Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Round Robin with the Drama Queens

I can hear the great aunts and my grandmother, their sister, bouncing around in my head admonishing me “that is not the way a lady expresses herself”, but sometimes (most times) what they deemed ‘lady like’ and what actually expressed my feelings were in direct conflict. They would approve of me saying, “I dislike this” while the Pennie inside me aches to yell “I hate this, I hate this”. So please forgive me my dear lady ones, but I’m going to do it my way ... I hate this!

Oops, I have a brain blip and for just a bit I am going to digress for a quick memory that has the aunts in my head clicking their tongues. One afternoon when I was a teenager my grandmother was spending the day at our house, and I was in the kitchen doing something I can’t quite remember. What I do remember is becoming frustrated with whatever I was doing and throwing my hands in the air and yelling “Crap”. A few minutes later I heard my grandmother’s voice calling that she would like to talk to me for a few minutes. When I went and sat down beside her she very quietly, and sweetly in her teachers voice said, “Pennie, do you know what crap means? It means fecal matter. Pennie, ladies never refer to fecal matter. I’m surprised that I need to remind you of such a thing.” I accepted her reprimand and went into the bedroom where my mother and I held hands and tried very hard not to laugh. Such are the wonderful memories I have of my very proper schoolteacher grandmother. I hope that she doesn’t know that I am known to occasionally use the word ‘Shit’.

Sorry about the interruption of the flow of thought, but that memory was having a field day in my feeble brain and I had to get it down and out. Now on to what ‘I hate’.

I hate having to once again say I am sorry that I have not been writing, but I have been sick. It seems as if the last two years all I write about is “Hey, guess what I’m sick again.” This particular sickness or should I say continuing sickness is not my fault. I lay all the blame on the breathing, coughing mob of 'drama queens' that hang out at my house and hug and kiss me regardless of their physical condition. Of course some of the blame lies at my feet because I kiss and hug them back. 'Drama Queens' need love too!

One morning, not long ago, my granddaughter came to my room and said, “Pennie, I don’t feel good.” She went to school anyway. She came home from school with a throat so sore she could hardly swallow, an obvious fever, and a nasty cough. That night her father took her to the doctor. She came home from that visit with a bag of medication and a diagnosis of strep throat. The following week I developed one of the nastiest coughs that I have ever had. It felt like the cough went into a spasm that would only stop when I was totally winded and gasping. Also my hearing became fogged and my ears ached. Scott took me to the doctor. I told the doctor my granddaughter had been sick and decided to share it with me. I came home from that visit with a bag full of medication, two ear infections, and a huge jug of cough medicine for the nastiest cough. The doctor said things like, “it is really going around”, and “you are on your way to walking pneumonia”.

My granddaughter got well and went back to school. I stayed in bed and took my medicine. When my medication was finished and I was compiling a cute ’super Tuesday’ entry I wanted to write on my journal; my granddaughter came to me and said, “Pennie, I don’t feel good.” I called my son on his cell at work and said, “You’re going to have to take her to the doctor again tonight. She has another sore throat and is feverish. My son sighed and said, “What time is the appointment?” She came home from the appointment with a bag of medication, strep throat, and flu symptons. A week later my cough was back and my ears hurt again. Scott took me to the doctor. The doctor walked into the room where I sat waiting for her and said, “let me guess your granddaughter is sick again.” We both laughed as she stuck lights in my ears, and a stethoscope on my chest. Once again I came home with a bag of medication and a huge jug of cough medicine, but this time she said she was going to give me a stronger antibiotic. Again I was back in bed and my granddaughter was back in school.

A week or so later I heard her walking toward my room one morning and I crossed my fingers and whispered, “Please don’t say “Pennie I don’t feel good”, but that is exactly what she said. “Pennie I don’t feel good.” The third time! I didn’t even bother with thought. I just reached over and called her doctors office then called my son’s cell at work. This time his response was more then a sigh. “That girl is ALWAYS sick. What time is her appointment?” He had had a particularly exhausting weekend and he was walking and talking weary. He sounded like he needed a doctor himself. But fathers do what fathers have to do and he packed her up and once again took her to the doctor.

In the meantime, I was thinking blue thoughts. Three times, three fricken times. This probably meant that the cough from hell was coming back and the ears that ached would visit again. I was getting sick and tired of being sick and tired. AND then it dawned on me. I was still on antibiotics from round number two. Maybe just maybe round three wont get me. Antibiotics and eardrops should be able to fight off whatever ugly thing is making her constantly sick. Every morning when I take that pill I’m grateful my doctor gave me a stronger and longer dose this time. My fingers are crossed and I say a little prayer every time I swallow one of those pills. I may get out of this one without joining the drama queens. They are on spring break this week and every one of them is spending the week home in bed. They may be the group everyone wants to belong to, but I’m handing in my resignation. I don’t want membership any more.

