On my way to drop Kaleb off at school this morning, I had to pick Chloe and Chase up from school. Chloe had texted me that her head was (still) really hurting and Chase said he felt like throwing up. I posted earlier on facebook that I was grateful for being friends with a pediatrician because I can call her at home about headaches. I've also called her about high fevers, weird hip pain, weird leg pain, ear pain, spots of misc. kinds, wheezing, coughing, croup... The list is endless. We have now entered the season that one of the kids will be home sick what seems like every single day and any plans I make or appointments I schedule will have to be changed because someone will puke or have pneumonia or whatever.
It will annoy me. It will frustrate me. It will seem like we will never be illness free again. I will feel trapped in a sea of germs which no amount of lysol, bleach or clorox wipes will free me from. When I complain, as I inevitable will, please say to me Day 9.
Have you ever thought back on your illnesses or the things that have happened to your kids and thought "100 years ago, that would have been deadly"? Top of the list - antibiotics. They might be over used but they save lives. We've had some pretty gruesome wounds through the years. While they've been stitching people up for a long time, lots of people still died of infection. Not to mention the pneumonia, etc. X-rays, MRIs, IV's, surgery (without being awake!) - all AWESOME!
If I had been born in another time, I think I would have been that sickly kid that had to stay inside reading. If I had been in a hand cart company, I would have been a casualty of the elements. Without the c-section (and accompanying modern medicine that makes it more likely to survive a c-section), the twins and I would be dead. Less extreme are the day to day things that make life more comfortable. Antihistamines. Advil. Migraine medicine. Really important in our house (and Anna's) - asthma medicine.
I'm thankful for all of the scientists and doctors who have worked tirelessly to improve medicine in all of its facets and for those who continue to do so. I don't want to live forever but I am glad that the infant mortality rate isn't 50% and that the median life span isn't 40.
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