Crook again but the force is with us

BritMumInNZ

UPDATE:
Still crook. Saw the doctor today – which was, as I expected, a total waste of time. Spent half an hour in the waiting room, dozing in and out of sleep, before being poked, prodded and told, ‘Lots of fluids, Vitamin C and lots of rest’. $45 worse off at the end of it and wished I’d stayed at home and slept. Anyway, feeling a little better this ‘avo, though still running a temperature. Charli is off school with a fever too and Sophie will probably come down with it soon. Poor Dan is managing to cope – but was working at home till 1am last night to catch up. He’s had to cancel so many meetings and is falling behind.

When Dan phoned the head-master this morning he got a personal thank-you for being a responsible parent and keeping Charli at home. It seems there’s been so many children sent off to school with illnesses which has affected the whole teaching staff and so many families. If only people would stop and think of the larger community before sending ill children to school. It’s crazy!

So.. no ‘WOW’ for me tonight. We’re just hoping we can all be well enough to enjoy our holiday next week – though poor Dan is going to have to take his lap-top with him and work whilst we’re away. Oh well, never mind, there’s sure to be brighter days round the corner. Time for another lemon and honey drink… 🙂
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Sick of being ill this winter! I have never, ever experienced a winter of illness like this! Okay, Spring is here – let the good health return, please! My glands were swollen again on Thursday, then Friday night I was greeted by my ‘little visitor’, and then the coughing and my muscles aching, my head feeling like it’s stuffed with cotton wool… every person I talk to says, ‘Have you heard about the latest virus going round school?’ Thankfully, the girls have managed to stay well throughout the term. The occasional snuffle and cough, but nothing serious. However, I’m running on empty and feel as though my immune system can’t take anymore. I seriously must go to the docs this week and demand antibiotics!

Thankfully, Dan is being an absolute trooper and managing to avoid illness (though his seasonal hay-fever has started already). He cooked a roast on Saturday for our dear friend Lucy, a spag bog on Sunday for friends Kathy, Mark and their gorgeous boys, and managed to keep the girls from under my feet so I could take a couple of naps.

I reached breaking point at 5.30pm today whilst on my hands and knees tidying up the copious amounts of artwork the girls are churning out. I shouldn’t complain – it’s really heavenly that they’re currently not into T.V. in a big way. Sophie’s into cutting and making collages, whilst Charli is writing stories. Thankfully, the girls heard my cry for help and said, ‘What can we do Mummy?’ – which made me cry even more! Anyway, both girls helped out immensely. Dan walked through the door at 6.30pm and I was so relieved to see him. I know he’s under a lot of pressure at work, but he always manages to be there for us when he’s home. I just fell into his arms, with my head spinning. The girls were both tucked up in bed by 7.30pm and I’ve just been vegging on the sofa.

Anyway, on to more positive news. I left SJ alone at creche (for all of 15 minutes) and she was absolutely fine. I’m really looking forward to getting well enough to start regular exercise again. Not that I’m not active… an hour’s walk on the waterfront with Sophie this morning, 2-hour creche visit, flying visit to library, followed by a work-out at the playground… quick dash home for a cuppa and then walked to school (pushing SJ in buggy up the hill all the way as there wasn’t time for her walk and inspect every blade of grass). Walked back from school, via another playground, and finally arrived home to cook dinner, facilitate artwork, monitor the trampoline action, pick up the dirty laundry etc. etc.

Other great news – Charli’s still loving school, has lots of friends, is starting to look at me as though I’m ‘invisible’ when her friends are around and when I say, ‘What was that you were talking about?’ – she replies, ‘Oh, nothing Mum,’ and giggles to herself. At home she’s writing all the time… she doesn’t stop sounding out words and writing stories. Daddy has got her into Star Wars in a big way and is delighted at having an excuse to run around the garden pretending to be a Jedi Knight.

She performed a story to our guests on Sunday and handed out little hand-written tickets telling us our seat number. The story itself wasn’t Nobel Prize winning, but the handwriting and spelling were such a delight to see after only one term at school (with some cute little errors and mix ups with upper and lower case – the English language is so strange at times!).

It read like this, ‘On a sune [sunny] DAy. We all dreamt of Star Wars. We all Dreamt of Darth VaDer. And it was fun.’

I could go on all night, but I must get myself off to bed – NOW. Let the force be with you!

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10 thoughts on “Crook again but the force is with us”

  1. You MUST go and see a Dr woman, you are the backbone of that family so sort yourself out will you!! You are at risk of turning into someone else we know quite well that has nothing but illnesses (well imaginary for her) and I would hate to have to avoid you 🙂 so please go!

    Daddy Dawes has got Bethany into Transformers, she is in no way interested of course in the toys but Daddy keeps ‘mentioning’ it that Santa might want to bring her one. Yeah right!

    Sounds like Charli is doing well which is great…

    xx

    Thanks Marrisa, but it’s easier said than done when I have no one to look after the children and feel laden with guilt when Dan’s had to take so much time out of his business. He’s working so hard and is up to his eyes in work. He can’t afford to take time off, but still he’s doing so today and trying to work from home. I’m going to see the doc tomorrow, not that they’ll probably do anything – it’ll just be another, ‘Rest up and you’ll be well soon, there’s nothing we can do, and that’ll be $60 please’. Anyway, temperature is now at 39.5 degrees and Charli’s off with a temperature too – oh the joys! I’m not usually one to moan – but seriously I have had enough!

