>Sick of It All
>If a family unit is working properly, it functions with an all for one, one for all mentality. This kind of thinking can get families through all kinds of crises, save one…
Infectious disease.
Yes, as every family knows, when one member gets a bug, it’s only a matter of time before everyone goes down. And the more kids you have, the more vicious and prolonged the cycle.
I, for example, am now on DAY 22 of what I call colduponcolduponcolditis, a string of sicknesses that could (and did, actually, from the looks of my husband) bring a grown man to his knees.
Yet despite my runny nose and eyes and my endless coughing, my husband seems to expect me to, you know, go on. And to shut up about it already.
Of course, what’s a newspaper column for if not REVENGE?! Find out how I got mine in this week’s newspaper edition of Suburban Turmoil, and then let me know your worst SICK HO– USE scenario.
And if you’d like me to visit your blog, please be sure and leave a comment over at the City Paper with your blog address. You all are incredibly interesting people and I love nothing more than promoting great writing wherever I can.
>This passing things back and forth, with mom as monkey in the middle, is a real pain.When I was in med school, the prevailing theory for the development of the HLA antigens (the ones that cause transplant rejections) was so that families didn’t pass bugs back and forth.Those of us with families just sat in the lecture and howled!I think they’ve abandoned that theory now.
>My boyfriend is the worst patient. He freaks out at the slightest feeling of a cold or sore throat. On the other hand, when he picks me up early from work because I’m sick, I’m the one to ends up making us lunch.
>I’m feeling your pain! We’re still in the midst of our horrid cycle here. We had some projectile vomiting which is REALLY special. Apparently not everyone gets PV. 🙂 We’ve had a couple of hospital visits, too. Very exciting!
>Ok, I’m new to your blog but I loved that post. There is not enough Clorox or hand sanitizer or soap… to keep the crud from creeping.I’m going to click over to read the rest of the article. And btw, that doesn’t bother me in the least. You’re a talented professional (not a hack like me!)and should be compensated/rewarded for your efforts. It’s not like it’s a big deal to click over and read…
>just woke up to find the fifth person in our house had succumbed to the icky-stuff-coming-out-of-one-or-both-ends virus. please let this torture end soon.
>Christmas 2005. Husband had just had knee surgery for a torn tendon from slipping on the ice. He couldn’t walk yet. Older son had serious intestinal bug, requiring constant clean-up. Younger son had high fever with bronchitis. Merry Christmas to Mom!
>I love how men think that there is NO WAY that WE felt that bad when we were sick. Oh the pain, the agony! I just think that it’s a given now that my husband will be incredibly more sick then I am even with the same virus.
>We have been passing it back and forth for over a month. I feel your colduponcolduponcolditis, but never knew it had a name!
>Oh man. Right around New Years, my son came home with a really bad cold… then my daughter (who was six weeks old) caught it and ended up having to go to the ER and be admitted to Children’s Hospital because she was wheezing and having so much trouble breathing that they thought her little baby lungs were going to give out on her.Talk about a nightmare.
>I LOVED the artical. so much i just sent it to my mutant husband. he falls hurts his arm. i have ms they stopped all meds to try new. i am in pain and not feeling well.do you have any ideas for a mommas boy. he is one of those too….
>You have my sympathy on this ‘un.I’m single and no kids, so I have no one to share this kinda thing at home.That’s where work more than fills in the void.I’m on week 4 of a lingering upper respiratory PITS*. It will pass….I think ;)* Pain In The Sinuses
>my story…from 2 weeks ago cussing removedsooooo this week we have off for our waldorf school…andthe 2 older kids have this fever virus..(like, 106..type stuff) the nursling does not have it yet, but it is on its way to her…i know this.i have had a migraine the whole week, i am out of the meds and the pharm wont have anymore for 2 day’s…we have been inside all week long and it has been just so very nice out…i have only been out to get the mail.the tv has been on ALL WEEK…not very waldorfy…but WTFE..ok…then today…aunt flo drops by i only have like, 2 plug’s and hubz sayz,whilst walking out the door “you have to go to the store!”i hate him…that is all
>Make that 5 razor blades, sand paper, and every time you swallow someone pours alcohol on it all. My throat has never hurt so bad. A week later my mom got it and swears she’s gonna die. But…I couldn’t possibly have been that sick…nooooo one knows just HOW sick SHE is. OOOOHHHH the humanity! I am still coughing…and coughing…and coughing until I have a headache. When will it all end!!!???
