got up on my knees, my face smashed into the pillow, hoping that would stretch things out. Nothing. Before I knew it I was rocking back and fourth on all fours and breathing raggedly. I felt like I was in labor, except this time my back was intending to deliver…something, I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a baby.

Eventually I woke up the hubby, gasping for breath between the shots of pain that were now stabbing through each side of my back. He tried massaging it, thinking maybe I had really pulled my muscles or something. Again, no relief. At this point I realized that it wasn’t my run of the mill back problems. Nope, it was my kidneys, and apparently someone had set fire to them while I was sleeping. Seriously, the only thing I could compare it to was labor… and I experienced some pretty intense labor.

Brady was kind enough to get me a handful of ibuprofen and some water, and soothed me until I was no longer shaking and and moaning in pain. I didn’t know if I should go to the ER or wait it out or what to do, so I laid down to see if the pain meds would kick in. Fortunately they did, and somehow I managed to drift off to sleep.

I woke up in the morning feeling almost back to normal, but over time the stabbing, searing, throbbing pain in my back returned, and has been alternating between sharp pain and a dull ache all day. I went to my doctor to get some antibiotics, so hopefully they will do the trick soon.

So all this time I’ve totally been taking my hardworking, dependable kidneys for granted. I rarely give them a thought or even notice that they are even there. But WOW, do they have a way of making themselves known when something goes wrong!