This is going to be a random post. Be warned.
Ok, so not only did I see bits and pieces of the movie, "Home Alone", a Christmas classic this past weekend (lets face it, with a toddler, I don't see too many movies nowadays, much less the entire thing), but I am as suggested, home alone. (Unless you count the Boyles who live here too). (Oh yea, and the lady who lives upstairs). (If you want details b/c you are confused, don't worry I am too... just try renting out the place!)
Just so you know, it always seems to work out that when Ken is gone, all of the bad stuff happens. Skylar gets sick, I get sick, I have to be hospitalized, all of my school work is due, the car breaks down, etc. etc. It always happens when Ken is away and I am here by myself. Always!
For example, last time Ken was gone for a two-week stretch right before T-giving; my thesis was due and then I had to prepare for and defend it orally (on top of my other school work); the car broke down, and Skylar got sick. Each of these has its own interesting story. Lets start with the car.
I let Zack (Boyle) drive my car since his broke down (bad omen?) since he works at night and it didn't mess me up at all. Well, the first night, the car wouldn't start for him and he had to get it jumped and the passenger side window got stuck all the way down. Just a note: it was raining all night and day.
So, the nice guys at my work cut up a box and duck taped it to my window so the rain couldn't get in.
I couldn't even shut my door all the way.
And they were nice enough to decorate the box for me... I should have taken a pic. Anywhoo, had to get that fixed.
Next up: Skylar gets sick.
Ken leaves Friday morn and Friday afternoon I get home from teaching and Skylar has a low-grade fever. I assume it is teething as there are no other indicators. Around 8pm, she is going to sleep and I take her temp again and it is 104. I'm a little worried, but give her a second bath (cool bath) and start rotating the Tylenol and Motrin to see if it would go down. Long story short, her fever went up to 105, but finally went back down to 101 by 8am. Spend the whole day with a crankster whose fever stays around 100-101 until around 10pm when she wakes up crying and I check on her and realize she is burning up. Fever: 105. Again. Repeat of previous night. Wakes up and fever is down again. Another day with the crankster.
At this point, I am exhausted as I have been up all night giving meds, and Skylar was miserable during the day and of course refused to take a nap. And I haven't gotten any schoolwork completed (like preparing for my oral defense on Tuesday.) However, the good news is that her fever is down to 99, so she's fine now.
Get Skylar up before I leave Monday morn and go to change her dipe. There's a large rash all over her torso. Oh yea, and she hasn't peed since yesterday morning. Call the doc and set up an appt to come in. I leave student teaching at 8:30 and take Sky to the peds office where they tell me I have an outstanding balance. What? I shouldn't. They go to check on it.
The nurse checks her weight and stick some sort of pee-trap device on her to measure her pee amount. Meanwhile, the doc comes in to check Sky out and tells me she has so and so virus, its common, harmless and non-contagious. Great! While we are here why don't we go ahead and check her iron levels and save me that trip in on Friday? Sounds like a plan.
Then the billing lady comes in the room while we are waiting for the results. No, its not a mistake. Skylar is not listed on our insurance. Since August. About 4 visists ago. I call the insurance company and they do not have any dependents listed for me and cannot add any after the beginning of the semester. Student insurance. This is the second time they have goofed like this. Only this time, there is nothing they will do about it. Our outstanding balance when all is said and done will be in the thousands of dollars. Great. I'm ready to cry now.
Nurse comes back in: Did they tell you we are going to re-check her blood b/c her levels seem off? No? Sorry, but can you hold her again while she screams. Actually, she didn't even make a peep the second time! She just looked at her band-aids on her toes and wiggled her toes/tried to take the band-aids off.
Doctor comes in: Well, there are some concerns. Heart plummets. With her iron? Well, her iron is still low, but that is expected, just keep up the vitamins. However, her white blood cell count is really low, lower than is should be even considering the virus and this can be really bad. Perhaps she is just dehydrated. We will need you to come back in tomorrow to check her count again. And whatever you do, don't go home and google "white blood cells" or else you will frighten yourself to death. ?!? Ok, doc, thanks for the advice. (Also adding up the charges for the visit today and tomorrow to our ever-increasing balance in my head).
In the meantime, go off milk for the day and just do clear liquids. Even though it is already two hours past her naptime, keep her up for the next four hours and every five minutes give her two-three tspns of water to see if she will pee then. ... Carey- you are my hero! (I dropped Skylar back off at the house and went back to student teaching). Four hours later, Skylar is asleep and still has not peed. Two hours later she wakes up and still no pee, so I call the doctor again. Repeat the four-hour deal again. Call me at home if nothing after that. Three hours later, she finally pees a little. And then again on the bathroom rug when I go to give her a tubby. Way to go babe!
The next day, Carey must take Skylar in for her check-up as I will be defending my thesis. See her blog about her wonderful experience... And Skylar's levels were much better; on the road to normal. Can we see her back in here in two weeks to check her levels again? Sure doc, we've got an extra five hundred dollars to come see you right before Christmas and when we are going to move.
Kudos if you read all of this.
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