My new applesauce diet

After feeling so utterly miserable on Thursday, I made an appointment to see my doctor, again yesterday. Although he didn't do a throat culture, he told me it "looked like" I had strep. He also said it "looked like" a bilateral ear infection ... and for sure, a bad sinus infection - which may have come about from my pink eye. He gave me a prescription for augmentin which is a powerful antibiotic, and a prescription for entrex - a decongestant that far exceeds the ability of a typical over-the-counter, variety. My mantra that I'd been chanting since Thursday went from "Ow, Ow, Ow, Ow" to "Yay, Yay, Yay, Yay." I was so excited ... these pills were my CURE. I would kick this bug in it's buggy arse and according to my doctor - I should be back to normal in 48 to 72 hours.

Although Friday is typically Charlie's day "at the office", he took the day off to be home with the kids while I went to the doctor and continued my recuperation. I had scheduled a playdate for Friday afternoon with my friend, Debbie and her 16-month old triplet boys, earlier in the week. With all that had transpired over the past few days, I decided a playdate probably wasn't in the cards for me. I asked Charlie if he wouldn't mind calling and canceling the playdate and this is how his conversation went "Hi Debbie. Unfortunately, Jen just isn't feeling up to going out. She's in bed recovering from her sinusitis, strep, and a double ear infection." There was a pause and then I heard him say excitedly "That sounds great! What time?!" He came in to tell me that he and Debbie were going for a walk around the neighborhood with the 6 babies. While most men would shudder at the thought of spending time with another mom and their kids ... not Charlie. He attended his first playdate a few months back and the Mom's were so impressed that he showed up at with arms full of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, that he had made himself. This guy never ceases to amaze me.

While Charlie made plans to spend the afternoon out with the kids, I took my medication, climbed in bed and waited for the healing to begin. While I was waiting, I thought I'd skim the inserts the pharmacist put in the bag with my prescriptions. I hesitated when I got to possible side effects, on not just one, but both of my prescriptions. "Abdominal cramping, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting." That didn't sound too good. Surely I wouldn't suffer those side effects. Right? WRONG. I had all the side effects ... within 2 hours of taking the medication, in alphabetical order. As I was laying on the bathroom floor, clutching my pillow and begging God to take me to Heaven ... I pondered if it was possible for my situation to be any worse than it was. And then it dawned on me ... it COULD be worse. Thankfully, Charlie and the babies had dodged this hellacious bullet and for that, I was enormously grateful. Because we live a minimum of 6 hours from the closest relative ... the thought of Charlie and I both being so violently sick ... with three babies to care for ... is positively frightening.

Charlie returned from his walk and began preparing dinner. All I could hear from my cool spot on the bathroom floor was crying, punctuated by laughter. Crying, laughter. Crying, laughter. That's odd. I wobbled out to the kitchen to inspect the situation and was greeted by three babies, their faces covered in something that didn't look familiar. They smiled when they saw me, and then started crying again. Charlie was working his way down-the-line with a bowl full of ... chocolate pudding. Who ever was next in line to receive a spoonful of pudding, would laugh. When it wasn't their turn, they'd cry. And so it went. Laughter, crying. Laughter, crying. Laughter, crying. Apparently, our kids love chocolate pudding. I was instantly reminded of Bill Cosby and what happens when father's are responsible for feeding their kids dinner. I started to laugh. And then cry. And then I rushed back to my cool spot.

While Charlie fed, cleaned and put the babies to bed, I was struck again and again by the side effects from my medication. By this point, I placed a call to the after hours physician and was firmly told that I needed to go to the hospital. They were concerned that with my symptoms, I was going to rapidly dehydrate. I briefly considered my options. It was 10 PM on a Friday night. I wasn't feeling up to driving myself to the hospital, so, we'd either need to pack the kids up and take them with us (not a good choice), or, call a neighbor and have them come over and stay at the house until we returned, at some unknown time - probably in the wee hours of the morning. That wasn't a good choice either. Although I've never considered the after hours physician to be "too conservative" when I've had to call about our children, I thought they might be over-reacting in my case. I sipped two tablespoons of Ginger Ale, savored a few ice chips and went to bed.

When I woke up this morning, I decided that the side effects from the medication are FAR worse than the ailments I was trying to treat. Everything has been discontinued and I will contact my doctor on Monday to see if I can get put on something, else. In the meantime, I'm enjoying a diet of applesauce. And, I was happily surprised to discover that for the first time in two years, I am 5 pounds less than my pre-pregnancy weight. If there is a silver lining to any of this ... that would have to be it.