~FM
12-07-2007, 03:21 PM
My story:
Last Saturday, I knew it was snowing outside but figured if I didn't look outside it wasn't really happening (and I knew it would be gone within a few days anyway which would just serve to confirm my chosen delusion :D ), so I tried to have a pajama day - popcorn and movies and no snow. Well, there was a fire alarm in my building late morning; so much for my little world of happy denial, lol. Got dressed quickly as possible and left the building. After a half hour of standing outside getting snowed on, it turned out to be nothing serious as per usual (thankfully). So I went back inside and started watching movies again. About an hour later my phone rang - it was my ex telling me our son had been maintaining a fever of 39.48*C/102*F for 8 hours despite a dose of Tylenol. (Pajama day was obviously super doomed. :( ) So off I trudged through that stuff I'd been trying to avoid acknowledging :D to meet up with my son and his Dad at a clinic. (I'd like to at this time thank my Grandma for making me wear plastic baggies on my feet inside my winter boots as a child - I remembered and did this before heading out; it works reasonably well even with regular shoes; my feet stayed dry - thanks Grandma!)
There was a very small chance Jacob might have had meningitis and being the weekend no labs were open. We were sent back out into the slush/snow/rain to go to the emergency room of a "nearby" hospital (by public transit in the wet snow nothing feels nearby, lol) to get Jacob's blood work done. It was confirmed that it wasn't meningitis and we all got to go home. http://www.***boat.com/ubb/icons/icon14.gif
Jacob is still sick (not crisis anymore but no school today) as are his Dad and his step-Mom. Today, we were all supposed to get together with my ex's Mom (I still call her Mom too even though her son and I aren't married anymore). She's going to be spending Christmas in Wisconsin with her daughter and other grandchildren so this was to be our early Christmas gathering. Even though Jacob and his parents are sick they are still going over anyway. I have backed out of joining them for the get together because I don't want to be around sick (possibly contagious) people. I'm not currently sick (knock on wood) and would like to stay that way. I live by myself and when I've gotten sick before there wasn't anybody I could call on to help me out (and I definitely could have recovered better with help), so I'd just rather not risk getting sick again. Nobody's mad at me for it; just disappointed and all have said they do understand. Mom and I have made alternate arrangements to have a one on one visit before she leaves. I think I did the right thing for me yet I still feel guilty for missing the get together. :squiggle: But it's a healthy guilt. :idea: :D
For what it's worth if Jacob and his parents were sick, stuck at home bedridden and asked me to come over to help them out - I would. I would still feel concern for my own health but I'd do it anyway. Need is different than optional.
Anybody else avoid being around sick people if they can help it? Any exceptions? When you're sick yourself do you have family/friends that will help you out if you need it?
Last Saturday, I knew it was snowing outside but figured if I didn't look outside it wasn't really happening (and I knew it would be gone within a few days anyway which would just serve to confirm my chosen delusion :D ), so I tried to have a pajama day - popcorn and movies and no snow. Well, there was a fire alarm in my building late morning; so much for my little world of happy denial, lol. Got dressed quickly as possible and left the building. After a half hour of standing outside getting snowed on, it turned out to be nothing serious as per usual (thankfully). So I went back inside and started watching movies again. About an hour later my phone rang - it was my ex telling me our son had been maintaining a fever of 39.48*C/102*F for 8 hours despite a dose of Tylenol. (Pajama day was obviously super doomed. :( ) So off I trudged through that stuff I'd been trying to avoid acknowledging :D to meet up with my son and his Dad at a clinic. (I'd like to at this time thank my Grandma for making me wear plastic baggies on my feet inside my winter boots as a child - I remembered and did this before heading out; it works reasonably well even with regular shoes; my feet stayed dry - thanks Grandma!)
There was a very small chance Jacob might have had meningitis and being the weekend no labs were open. We were sent back out into the slush/snow/rain to go to the emergency room of a "nearby" hospital (by public transit in the wet snow nothing feels nearby, lol) to get Jacob's blood work done. It was confirmed that it wasn't meningitis and we all got to go home. http://www.***boat.com/ubb/icons/icon14.gif
Jacob is still sick (not crisis anymore but no school today) as are his Dad and his step-Mom. Today, we were all supposed to get together with my ex's Mom (I still call her Mom too even though her son and I aren't married anymore). She's going to be spending Christmas in Wisconsin with her daughter and other grandchildren so this was to be our early Christmas gathering. Even though Jacob and his parents are sick they are still going over anyway. I have backed out of joining them for the get together because I don't want to be around sick (possibly contagious) people. I'm not currently sick (knock on wood) and would like to stay that way. I live by myself and when I've gotten sick before there wasn't anybody I could call on to help me out (and I definitely could have recovered better with help), so I'd just rather not risk getting sick again. Nobody's mad at me for it; just disappointed and all have said they do understand. Mom and I have made alternate arrangements to have a one on one visit before she leaves. I think I did the right thing for me yet I still feel guilty for missing the get together. :squiggle: But it's a healthy guilt. :idea: :D
For what it's worth if Jacob and his parents were sick, stuck at home bedridden and asked me to come over to help them out - I would. I would still feel concern for my own health but I'd do it anyway. Need is different than optional.
Anybody else avoid being around sick people if they can help it? Any exceptions? When you're sick yourself do you have family/friends that will help you out if you need it?