Why Old People Should Never Be Left On Their Own

I have been sick. I neglected my children and the Hubby (and facebook and my blog) while I tried to battle whatever it was threatening to hold me under and strangle me in my sleep.

Seriously, I was sick.

It probably didn't help that I stood in the rain for an hour and a half to watch one of the boys play football. That was day 8 of a throat so sore I had to take Motrin an hour prior to eating anything, just so that I could eat.

Have you ever read the back of medicine bottles (you know, NyQuil, Tylenol Sore Throat etc...) ? All say that if you have a sore throat for more than 2-3 days, you should see a doctor.

So day 9, I saw a doctor. That doctor sent me to the lab where they drew enough blood to feed the entire Cullen family for a week (maybe I'm exaggerating slightly).
I honestly couldn't tell you what the tests were for, but I do know that he called me to say that all of those tests were negative (the type of penicillin he prescribed me treats strep --which he already said I didn't have-- pneumonia, tooth abcesses, and Gonoreah. (Yeah, Hubby, we're not infected!)

He did say my white blood cell count was high and that IF I showed any signs of becoming worse, I should go to the emergency room immediately.

Okee Dokey.

That was Monday. By weds. I was exhausted, but felt like I was improving. By Friday I could talk again and wasn't taking Motrin so that I could eat. Saturday I solo-hosted a birthday party for my son, six guests and and his three siblings and then grocery shopped immediately after.

I went to bed knowing I was in trouble.

Sunday I was discouraged.
I hate being sick, but worse, I hated that my hopes of the medicine kicking whatever it was that ailed me were washing down the drain with my gargled salt water.

The whole time I've had this prescription, I have been amazed that there was no "end" date. How many days was I supposed to take these? The last prescription picked up on base (2 years ago) was a lethal antibiotic and even though the doctor had specifically told me NOT to take it for more than three days, he had written the prescription for 10. oops.

I can't tell you how many times I read the paper work with this stuff. And the bottle.

I can't eat 2 hours before or 1 hour after taking it, but have to take it three times a day. That's nine hours of an empty tummy! I dwelled on that part. I arranged my pill times not to affect the kids eating schedules. I KNEW this bottle better than I know the poems I was required to memorize in college.

Last night after my friends finally convinced me to go back to the doctor today for a stronger medicine, I looked at the bottle again thinking maybe the end date would miraculously be there...

this is what I saw, eight days after beginning these meds.:





Oh. I'm supposed to be taking TWO tablets three times a day and not ONE tablet?
Oh. oops.

Another reason why it's a bad idea to send my Hubby to Iraq...just in case any AF people are reading this.