>Hey Erika..don’t get any more plugs, just use his undies…see what he thinks about that. I did that once and my husband NO LONGER complains about trips to the store to support the monthly gift. Gross, yes…effective…you bet.
>I seriously think it is a man thing. My DH is the same way and NEVER thinks that I’m as sick as he is/was.His thing is that his back will go out and he’ll have spasms. When that happens the world stops turning and he gets to lay around in bed or on the couch.But when my back with a swollen disc goes out, it’s life as normal for me. Work, kids, laundry, cooking, etc., it’s all supposed to still get done. I NEVER get to lay around in bed or on the couch no matter how bad I feel.
>Ok, I signed up as a member of the city paper, just so you will hopefully check out my blog. (Desperate, I know! LOL!) My husband is the ultimate hypocondriac and sometimes it feels like I will NEVER be able to be sick alone. At least his stories are hillarious! Last month he convinced himself that he had Salmonella because his hair hurt!
>I’m so sorry. As others have said, we feel your pain at my house. Last winter my twins had 7 ear infections each, and this Christmas most of us came down with the dreaded coming-out-of-both-ends stomach virus. You don’t really know what you are capable of as a mother until you have crying, confused toddlers vomiting down your shirt.Of course, the part I’m leaving out is that we traveled to Michigan a couple of days after getting “better,” passed the bug onto my husband’s entire family, and were the culprits of the cancellation of the annual 70+ person Christmas gathering. We felt like such schmucks.And thanks for visiting and commenting on my blog! I love celebrity visits.
>So what you’re saying is that I’m going to love every aspect of parenting? Right? That’s what I was supposed to get out of that?No?Ugh. Germs. Sickness. Ugh. I hope your family is feeling better soon!
>Lindsay, Wendy, Melanie – I feel your pain! I'm now on day 7 of icky stomach bug at my house. One week of achy joints, fever, saltines and flat ginger ale – sort of like morning sickness all over again, and no, I'm not. Way too old. Not the easiest way to lose 8 pounds. But the worst sick house story chez nous was last spring: My husband's daughter / my stepdaughter Christine came to stay with us for a week with her 3 month old while her husband was away on a business trip. Our darling grandson came down with the stomach bug the first night, then promptly passed it on to his mom first, then to his grandad, then to me – all within 12 hours. So I had to take care of ALL of them. Those baby germs are powerful! When I gave out, after literally passing out at the CVS on a Pepto run for the other 2 adults, Christine called her mom – my husband's ex – to come and take care of the baby for the afternoon while the rest of us were crawling from the bed to the bathroom and back. What fun – the ex camped out in our living room with the baby, and I was too sick to care! Baby recovered fairly quickly, but Hubs & Chris were flat for days. I, of course, soldiered on anyway (brave sniff here)… as an *experienced* mom (aka grandma!)I knew that moms simply can't get sick – they need to take care of everyone else, regardless!Hope you are ALL feeling better soon!
>Molly WINS
>I think every mom in the universe can relate to your post – we’ve all been there… febrile, covered in vomit, loaded up on Lomotil and narcotic cough syrup, wiping butts while simultaneously disinfecting with Chlorox. And love your article in the City Paper. Isn’t it sad that we all know exactly what you’re talking about??!
>OMG Have you seen this? HAHAHA The Man Cold – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXLHWmjA5IEHILARIOUS!Hope you all feel better soon!!!
>Ohhhh, that video is AWESOME!!!
>I can only add that my husband is exactly the same as everyone else’s husbands. No matter how sick I am (I could be coughing up body parts), his sickness is SOOO much worse than mine. Our daughter is six now, and no matter how sick I am, or she is, I take care of her no matter what – but when he gets sick? The world comes to a screeching halt.
>HA! i just posted that vid on my facebook, thanks for sharing