  2. Hi our loves..poor you Sarah love…just take any time out you can and rest as much as poss. Wish I could wave a wand a be there to help with all the chores. You seem to have some moments of sunshine in your weekend…look after mummy Charli and Sophie and well done Dan…a star as always for your girls !!

    Thanks so much Mum and Dad. Dan is being a star – but he’s got so much on his plate at the moment and has a ton of work to do before we go away next week. He’s going to have to take his lap-top with him and work whilst we’re on holiday now – and I feel so guilty about burdening him like this. Just when I thought I was getting well again, another virus hits. The schools in our area are full of germs this year and so many children are being sent off to school when they should be at home – it’s crazy! Oh well, another sunny day is never far away 🙂 Love you, Sarah x

  3. As the doctors have no cure for viruses I prescribe rest and chocolate and there is nothing like the antiseptic properties of brandy in hot water, lemon and honey. Seriously, you need to take care of yourself. Prioritise the things you really have to do and believe me the house won’t fall down if you put the housework on hold. Wishing you a speedy return to full health.

    Thanks Ruta, I am putting the housework on hold and yes, I doubt he doctor can help either – even though everyone keeps telling me to go. I went earlier in the winter and it was $60 for nothing – what’s the point! I’d be better seeing a herbalist and having a week away on my own on a tropical island! I can dream… Many thanks, Sarah x

  4. Hiya Sarah – ditto Marrisa on the Dr. front – have had to go 3 times in 2 wks!!! – felt like groundhog day and M has been ill with ear infection too and I caught his cold!!! – so I know I think how you feel – I was so low last week but succumbed to taking antibiotics and copious amounts of ibuprofen and C has been brill making fresh juices and cooking with loads of garlic! – so no vampires around our house at the moment!!! – but I do feel loads better for going the docs – although still not sorted completely – the mysteries of the body I guess! – anyways sending you hugs in hope you feel better real soon – look forward to getting together – still waiting for news on the visa so fingers crossed – Rach x

    Dear Rach, Hello and sorry to hear you’ve been so unwell too. I’m glad your doctor was helpful and you’re getting what you need to get well. Sounds like Craig has been awesome – what a love – and I can smell the garlic from here! Good luck with visa, Sarah x

  5. Do it Sarah, go to the quacks. It may cost you but you’ll at least get some direction on whether this is a virus or something else. Failing that I got a supply of beechams powders brought over at Christmas as I swear by them and you can’t get them here.

    Hope you’re feeling brighter and lighter today.

    JT xx

    Thanks Julie, booked in for tomorrow morning, along with Charli. My temperature is 40 degrees and Charli’s is 38.5 – blur! I’ve been sleeping all day and poor Dan has been trying to work and look after all of us. Taking lemsips, eating lots of food high in antioxidants, lots of fluids etc.

  6. Well thats no good!! By the way you have one expensive doctors, or maybe ours is just cheap! I only pay $28!

    Such a shame about not going to WOW, that would have been awesome. Hope you are better for your trip away. Lots of hugs xx

  7. Glad to know you’re riding the worst with the lemsips. Wishing you better soon.

    Hi Julie, Thanks so much, really over the worse now – but just have to stop myself from jumping into ‘full action Sarah mode’ before I’m really ready! Currently focusing on getting myself ‘A1’ whilst nursing Charli and Dan. Little SJ starting coughing last night – so think she’ll be the last to go down with it – blur! We need that holiday next week…! Your well-wishes have really meant so much, thank you, Sarah x

  8. God Sarah, here I am talking about my mortally-wounded finger when you and your family have been going through flu-hell! Not to endorse drugs or the taking of them but Nurofen Plus (which you have to buy at a pharmacy because of the plus) is my secret weapon for flus. It is better than codral cold and flu and all that other stuff because it has an anti-inflammatory in it – great for glands, sore throats, ear aches etc. Get well girl x

    Hi Sarah and thanks so much dropping by and giving me your drug tips! Tee hee! Beginning to feel a little better today and over the worse of it. Now, I’ve just got to take it easy whilst being nurse maid to hubbie – who now seems to be coming down with it – and keep my two girls smiling. Right now – I’m off to do brekkie and grab myself a well over-due shower… urgh!!!! Sarrah x

  9. You poor things, I feel so sorry for you having to be ill and look after the girls as well. It sounds as though you are all suffering for a nasty bout of flu. I agree with Sara, you may be better off taking full strength ibuprofen ( check with your pharmacist as here own brand ibuprofen is 1/4 price of nurofen) and if you can buy it over the counter you can still take co-codamol (could make you sleepy) OR paracetamol as well, rather than lemsip which doesn’t have quite the strength of taking stuff separately. (Peter and I have various arthritic bits so we’ve worked out how to get maximum pain relief from over the counter pills as well as our prescriptions.)This is only long distance advice which may or may not be helpful. Because I work with children who are always germy,(I so agree with Charli’s headteacher), I always get a flu jab at the beginning of winter.I normally get it free from the Doctor but this year because I would have to wait I paid £12 to get one at Boots. Wishing you all better soon.

  10. WOW!!! I am honored that you would come all the way to the states to say hello. It was so fun to be on BATW and meet so many wonderful women that agree with me. Sometimes that is a rare thing…..

    I love New Zealand and want to come visit some day. Thanks for letting me take a look into your life. You have a beautiful family and I hope that you are all well soon.

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