No sick days for mom

I haven't been seriously ill in years. The last time I had the flu I was 18 and once I got over it, I was then sick for two straight months with doctors trying to figure out what was wrong with me. Finally after many tests, they came up with a diagnosis of Crohns disease. The very next day I landed myself in the hospital for two weeks on a liquid diet, 20 pounds lighter, had a feeding tube inserted into my chest, and missed my high school graduation. Talk about a bummer. But that was all before kids and I still had my mom to take care of me. That's another story for another time.

Flash Forward too many years than I care to count. Time for the flu round 2. At least according to my symptoms it is allegedly the flu. It hits me hard on Friday afternoon. Body aches all over the place, fever, coughing, fatigue. You name it. I can still function, but anything beyond turning the channel on the TV is a bit much. Let alone trying to figure out what to feed two kids who aren't old enough to make their own dinner. And since we now have an operational wood stove I have to keep stoking the fire and adding wood. Since I'm freezing my butt off with chills I get the temp. up to 75 degrees. Oh and did I mention I had to bring more wood inside at least twice......

Saturday roles around and hubby takes B to his cub scout hike. They are gone all morning, leaving me alone with Grainerd. Taking care of one child with a very active imagination is pretty easy. She just plays with baby dolls while mommy sleeps... or tries to. B's cub scout shirt was dirty so I had to do the kids' laundry. The floor needed to be swept, dishwasher emptied, things put away... and you guessed it, more wood brought in. If I don't do it then who will? and to what standards? Oh, and did I mention that hubby just had to go out and hunt later in the afternoon? leaving me with two kids to take care of and feed dinner to. He's great about taking over when I'm sick, but give me a break. We won't starve if you don't get that elusive deer.

Sunday comes around and I get out of bed feeling great! That feeling is fleeting and within an hour or two of waking I'm feverish again and all I want to do is sleep. At least the body aches have gone away. Since I didn't get to hubby's laundry on Friday or Saturday, I feel I must get his done so he has clean underwear.

Monday shows it's darling face. Hubby is working on a special project at work so he is working 1st shift. Which means that mom has to get B and Grainerd ready for school. Getting B on the bus is no big deal. But Grainerd I have to drive to school. Which also means I need to at least look presentable. We get on the road and I'm sure that I'm not fit to drive but we are already at least halfway there, so I press on. I sleep while she's at school until it's time to pick her up. Maybe I'm a bad mom because I took her to school when I was sick. But she wasn't so why should she suffer. I take the easy way out for lunch and run through the BK drive thru. At least she wanted apples instead of french fries. Still had to make dinner for the family since hubby who normally does the cooking doesn't get home until 4:30 and we are having chili.

So here we are at Tuesday. I'm still tired but at least there is no fever... yet. And we aren't talking a high fever either. Only like 99.5 but it knocks me out for the count. I'm left wondering how kids can still act "normal" when their fever is 101 and sometimes higher? My kids seem to do okay until it hits 102.

I've also been trying to quarantine myself this whole time hoping that nobody else in my family gets sick. Time will tell if that works. So far so good. At least this time around with the flu things seem to be pretty mild.