Therapy Blogging

...because if I write it, I can own it.

Judah's "garden variety virus" couldn't seem to decide what it wanted to do. (By the way, I used the term "virus" here because it sounded best with "garden variety," not because I have any way of knowing what the poor kid contracted.) As soon as we'd see the fever simmer down and his spirits improve, he'd be warm and lethargic again an hour later. Yesterday afternoon, I called the pediatrician's office to see if she had room in her schedule this morning for Judah to tag along with Selah's one year well-child visit, previously scheduled.

It was SUPPOSED to be a well-child visit.

We arrived at the doctor's office this morning on time! This was no small feat after getting gas and changing a dirty diaper in the van in the parking lot. The victories seemed to end there, as Selah was now fussy and had a drippy nose and a little cough, though the onslaught of her sibling's illness meant she could dodge shots for another 10-14 days. Judah was funny and talkative, fever-free, and performed all the nurses' and doctor's requests as directed. I was beginning to feel like a crazy mom for bringing him in, until the doctor examined my boy and said, "Wow, he must have some pain tolerance..." The final diagnosis: bilateral otitis media (yeah, that'd be a DOUBLE ear infection) and pneumonia.

It seems so small a thing, so trivial, when parents whine about having sick kids. It is whining, too. I know that at the root of it (next to the heartache for their discomfort) is selfishness on MY part not to have to deal with the inconvenience of snot and coughing, the bickering and discontent of kids cooped up in the house until quarantine is lifted, the crappy sleep for everyone in the house beyond the normal night of crappy sleep. Only slightly nobler is the stress of deciding when to medicate and when to let it ride, when the temp is reasonable and when it's cause for alarm, when to call the doctor and when to ride it out. But I know... I KNOW it could be so much worse. The mere typing of these childish complaints is so convicting, because apart from the rare childhood illness that develops into something dangerous, it IS trivial.

Some days, doing the job you are called to is easy. Others are more challenging.

The BSF notes this week made mention of how God is concerned about our spiritual strength in the affliction he uses to refine us. Having a few sick kids may not qualify as spiritual affliction, but my strength and witness are certainly being refined in and through it, and I will CHOOSE a grateful spirit in it! I am THANKFUL that Derek was home all day and that I had another parent here to share the load of needier-than-usual kids. I am THANKFUL that Judah was able to tag along, that his appointment and meds are covered, and that we live in a place where competent medical care is a phone call away and a few miles down the road. I am THANKFUL that Judah's spirits remain Judah-esque in all but the depths of his illness, and I am THANKFUL that all three kids are down at once, rather than stretch it out over a month. I am THANKFUL to have three children that are healthy often enough that this is an event. And above all, I am THANKFUL to a God who is good, ALL the time, regardless of how selfish and whiney I can be.

Tomorrow I will have pictures, but tonight, my focus is on an attitude adjustment.