This past week started with me spending a bright shiny Monday morning carrying my feverish congested four-year-old outside a pediatrician’s office as a queue of parents stood waiting to be admitted to the refuge of an air-conditioned building and medical care.
Two hours and one negative COVID test later, my child and I headed home and I called the pharmacy to check when her medications would be ready.
Tuesday Afternoon
I was flirting with the idea of a Dairy Queen burger for lunch when the school nurse called to say my 6-year-old had a fever and would need to be picked up along with a referral for a doctor because he wouldn’t be admitted back without the green light from the doctor’s office.
Another two hours and negative COVID test result later, I’d secured a doctor’s excuse for the missed school days for both children were out and a return for Thursday.
Thursday came and went, their symptoms had improved but the thought of them returning to school without fevers but saddled with coughs made no sense.
Friday their spirits had much improved but the coughs loomed over my head. I could picture a coughing fit overtaking them and feeling deeply uncomfortable at the possibility of their unease. They have their whole adolescence to feel awkward and I’m trying to stave that beast off as long as possible. Unable to secure an extension from the doctor’s office for the additional missed days without bringing them in again, I did the only thing I knew to do… I called my mother-in-law and asked her what to do.
She’s a retired teacher and I trust her judgment. With sleep in her eyes, she answered my call and calmly said, “Call the school nurse and see what they say”.
I did and I’m glad I did. Instead of sitting in my frustration from lack of information, I got direction from the nurse to provide a doctor’s excuse and a handwritten note for the additional days.
It was the right thing to do. It’s what I had wanted to do.
The fear of the unknown had spooked me into frustration. In times of crisis, there’s this strange unspoken pressure to handle it alone which leads to unnecessary panic. This time it was my MIL and the school nurse that came to the rescue.
As certain as death, taxes and back to school germs, in times of crisis we can always phone a friend.
