Friends made the time fly by

So yesterday was the first in a series of my IV Infusions of iron. I went to my appoitment armed with a good book, a bottle of water and nerves of steel. Yeah, right! I was scared to death about the idea of having myself hooked up to an iv for over two hours. I was surprisingly put to ease as soon as the nurse took me back to my "station". I was greeted by smiles of the nurses, a comfy la-z-boy type recliner, a portable dvd player and a basket full of fun movies from which to select. The walls are adorned with framed pictures with words of comfort, and I was even given a pillow and blanket to wrap around me while I sat and waited for the iron to work its way into my system. I was put to ease, made to feel like this whole thing was as normal as could be. I felt pretty ridiculous feeling bad for myself as I look around at other patients who, some of them, receiving their chemo treatments. I am very lucky that I have a treatable, and by comparison, minor health problem. It's easy to lose sight of just how fortunate I am. While there, I kept thinking of my friend Carole, who braves her chemo treatments with an amazing amount of strength and quiet determination to not let it get the best of her. She has been going through this for years and instead of complaining just makes a joke or speaks nothing of it if she is having a particularly difficult time. I admire her greatly for how she lives her life and how she deals with the ups and downs and all the things in between. Hopefully she and I can get our treatments at the same time one of these upcoming weeks. Instead of watching Friends on DVD I can spend time with my real friend.

Cold Season

We were this close.

This close to taking the record for going months and months without getting sick, and then it happened. I should have seen the warning signs. They say animals can sense when something horrible is about to happen, some natural disaster or alien invasion, or something. The animal kingdom forgot to tell our lazy yellow lab because just yesterday I noticed Emily had a runny nose. No big deal. Today I picked our little one up from school and she sounded like she had swallowed a frog. And I checked with the teacher - no missing class pets. Damn! And before I can start cursing out the dog, she begins sneezing and coughing...ooh poor baby. I worry we are in for a long night tonight.

So I rush to the pharmacy like a junkie who has gone a few hours without a hit and the helpful pharmacist tells me about some new guidelines for over-the-counter cold meds and how the FDA is saying we really shouldn't be dosing our kids with the stuff. "Take at own risk", kinda thing. Are you frickin kidding me? Yeah, like I'm gonna take his word for it! Doesn't he know how this is supposed to go? Just give me the damn medicine, I'll hand over the cash and we never have to see each other again. Doesn't this know-it-all understand that messing with mommies of sick preschoolers is like taking the Miley Cyrus cd from a tween. Or canceling cable right before Super Bowl?

So I do what any sensible mother would do. I thank the pharmacist for the new guideline information and assure him with my least frantic voice and brightest smile that I am completely confident and well cautioned and in control and I want the medication. I smile again, swipe my card, and take my purchase and leave. As soon as I'm in my car I begin to laugh like the mad women we know I really am until I begin coughing. Oh damn, not me too!!!