Dang, finding my Single-Parent sea-legs is rough. For instance, what on earth do you do when you are super-sick? I’ve come down with something, and it’s nasty. I don’t think it’s the dreaded flu, and I had a friend who is a nurse practitioner check me out (no insurance and all, oh yeah). It’s just a nasty chest cold.
But being asthmatic always compounds my colds. And this is proving to be a doozy. I almost fainted in the bathroom tonight from coughing so hard. So what does a mama do when there are three little kids in the house, and something happens to her? Jeffrey knows how to dial 911, but seriously, I have to think about all these things that never occurred to me before.
For now, everyone is in bed, and with any luck, it will stay that way all night long. I really don’t need an abalone sucking to me all night. Here’s hoping it’s better in the morning.
Dandelion Mama 
Do you have a neighbor you could call on in an emergency? Or someone else nearby from the ward, like a trusty visiting teacher or friend, who you could program into your phone?
I hate the coughs. When I was pregnant with my second child, I had an awful horrible cough that lasted and lasted. I coughed for months. It just wouldn’t go away. I coughed so much that when it came to delivery, they had a hard time putting in the epidural. “Are you an athlete?” they asked me. And then when it ended up being a c-section, the doctor and his team commented, “Wow, you have great abs. Are you an athlete?” Ha. Far from it. Just a woman with a chronic cough. Thankfully, I’ve dodged it this time around.
Hope your cough (and your abalone) will let you rest tonight.
Pray? Seriously, even though I’m not a single mom, there have been way too many times when I’ve been deathly ill and alone in the house with small children (like most of my second and third pregnancies). I just try to make the kids as safe as I can and hope that we’ll all manage to survive another day. Also, maybe you could have a friend or family member who just calls every night to check on you? That way if they can’t get a hold of you they’ll realize that something might be up, and you’ll know that there’s someone who will be checking and will make sure someone checks in on you and the kids if they can’t get you for too long.
Hope you feel better soon!
I am generally on my own since J travels every other week. And since I have medical issues, it is something we have dealt with. Instead of 911, I have my neighbors on alert at their homes and I have their numbers listed by the phone. Bella has come across a fainted mama a few times and now she is ready to become a nurse 🙂 Maybe just explain to the kids what happens when you are sick and come up with a plan the same as you do a fire escape drawing. Kinda like how J talked to the boys this morning before he left for the week about how he feels it may be time for my period so they better put together a plan in case I lose it. Good times in our house 🙂
By the way, if it is the swine, take care of yourself! My biggest mistake I think was trying to push too much too soon. I still have congestion and nastiness in my lungs and I feel my immune system was super compromised and I can catch anything now. Try to take some time just hanging out with the kiddos rather than structure and activities. Oh, and definitely have homemade chicken noodle soup!
Tracy, I pray you feel better soon…and your kids!
Please ask for help, and allow others to serve you.
This is the kind of thing visiting teachers and home teachers were invented for. But I know the program isn’t perfect and they’re not always available or reliable. If that’s the case for you, I’d consider letting the leadership in your ward know that as a single mom you’re in need of reliable home/visiting teachers.
Also, do not be afraid to call on the missionaries, if no one else is available. Aren’t they required to do a certain amount of service hours?
I was about to suggest HTs too. So.. what Susan said. Get a blessing.
(loved your hepped up on goofball cold medicine twitter comment 🙂
You’ve heard it before. HT’s and VTs. I’ve had to rely on them many times when my husband was out of town. I’ve hat HT’s come in the middle of the night to give blessings. One time HT’s came at 1 a.m. b/c the bathroom door lock broke while one of my sons was inside. We couldn’t get the lock off the door (Even with my husband on the phone trying to talk us through it). HT brought his wife not just for apperances sake, but because she had mad skillz in opening doors with a credit card (wonder where she learned that?) After all futile attempts, and with a kid about to cry thinking he would be in that bathroom forever) at 3:oo in the morning, HT karate kicked the door down. My boys had a new hero. I had a busted door.
God bless my home teachers.