24 hours with the FishGods

Here's an exerpt of a typical 24 hours in our lives:

Tuesday
9am--Receive call from sitter. She is in the hospital with pneumonia. Rework the schedule for the day so I can be home in time to get Steven off the bus.

10am--Leave to drive to nursing home intake. Love using my drive time to catch up via cell phone with my sister!

11am-12pm --Complete intake paperwork at nursing home. Nurse there comments that my finger is really red and swollen. I tell her about having the pin in there and she suggests I contact my doctor. I, of course, being too busy, ignore her suggestion.

12pm-1pm--Drive home from nursing home....find a cool "short cut" that we will use tonight when we drive back.

1pm-2pm--Arrive home. Rotate laundry, mop floors, clean bathroom. Call doctor to make sure paperwork was faxed to the nursing home. Call case manager to ask a few clarifying questions.

2pm-4pm--Intake with nurse from respite agency. Decide to get a second opinion on the finger while I have an RN in the house--she confirms I need to see the doc.

4pm-6pm--Call my doctor to get appointment, make dinner, eat dinner, clean kitchen, etc.

6:30-9:15pm--Go with Megan to the choir concert at the high school. Very impressive program with the various middle schools and the high school.

9:15--head home. Remember need gas for tonight's drive to the nursing home. Get home at 9:30. Consider going to bed, but realized that I would need to be awake in an hour to leave again. Decide to have a pot of coffee.

10:15-10:30 Wake up the family and get everyone bundled in blankets in the car. Heading towards the nursing home. Looking forward to my short cut!

Troy and I agree that we both need some caffeine to get us through the next few hours. Stop at QT and get drinks while the kids sleep peacefully in the back seat.

On the way there, it started to rain. I grew up in Arizona. I'm not really that experienced driving in the rain. But I managed. Even when the windshield wipers had to be on high and I couldn't see the road. Even when the pea sized hail started hitting us. Even when the wind was blowing so hard I could barely stay on the road.

I missed the turn off, followed someone who was more lost than I was, took the scenic route through Prosper, Texas and finally ended up at the nursing home in time.

I was so stressed out and tired that I told Troy he could drive us home! Why is it that he got the easy turn? The wind, rain, and hail all blew over before we headed home, so he had an easy drive. Of course, he also followed the directions provided......whereas I tried to find a "short cut".

We made it home about 1:30am. Steven had developed a fever and a cough during the late afternoon yesterday. By the middle of the night, it was sounding really bad. The kids both went back to bed and slept great. Troy and I were too amped up to sleep and stayed up until about 2:30am.
Even then, I couldn't sleep because I was worried about Steven's cough and afraid I would oversleep my 8:30 doctor appointment.

7:00am --Finally get out of bed. More coffee. Shower and get ready. Wake Megan. Make lunches. Wake up Troy to watch Steven while I take Megan to school and go to my doctor appointment.

8:30--Doctor confirms finger is indeed infected. Two options.....1) remove pin, strong antibiotics, then start process all over again with surgery. 2) Deal with pain, take strong antibiotics and have pin removed on 10/21. I'll take option 2.....thank you very much.

In the meantime, I'm back splinted and tightly wrapped and cannot get finger wet. If it swells more, fever gets over 101, then call doc and we'll go with option 1.

9:30am--Troy and I take Steven to his doctor. He has bronchitis. Get prescriptions for me and Steven filled.

Come home and chill.

So, for those that wonder why I don't call too often (ANGELA), this is why!!!

We are looking forward to a mellow night at home.

Love you all!
Bets