Remember Mono?

I do. I remember in middle school, each year we'd end up sending cards home to sick kids who were missing a quarter of the year. I remember being told about the neck pain and how contagious the virus was, which is why you had to miss so much school. Well, I'm sure glad it's summer time and I'm also glad, once again, that we're homeschooling. Just in case. Just in case Philip isn't better by September. :( You may recall in my last entry, I was trying not to worry about Philip and what appeared to be a virus. With neck pain. Why do I always try not to worry, when my basic instincts say to worry? I get so frustrated with myself for not listening to me!!! On Saturday, after 9 days of wondering if he was perhaps having a major hormonal change, and wondering where my very darling son had disappeared to, I decided I had had enough of Philip lying around. I just went off on him, explaining that he had to DO something, he couldn't just lay around all day and night. My people-pleasing boy explained that he really tried to play with his brothers, and he was really trying hard to be respectful, but he was too tired. I have never heard him be quite THAT respectful before. I guess part of my frustration was that somewhere inside of me, I knew he was really sick. I'm just so used to it being "just a virus," you know? So, after I had a very bad parenting moment on Saturday, (the one that ended with Philip's very adult-like explanation of how hard he was trying to be respectful and how badly he was failing due to how exhausted he was) I decided it was finally time to take the kid to the Urgent Care Center. As soon as we got in the car he became chipper and talkative. We joked around all the way to the center. A small part of me wondered if all he needed wasn't just a break from his brothers. The bigger parts insisted we follow through with the plan. We stopped at Chick-Fil-A where, for the first time in DAYS, Philip finished an entire meal. The small part of me wondered again if we were wasting time going to Urgent Care, but the bigger part insisted again that we follow through. The center was beautiful. It was like a hotel. We decided that if the storm coming through was bad enough, we'd just stay there for the night. ;) It really did look like a hotel lobby. With a big flat screen TV. And hardwood floors. And really nice, hotel-ish furniture. The nurse that took us in is a homeschooling Mom of high school seniors. The outing was actually the nicest Philip and I have been on in a while, alone. Kind of like a date. Ed, wonderful man that he truly is, came home from work and took care of the littles during this time. It was a very stressful date though, as he was poked and prodded and tested. And since he is a very slow bleeder, has been since birth, he had to have TWO fingers poked instead of just one. And this being done after he very strongly insisted that Miss. Lisa would NOT be poking him again. I am not so good in moments like that. I am really proud of myself for bucking up and sticking to my guns, insisting that Miss. Lisa do what she needed to get the blood to test it for mono. Especially proud since it was the one test that came back positive. :( He was also tested for strep, and his lungs were x-rayed for pneumonia. I think it is the first Urgent Care visit I've ever been on where they actually listened to me, and did tests based on my child's actual symptoms. And I'm also especially guilt-ridden for being so tough on my sweet boy and not listening to my instincts,which said I should've taken him in to be tested for mono many days earlier. The main reason I didn't is because after the first couple days, the fever went away. I'm so glad I took him when I did though, because it's been back for a couple days now. :( Don't worry about that boy though, he is being well taken care of, as I am assuaging my guilt with tons of cuddling and coddling to his sickly needs. We're also a little germophobic right now, so my house is cleaner than it's been in a while. Names are written on plastic cups in permanent marker, new tooth brushes have been bought and marked with names also. My husband has double washed the dishes, once in bleach, on hot, two loads now. Same with the sheets from Philly's bed. And just in case you weren't aware, there is no treatment for mono. It is a virus that just has to run it's course. Which can be anywhere from 5 days to a few months. And remember Tyler was running a fever on and off too? And coughing. The Urgent Care doc said it's safe to assume he's got it too, and that Evan will too. And since Ed and I never had it as kids, well you get the picture. So, if you'll keep us in your thoughts and prayes and send out some healing vibes, we'd all really appreciate it. Especially Philip, since he has also had to deal with a nagging Mother who was trying to avoid him being sick by staying in denial. Ugh.