Tricks of the Trade Postcript; Order Prevents Chaos

Practical Tips and Tricks for Staying Sane Amid the Chaos of Housekeeping, Homeschooling and Trying to Stay on Top of it All (trying being the operative word here)

Ahhh... poor Prairie Guy. He really was Mr. Mom this week, the lovable guy didn't know what hit him. Love you babe. Now I'm just mending and he's officially out of commission, thank you Lord that it didn't hit us both at once. Well, it's been a full week, a true week to test wether getting by on daily essentials really cuts it, and by that I mean absolute essentials, pretty much getting some food on a plate, and getting the plate washed, and putting away whatever you use. For the record, it's worked just fine. I got up for the first time today to start a load of laundry, and was happy to find that I can just pick up where I left off last week (mainly because we've all been living in pyjama's all week....) I cleaned the kitchen for the first time all week (Prairie Guy has been doing his best to keep on top of that, but you know how it is). And the girls washed the floors for me. Things look no worse for the wear despite the fact I have not lifted a finger around this place in 8 days... praise God.

So, that's my speal for this week, it works, stay on top of stuff when you can and it won't drown you when you can't. Now here's my Sick Prairie Chick account, if anyone is wondering what I've been up to.... and thanks so much for piping up with all your words of comfort and cheer, I feel so blessed by all the "cares and prayers".

Last night I was finally able to get up and make myself some tea and talk on the phone... liberty! Apart from that I've been up only to hackingly make my way to the bathroom or the emergency room at the hospital...

Friday I was admitted after chest x-rays and blood work that revealed a viral chest and bronchial infection, but after sitting in a lonely hospital room all day for no reason beyond having an IV I said, "no thanks" and discharged myself and came home. Sunday night my ear started pounding and quickly escalated to an excruciating pain as though someone were repeatedly stabbing me in the eardrum with a knitting needle (excuse me for the violent visual, but that honestly describes it). After a night of pain and tears and being at the end of my rope we went back to emergency on monday morning. I told the doctor "every time I cough I feel like my ear is going to explode." He took a look at my ear with his ear thingy-ma-doey and winced; "oh dear, and it just might." was his response. Turns out I have a wicked ear infection in my left ear, and according to him the right ear "doesn't look much better" (can't feel any pain in that one at all...) so he proceeded to prescribe me half the pharmacy. Okay, that's an exaggeration, but for someone who has gone through 5 full term pregnancies with ZERO medication, I was a little freaked out by all the prescriptions.

He assured me that being so far along, the meds would not have an adverse reaction on the baby, and that really, the most important thing for baby was me getting well and getting over my infections. Um, okay, I had been breaking down weeping at every cough for the past 24 hours between the pain in my raw throat, a stabbing pain somewhere in my back that I presume had something to do with a lung, and the ear about to explode, that I was in no mood to turn down any help. So, armed with Penicillin, Codeine, a topical solution for my ear, Gravol to help my stomach through the turmoil and Extra Strength Tylenol to replace the codeine I came home and hit the couch once more to do nothing more than drink soup, apple juice and take meds.

I held off on the codeine till night, thinking I'd save it for when I needed it most, took one, waited 45 min's, nothing. Took another one, waited, NOTHING. Took two extra strength tylenol which finally dulled the pain in my throbbing ear and knocked me out. After my first good sleep all week, I've been feeling much better today, despite the fact I am virtually deaf... hey, that's not necessarily a bad thing when you're a mom of 4~ Here's to a slow and steady recovery from here on out.