Sick of being Sick and random rants about our health benefits

So it all started last week. Grace was up most of Tuesday night running to the bathroom. Well, that was after she threw up in her bed (makes me want to rethink bunkbeds). Poor baby was miserable. So, I kept her out of school on Wednesday. Naturally, she wanted to play between bathroom breaks. Seemed that her bowels were finally under control so I sent her back to school Thursday and Friday. She got home from school Friday and went right to sleep on the couch. Well, we had a function Friday night, so she got up and went. I really just thought she was a little tired, so didn't think too much of it. We got to our function and she didn't eat. Said nothing looked good. She didn't even eat my Oreo balls! I should've known...


*Grace, when she was feeling better, doing a little Hydro-therapy :-)

Fast forward a day (Saturday). Grace was running a low grade fever, but was feeling much better. Josh, however, was running a bit higher of a fever. The motrin was working and I let it do its job. Rob wanted to go eat in Elizabethtown -- since Josh seemed to be feeling better. So, off we went... to the Golden Corral (I need to say here that I am NOT a fan of the GC, but thought it would be okay since we could get Josh and Grace some jello and not overwhelm their tummies). Everybody ate and everybody seemed okay. Rob fell asleep on the couch about 5 minutes after we got home, Josh went willingly to bed and the girls followed soon thereafter. Everything was okay. UNTIL... the middle of the night. Knowing that Josh normally doesn't volunteer to go to bed, I checked on him through the night. At midnight, I took his temperature and he was burning up! If it had been just a few 10ths of a degree more, I would have taken him to the ER. But as it was, I got him up and tortured him with a lukeward shower, another dose of motrin and made him eat a popsicle (he didn't protest too much with the popsicle). By the time I let him get back in the bed, his temperature was quite reasonable.

*Notice the 'sick eyes' -- I can always tell my kids are sick by looking at their eyes

Then, it hit again -- this time -- ROB! He stayed in the bed all day Sunday (between his bathroom trips) and then yesterday, he didn't go into work until 1030 and was home by 1400 (and said he took a nap on his office couch for 45 minutes)! Now, if you know my husband it takes A LOT for him to miss work.


So, I've taken you up to Monday at 1400... Rob got home and went back to bed. Grace got off of the bus around 1545 and was asleep on the couch by 1600. Hmmm... I woke her up to get some drink into her and to ask if she wanted to eat dinner. Nope. I woke her up again to go to her bed. I checked on her before I went to bed at 2230 to find her with another low grade fever (which isn't too unusual with G while she sleeps) but I gave her a dose of motrin, just to help her sleep better. I checked on her throughout the night, making her drink some tea. No more fever though. I woke her up this morning and she said she felt a little better but not great. Okay... I get on the phone to make her a doctor's appointment. I come in to check on her again with the phone on my ear (on hold, of course) and tell her I'm trying to get her an appointment and she FREAKS OUT! I tell her she has the choice of school or the doctor. She gets up (though she had already missed the school bus) and gets ready for school. No fever and by the time she is leaving for school (Rob took her since he slept in again) she seems to be her good ol' self. I did send a note that she slept all yesterday and to call if she seems to be fading.

Let me interject a rant. I waited on hold for 15 minutes to try and get an appointment just to be told there were no appointments today or tomorrow. Would I be interested in using an acute care center (our version of a referral to an off post clinic)? Yes, I would be interested. She sends me to a voice mailbox to leave information and somebody will call me back.

So when the phone rings (unfamiliar phone number #1), I immediately answer it. The clinic? No. The school nurse. Faith has thrown up on the bus and in her classroom. Faith? I didn't hear that right. Yes, Faith. Okay... I'll be right there.

*This is from a few weeks ago, but see what I mean about the eyes... tells it everytime

While I am getting the boys dressed to go pick up Faith, the phone rings again (unfamiliar phone number #2). The clinic nurse. What is going on, she wants to know. I tell her all about Grace being sick this weekend and sleeping so much yesterday and not eating and only drinking when I made her. She said she *was* going to refer me to a clinic, but she thinks G may be dehydrated and that I should bring her in to the er. I told her that I had been pushing fluids and that Grace had had a liter of tea since 2am. Nope, the er is what she recommends. Well, I asked to talk with Grace when I went to pick up Faith. She had a little pep back in her step and seemed to have a bit more color too. So, I left her there, telling her that she should call me if she starts to feel bad.

I go get Faith from the nurse's office (where she has thrown up another 3 times), bring her home and put her to bed. She has been there now for a little over 3 hours and is feeling fine. Begging to get out of bed fine. I will say that I am glad she got sick at school, for 2 reasons. First, because they sent her home which means I don't have to get a doctor's note. Second, because I didn't have to clean it up. I love Mr Willie (the school custodian) and I hope they pay him well!

This hospital never has appointments in pediatrics. Knowing that, they should be able to work us into the family practice clinics. Not send us to the er. If they could see me immediately, I would do that, but when I took Sam in for his ears, we waited in the waiting room for 4 hours! I knew what was wrong... he was pulling on his ears. Just give him an antibiotic and send us on! So, am I supposed to take my four children to the er to wait for 5 hours? Ridiculous! Military hospitals should be a little more understanding of our *unique* circumstances. What if this happens again in two months? I will be by myself here with all four. We will all be sitting in the er, I guess. Who knows, though, maybe it will make them want us out of there faster :-) In my opinion, there should be an oncall sick call for soldiers... especially trainees! I've never seen such crybabies!

I know that I don't have much to complain about. Our health benefits are *free*. I don't have to pay for anything... visits, prescriptions, er visits, tests, anything. But a civilian hospital (where people choose to go-- and spend money -- there) would never be able to get by with such crappy customer service.

Since I've put a picture of every other kid up, here is Sam. His antibiotic for the ear infections did its job and he is as bright eyed as ever :-)