A Novel About My Sickies

I got burned with Sarah's pneumonia. I didn't think she was sick and she was very sick. I wasn't going to let this happen twice.

Last Wednesday, Katie complained that she had "water in her ears". Thursday night she had a fever and complained again about her ears. Friday night she had a fever and complained about her ears again! Saturday morning, I was convinced. I would take her to the doctor's office. I would take Bethie too because there is nothing I hate more than going to the clinic every two days. I would also take Sarah because she was doing this wonky head tilt that made me think she may have an earache.

The clinic opened at 10am Saturday morning. They were closing the walk-in list when I arrived at 10:30am, but I managed to get my 3 kids in. However, they wouldn't be seen until 2pm. So we went to Mum's. We didn't go grocery shopping, we didn't go to dance class, we didn't clean the house, we didn't do laundry. We had McDonald's for lunch, put Sarah down for a nap, and waited.

The doctor was great (all of them are at this clinic, we are super lucky to have found them!). As he walked in the exam room, Katie said "Doctor, I'm sick!". This made me happy. Normally I take my sick children to the doctor's and they behave like perfectly healthy children. I have been known to forcibly whisper "Act sick!". The doctor examined Katie and said she was 100% fine. I didn't believe him and made him exam her again (normally I would go to a different doctor for a second opinion instead of just asking the same doctor to do the work twice, but I was running out of time!). She was still perfectly fine. Bethie was perfectly fine. Sarah was perfectly fine. My day was shot. It was 3:30pm before we got home!

I must confess I was a bit bitter. I felt it was a waste of a day. I hate rushing healthy children to the doctor's (I can't stress that enough!). I was complaining to Mum about the outcome of the doctor's visit when she said "Aren't you happy that they're healthy?". Ummm... sure. But I would prefer being able to detect health myself instead of ruining a day!!!

Post Script: The next day, Bethie had a fever and spent the day lying on the couch. You can't even begin to imagine how much this irked me! Why couldn't she have been like that while we were in the doctor's office?!