Sick Days

I called in today. Why isn’t it possible to schedule a sick day? I knew it was coming. Yesterday, I could feel a sore throat moving in, and the body aches started to impinge on my joints and muscles.

The children were sick first. Then it spread to the adults. Why do children have to be so extroverted? They went to a camp last week, then two days later they were sick. At least they all are learning to share.

“Have kids,” they said, “It’ll be fun!” Yes, children are wonderful! Yet, they bring with them things that you don’t even consider. They don’t reconsider dangerous activities. They see something they want to do and jump in with their everything. They like to play with other children. They get sick. No, I never thought about my children getting the flu.

I had never been to an emergency room until I had children. I had never gone to a doctor (that I remember) until I had children. I got sick about once a year growing up. I stepped on a nail when I was ten. I had shingles in college. I never went to the doctor. At least, I don’t remember it. I’m sure I got my tetanus shots at some point because my cousin threw a rusty dart at me and stuck it in my left leg. I fell from a pine tree; I didn’t go to the doctor.

Since I’ve had children, I’ve been to the ER or doctor’s office a total of 1,548 times.

Not really, but it feels like it.

Have you ever been hit in the head with a sledgehammer? I must’ve been. But I don’t remember it.

This is not a man cold — this is too weak to stand up don’t want to hold up my head sick. I’d be asleep, except the pain keeps me wide awake.

I woke up this morning and called the workplace. “Hi, this is Caleb. I work in That department, and This is my supervisor.” I gave a brief explanation of what was going on. The whole family is sick. Afterward, I gulped down two pills that would knock me out, turned on an audiobook, and slept a glorious five hours in the recliner. I vaguely remember something falling during that time. I thought the shock was from a sonic boom. I think it was a laptop or phone falling.

I woke up to the jarring pain of root canals being performed on every tooth in my head. Then I felt the pain from the knee and hip replacements. And when did I break both of my feet? Wait, no, that’s not it. The Tylenol wore off.

I trekked across the ever-widening wilderness expanse of our living room to our trusty medicine cabinet for a renewal.
The pain eventually subsided. So it’s back to sitting down and resting. Drink scalding hot coffee and ingest scorching hot soup. It will run its course.

It’s hard when the children are sick. They can’t explain what is going on. They know they don’t feel normal. I know what to expect. I know what’s going on. I’ve had my fair share of sickness, but even with minor sicknesses, it’s hard to watch children go through them.

Last weekend, our oldest exclaimed from the car seat, “Momma, I’m sick.” We thought he was carsick. We were driving the back roads. He kept saying he wanted to go home, which was unusual for him.

As it turns out, he was for real sick. We felt horrible not understanding what he was going through. He’s only two and can’t fully express how he feels yet. Then our second in command got sick. The oldest will keep going like the energizer bunny and refuse to stay still and recover. Son #2 will barely move. He will sit there and look like he’s tranquilized. Either way, it’s hard to watch them be sick.

Our one consolation is that it isn’t a horrible disease and will run its course soon. We just provide them with loving care and plenty of fluids. And children’s Tylenol.

Well, that last dose of medicine is wearing off. It’s time to lean back and rest again.

to those who have sick days,
– Caleb