My granddaughter came home from the last doctor’s visit with a diagnosis that she has forgotten the name of. “I think it begins with a ’T’, but it’s not tonsillitis”, she informed me. But she did say that the doctor says she has to have her tonsils removed. Her tonsils are the reason that she keeps getting it over and over. The tonsils must go. The doctor wanted to send her to the Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor this week, but she says she doesn’t want to spend her spring break in bed with a sore throat. Would someone explain that to me. She IS sick in bed with a sore throat and ... a big bag of medication. 'Drama Queens'!

In the meantime I shudder. A tonsillectomy at 16 sounds horrible. A past girlfriend of my sons that I became a very good friend with called me last night. After she listened to me groan about the prospect of the tonsillectomy she told me how awful it was when her two daughters, that are a bit older then my granddaughter, had theirs removed last year. “It was horrible; it was just horrible”, were the words I remember the most, but she also added, “They haven’t been sick since!” Aw, that is something to look forward to. What will the 'drama queens' pass around then. Let’s hope it’s not something I can catch.

I’ll keep you informed (if this antibiotic keeps me well).

Love, Pennie


19 comments:

  1. I am glad that you let me know that you were not private. I had gotton that notification. I pray that your grandaughtwr will be ok. My son had his taken out when he was seven and did fine and went for years and years before getting sick again. I hope by her getting well then you will be better. Hugs, Helen
    http://madcobug-myeverydaylife2.blogspot.com/

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  2. Hi Penny Iam so sorry to hear you have been so poorly ....three times I hope the tonsilectomy went well ,thankyou for sending me your link ,Iwould hate to lose touch with you ,,love Jan and be well ..xx

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  3. Hi Pennie, Glad you sent your blog site to me! When I turned 40 my ENT specialist advised me that I could go thru two weeks of pain or suffer with tonsil problems the rest of my life. I opted for a tonsilectomy and all I have to say is good riddance. It was not easy, I won't lie but like others have commented, haven't been sick like that way since! Hope you feel better!

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  4. Thank you for sending me your site. Sorry to hear you have been so sick three times. It is great to have you back writing again. Happy Halloween.

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  5. I'm glad to hear from you. I thought you would never be heard from again!

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  6. good to see you got all set up on blogspot!

    when I was a teenager I had a girlfriend have her tonsils out (same age, 16) the outcome was as everyone is stating..rarely sick after that.

    I hope you manage to NOT catch this last flu/ cold..whatever!

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  7. So happy to see your smiling face!!

    Two kids on my bus routes have had their tonsils out this month. They say it wasn't too bad.

    my best!

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  8. I think at this point I would lock my door and tell your granddaughter, "I love you, do you need me to call your dad" through the door. Good Grief, I couldn't stand getting one after another like that. Thanks for letting me know your new address dear friend. Welcome to this side of the blogsphere. Looking forward to reading more entries from you. I'll leave you with my new link over here. (Hugs)Indigo

    http://deafscreams.blogspot.com/

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  9. Hi Pennie, It`s lovely to hear from you again. i`m so sorry to hear that you have been ill, again and again. You must dread your granddaughters footsteps approaching...lol! I was lucky enough to have had my tonsils removed at the age of 4 and though I still remember it being very unpleasant, I know it can`t have been as bad as
    it would have been at 16. Your writings still make me smile even when you are talking about illness. I must add myself as a follower of your blog. :o)

    Love Sandra xxxx

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  10. So glad you joined us here. Wishing everyone in your house to feel better soon.

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  11. Well, it is harder on you the older you are to have your tonsils taken out, but she will survive. Just keep her knocked out the first few days on the pain medication, and have plenty of popsicles and Chloroseptic spray for her throat.
    I am so glad you are writing again! I've missed you!
    Lovish!
    Connie

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  12. I'm glad you are not private, too! It may not help your Drama Queen, but my own, then 16, squeezed very bit of miserable excitement out of her pre-sergical time, then (to her own embarrassment) flew through the surgery and aftermath with relatively little pain and hassle. Hope yours will do the same. Love to you, Margo

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  13. Hope you get to feeling better...you will have to be careful..she gave you the same thing not too long ago...boy..you take care of yourself...will be keeping you in prayer..am glad that you have moved to blogger..was worried about. you..Hugs,TerryAnn

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  14. Be well pennie and nice to see you again

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  15. Thank you for sending me your link...I have always loved reading your journal. Hope your granddaughter will be okay...many prayers ....hugs and love,
    I will send you an invite today to my journal over here. Love,
    Joyce

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  16. You and your granddaughter have certainly been through the wars Pennie! I'm sure her operation will bring you both respite at long last from the dreaded throat bugs. Sorry you have been so poorly.
    Thanks for sharing your journal link with me. I hope to pop in from time to time to keep up to date with you. I love how you write.
    Hugs
    Jeanie xxxx

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