Sick as a Dog

Our enthusiastic support of the hard-working medical professions continues unabated.

Last week we scored:

1 call out of GP at 8pm to reassure us that our feverish and spasm-wracked, flu-ridden son would survive the night. (Thank goodness for South Africa's private health care, where it is actually possible to have a doctor come to your house still)

1 visit to homeopath 3 days later with 2 still feverish children, to get remedies that would avoid the necessity of antibiotics.

1 visit to vet with one small Jack Russell who had stomach pains after helping with our refuse disposal process - she got the antibiotics.

Now we have:

1 Youngest, back at school after a week off and only coughing a bit.

1 Oldest son, nearly better with his temperature normal at last, but with a mysterious rash that comes and goes for no good reason, who stayed at home again today because he slept badly and woke pale faced and feeble.

1 traumatized dog, whose nerves have been shot to pieces by the visit to the vet, injections and a day fasting, who thinks we must be the cause of her stomach pain and trembles reproachfully whenever we look at her.

1 Middle Daughter who has taken over the sofa duty, having woken up this morning with all the initial symptoms of full-on flu like her siblings' last week.

This week we propose:

1 visit to homeopath to do something about son's rash if it doesn't spontaneously disappear overnight.

1 postponed dental operation - we had finally made the difficult decision to go ahead, only to have Middle Daughter succumb to the flu lurgy, which means she won't be able to have it this week anyway.

10 different sets of pills, potions and lotions to be dispensed hourly, 2 hourly or daily to the various members of the family to treat all their various ailments.

2 substantial doses of Echinacea daily to sleep deprived parents, as parents with flu would be the last straw for the newly recovering kids.

Thank you for all your kind comments and sympathy. I'm hoping to find a new blogging theme soon before I start spreading the germs virtually!