Friday, March 31, 2006

Ach, aylendich!

That's what my dad used to say, disgustedly, when everything was going wrong. I think it means something like "Oh, pathetic!"

Jenny was on the meds for a day or so when she broke out in a rash. The medical book said it's not unusual to get a rash with strep throat, which is then known as scarlet fever, which sounds awfully pioneer-days/Mary-going-blind.

I called the doctor. She said it might be either a strep rash or a reaction to the medicine, there's no way to know. So we switched medicine. And Jenny didn't improve a bit, unlike Ben who used to improve in half a day once he got on amoxycillin. Today, three days later, she's still running 103-104 temps except when she's on Tylenol, when she chatters and shrieks in a weird high-pitched voice until her fever percolates up again, her rash turns bright pink, and she flops on the couch and sleeps.

After 20 years of dealing with my children's accidents and illnesses I sometimes feel like I could hang out my shingle as a nurse if not a doctor. But this one had me stumped. I called my friend Rachel, whose little Janane was sick last week. "There's a virus going around with high fevers for 5-7 days," she told me. "Maybe Jenny has both the virus and strep throat." That made more sense than any of the wild ideas I had had (meningitis, blood poisoning). So I'll wait a few more days before I freak out.

Meanwhile I bark like Hansie and drag around like someone opened a faucet on my heel and drained out all my energy.

Speaking of Hansie, he had a medical emergency of his own recently when we butchered a pig and he ate way too many of the bones and got very sick with pancreatitis from all the grease. He was also very dehydrated because for some reason the water in his bucket had not been replenished. There were of course lots more complicated dynamics involved in this whole thing than I am willing to elucidate here, involving guilt, blame, anger, and self-recrimation. But praise God Hansie is all well again and barking at cats, and I think the rest of us have learned everything we were supposed to extract out of this, and we still love each other.

But it has been rather aylendich around here. Oh, did I mention that Emily is having trouble with her contacts and Katzie has these weird bare patches of skin?

I'd be grateful if you said a prayer for us, especially Jenny.

Quote of the Day:
"Matt might say, 'Lord of the Rings!'"
--Jenny, in an urgent whisper in my ear at church, when Paul said he's open to ideas for a new sermon series, since he's about to finish up the commands of Christ

4 comments:

  1. Arlene--bisht du un mich shputta?? (See heilt un brillt un gookt so aum un gronk us see kan un hofft selly veesht Arlene feelt guilty!!)

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  2. Um, no comprendo.

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  3. You will be in both Donna's and my prayers. It sounds like you are enduring quite a series of trials. Hang in there. He knows.

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  4. Arlene and Dorcas, I am so impressed with the holy sympathy I feel pouring out from both of you. I do so look up to you "eldre veipsleight". Oh I love to say that!

    Ag

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