Citation, Strep, and Snow

On Friday I woke up with a sore throat. I had planned to run several errands that morning, including urgent tasks like getting Naomi registered for Kindergarten, but I didn't feel like going anywhere. Ten minutes after I decided it just wasn't worth it I got a call from the woman who drove Naomi to preschool and learned she was going to take her sick daughter home and that I would need to go pick Naomi up.

Reluctantly I put Savannah and Mason in the van. Savannah is three years old and very independent. She likes to control where we go, how long we stay, and what she wears while we are out. I understand that it's not fun to be carted around against ones will, but it's simply not practical for her to take her large blanket with her into the store, to wear only a t-shirt when it's snowing, or for her to wait outside while I run into the mall. This spring, like last, the thing I'm most looking forward to is warm enough weather so I can avoid the daily struggle of putting a coat on Savannah. We compromised with a sweater on Friday morning (it has been a bit warmer) and made our way down towards the mall.

I drove a little faster than I should have, thankfully I noticed the police car waiting at the bottom of the hill early on. I slowed down and with a some "I feel lucky" relief passed the cop and made my way towards Main Street. The light was green for what seemed like an unusually long time. I watched the intersection closely and made a right turn onto Main Street. A few minutes later the same police car I passed earlier was behind me with his lights on. The officer approached and asked if I knew why he pulled me over. Is that some kind of trick question? Is it a way to have a driver confess something the officer may have missed? My pathetic response was "I was going too fast?". I was feeling miserable, my throat hurt, my joints hurt and I had a headache. It was tempted to unload my list of reasons for driving poorly.

He agreed, "Yes, a little too fast and you made a wide turn and failed to turn your signal on."

I thought I had signaled but I wasn't in a position to argue. He wrote me up a citation with a fine of $82. That seems a little pricey for an "improper turn". Whatever the case, if ever driving in my hometown be sure that all of your turns are proper ones.

That evening my symptoms got worse and I decided to get a flashlight out and take a look at my throat in the mirror. It was "strawberry red" and all of my other aches and pains seemed to indicate that it was strep throat. The only clinic open until 10:00 p.m. is about a 25 minutes drive from our house. I left at 9:35 and prayed I could make it there before they closed the door. I had green lights all the way there and walked in the door at 9:55! Before I even thought about going to see a doctor I took two Tylenol P.M.s. I forgot about them until I was in the waiting room and they kicked in. My body is particularly sensitive to medications. I fell asleep sitting up in the waiting area and then during my turn to be seen I tried to tell the nurse what my symptoms were and it came out kind of slurred and incoherent.

The strep test came back positive and I expressed concern that my four-month son might catch it too. The doctor said children under the age of two rarely get strep throat, he advised me to be cautious but not overly concerned. I was anxious to get started on an antibiotic as my past experiences have had great results in a very short time. I went to the only 24-hour pharmacy in the county and after walking around for a while sat down in the small waiting area. I couldn't keep my eyes open and again fell asleep until they called my name. I knew I needed to get something to help me stay awake for the 20 minute drive home. I passed by the Easter Candy clearance table and picked up some "Cocoa Peeps" and then grabbed some bottled water. In case you're wondering, "Cocoa Peeps" on strep throat feels exactly like swallowing sandpaper!

Saturday was spent in bed. I haven't slept that much for years. I kept waiting for the antibiotic to really kick in, but to no avail.

This morning we woke up to snow on the ground! This will probably be one of the last snowfalls of the year. After a long winter with plenty of sickness going around I'm so ready for the warmer spring and summer months and good health that usually accompanies them. I'm still waiting for the pain to subside - I miss the ease of normal drinking and eating. I'm afraid the bacteria I've contracted has evolved into something that Zithromax can't take care of. I'm not sure why I'm particularly vulnerable to Strep. I think I've had four times in the last three years. Before that the last time I had it was as a child.

Russ does a great job of getting everything done when I'm sick. The kids have been understanding about letting me sleep without interruption. This weekend Savannah has asked me twice if we are going to have another baby. I didn't realize that me being sick and pregnancy had such a strong association for her. That was good reminder that as miserable as I've felt, it's only for a few days.