Danger -- Sickness Abounds Here

Recently, Little Bear "had" to go to the Doctor for his physical. I'm not sure exactly why a healthy 5½ year old needs a physical, but evidently, unless all parents ensure that all of their children receive a physical every six months, we (the parents) are endangering their lives in some way. Not sure why that is; I think I remember two (perhaps as many as three) physicals from the time I was four until I graduated from college, and I turned out "O.K."

Anyway, since planet earth has somehow become so much more dangerous now than it was in the early 1970s, Little Bear got his physical. We didn't know it at the time, but he didn't just get a physical, he also got a bunch of germs (from all the sick kids - who had been legitimately taken to the doctor's office by parents hoping they would be able to get something to aid their child get well again). I'm not exactly sure what type of germs Little Bear brought home with him, but they are persistent, nasty little buggers.

On a "normal" day, Little Bear" doesn't slow down, ever (unless we make him take a nap, generally by bribery of some sort). If his personal "things to do right this second" list ever gets empty and there is no swing-set nearby, he will start jumping up and down while spinning in circles. I've watched him do this (jump up and down while spinning in circles) -- nonstop -- for twenty-five minutes -- straight. (He only stopped then because I finally got dizzy and told him to sit down.) Since Little Bear brought home his nasty germs, he hasn't been doing much jumping, swinging, bike riding, running, or anything else he enjoys. What he has done is a lot of lying around the house moping and groaning.

Since we noticed he was mopey, wasn't jumping, wasn't eating much, and had over a one hundred degree temperature my wife took him back to see the doctor on Thursday. The doctor told her Little Bear "Was sick" (I just love how smart some doctors are). Thankfully, he also told her that in addition to being sick he had two ear infections (poor kid). If Little Bear wasn't well in three days, the doctor said bring him back (that was Thursday morning). By Saturday morning he wasn't any better. In fact, he was worse -- much worse. He had spent most of Friday night moaning on the couch. (Lucky for me, I can sleep through anything that doesn't kill me first. My poor wife, on the other hand, wakes up at the slightest noise from anywhere.)

Soooo, Saturday morning she decided it might be a good idea to take him back to see his doctor. Since the twins had been grouchy for a few days, weren't eating much, had runny noses, temperatures, and really started coughing in earnest Friday night, she brought them along as well. Kind of like "killing three birds with one stone," except, they're not birds, they're Varmints, and we really don't want them anywhere near death, we want them all healthy. (I'm almost always happy when I see healthy children running around, playing hard, making messes, and even fighting, but I'm not happy when I see them moping around the house. Especially when I see them with dried streaks of snot permanently etched on their face -- looking like crusty cat whiskers growing from their noses back towards both ears: ick... nasty... yuck.)

I normally spend the majority of my Saturdays mowing our church property (somewhere between seven and nine acres worth of grass), but today, since we're getting into our dry season (we don't have much of a winter this far south), it wasn't imperative I spend eight hours on the mower. Instead, I was able to come home and watch Little Bright Eyes sleep in her "bouncy-chair" for a few hours while the "Varmints 3" went to spread their germs to other healthy children (in need of physicals) back at the doctor's office. When my wife brought the "Varmints 3" home I was informed that "They are all sick" (did I mention most doctors' powers of observation really impress me mightily?) In fact, not only are they sick, they all have the SAME exact sickness (whatever it is), right down to having two ear infections each! However, since Little Bear is a week ahead of the other two, he also has also been blessed with a case of bronchitis!

At the time, I was glad to keep Little Bright Eyes home and away from all the sick kids at the doctor's office, but unfortunately, it didn't do any good. Right now, she's so congested that she's having trouble sleeping. I guess someone will be heading back to the doctor's office Monday to see what can be done for her. At the very least, I hope neither I nor my wife get what the "Varmints 4" have. (I'm loading up on Vitamin C, echinacea, and Zicam.)

I guess the best thing to come of this was I got a new quotation from Little Bear (he has had some good ones in the past). Part of the prescription to treat his bronchitis was nebulizer treatments four times a day. When he got home he told me,
"Dad, I'm still sick, but the doctor said I need to breath air and I'll get better."