Three trips to A&E and one trip to the GP (doctor's office): this week was anything but the restful rejuvenation for which I was anticipating. I keep trying to stay positive but it has been eight weeks of ongoing sickness in our house and I really need a week off!
Early Monday morning around 2 A.M., I woke up from a coughing fit that had been going on for three days at that point. I realised that I had a pain in my chest and after staying up for two hours without the pain going away, I called 111 to see what to do. They said to go to A&E and after an ECG, blood tests, and a chest x-ray, the doctor said it was a chest infection and sent me home with a box of antibiotics.
We were worried that Jackson's cough that developed the same time as mine might be the same thing because he was coughing all through his sleep, so Lee took him to see the doctor Monday morning. Jackson's diagnosis was that he had another virus. So he went to nursery, but then Monday and Tuesday, he ran a fever up to 39°C (102°F). I was worried that this meant something more than a virus, therefore there was another trip to A&E to get things figured out. After a few tests, the doctor said that Jackson had a very red ear and throat and to reduce any pain and soreness that may be causing, we needed to continue administering ibuprofen and paracetamol continuously every four hours in rotation.
After that trip and hours waiting in A&E, I was really worn out so Tuesday night I went to bed as usual; but then, when I woke up to get Jackson ready for nursery on Wednesday, I realised that I couldn't lift myself out of bed! It felt like a weight was laying on the left side of my chest and any time I tried to turn, it felt like my lung was shredding apart. My chest infection had slowly been getting worse for two days and it hurt more and more to breathe and it hurt horribly whenever I coughed, but I thought it was an illness that would get worse before it got better even with the medicine that I had been given. I called 111 again to see what to do and after only three questions, they said they were going to send an ambulance! I really wasn't looking to make a scene, but I also felt better that the paramedics would be able to tell me why I couldn't sit up and what was going on with me.
Lee called his boss and they said that Lee could work from home for the rest of the week. He headed off with Jackson to nursery while I headed to the Southport hospital again. After more blood tests and another chest x-ray, they gave me stronger medicine for the pain in my chest, but other than that, they just sent me on my way again. It hurt to lift my left arm for the next couple of days so Lee had to do all of the driving because to shift a gear, it ripped at my lung (or at least that's what it felt like).
I didn't get as much work done as I would have liked to this week, but on the bright side, it does feel like I've been away from work for two weeks with all of the incidents that have happened. My goal was to get ahead with my work load, but there were two days when I felt way too ill to function. I did the most that I could, but still it wasn't enough. One thing I was thankful for this week was the NHS system. I was mad before about paying so much from each paycheck to the NHS; but, if we were to get bills from all of the A&E trips and doctor's visits we've made in the last eight weeks, there would be no way that we would make it through Christmas without having to sell our car and maybe our house.
On a positive note, Lee got to redeem his birthday present which was drum lessons! I was more excited about it than he was initially, but when he got home after his first lesson, he seemed genuinely happy with the experience. I'll keep you updated on his progress. Also, we got work started on our hallway and landing and it should be done this week. We're getting all of the layers of old wallpaper taken down and having the ceiling and walls repainted. (All of the walls in our house have remnants of the rewiring we had done in the Summer of 2015 on them, so we're finally starting to get them redecorated.) And finally, Jackson had his one-year-old photo shoot today! We had to reschedule it two times before because of sicknesses, but we all made it today and the pictures turned out great. We will be getting them later this week and we'll share them on the next blog.
Here's to hoping that this next week is happy and healthy for us all! Happy Halloween!
Wrapped up and ready to go out for a trip to Southport
Happy Halloween! Loving his astronaut costume from his Aunt Paige
Look, Daddy!
He thought about taking a nap in his costume
Looking at his reflection as an astronaut--he crawled behind the mirror to try and find the other baby looking back at him
Developmental updates: Jackson is clapping a lot more now and likes to dance to music. He has started drumming on things to hear the different tones they produce and he can keep a pretty consistent beat, as well. Every time I drop-off Jackson at nursery, he goes straight to his teachers; but we realised this week that if Lee drops him off, he will cry and reach out for him like he used to at the beginning of his nursery days. Jackson had his first school picture day on Thursday and luckily, Lee and I both went to pick him up right before the pictures were taken so that we could help make him laugh and smile at the camera--and to get him in his picture outfit. On the same day, we also had his two-month settling-in meeting at nursery with the manager, Ruth. She said that he is right on track with his development milestones and that he takes advantage of all of the activities that are planned for his group called the Minnows. We were very happy with his general report and in a couple of weeks, we will have the chance to meet with his teacher to get a more in-depth report.
If you see Sammie Miles Davis, Jr. and Bella, give them my love.
