Entry FeedLook, if you are sick, stay home! Stop thinking you are such a trooper to go into work, or school, because you don't feel that bad. JUST STAY HOME AND STOP GETTING THE REST OF US SICK!!!
Stay home a day or two. Keep your kids home from school for a few days. Rest. Get over it before venturing forth in the world.
That being said - if you were on the subway this morning between 8:45 am and 9:15 am, yes, that was my son coughing and sneezing in your direction, and you are probably now infected with his virus.
Son Two woke up this morning looking a little pale, sounding nasally, and coughing. He had no fever, and had slept well last night, so I didn't think he was that bad. When he sneezed, it was clear and not that gross yellowish green stuff.
He is currently involved in intensive prompt speech therapy that takes him out of school two days a week. The speech pathologist was very clear about keeping him home if he was ever ill. But this was only his second session, and he really didn't seem that bad, so off we went.
We take the subway downtown for fun. I think it was going from the cold outside to the warmth of the train, but the first thing he did was sneeze; a lot of gunk came out. Then he started coughing, and I started thinking, "Gee, he doesn't sound so good." I offered him a cough drop, but he doesn't like Halls.
When we got off the train, we walked underground and passed a pharmacy. I walked in and looked around for some cold medication, more to mask his symptoms to keep from getting in trouble with the speech pathologist. He picked out these strip things for coughs and runny nose. They were perfect, I just couldn't find anywhere on the box where it mentioned age.
I tore one open, and he popped it in his mouth. Then I noticed in small print on the individually packaged strips, "for adults and children aged 12 and up."
Damn. He is 5. Yes, big for 5, but still just 5.
Oh well! Too late now. It has melted away on his tongue already.
Off to speech. First thing Son Two did when we got in the room was cough into the speech pathologist's face. Then he sneezed, and LOTS came out. She then put on some latex gloves.
I apologized. Really, since I am home, I tend to keep my kids home if I suspect anything mostly because they are so young that if they miss a few days of school it doesn't really matter.
However, today I was the bad mother. First I infected a few dozen people on the subway, then I gave him adult medication, then I infected the nice speech pathologist, who is trying really hard to help us. Finally, we infected a dozen or so more people on our subway ride home (oh yeah - if you were on the subway from 10:15 am to 10:45 am - sorry!)
Tomorrow we are on a plane to Florida. I just hope that it doesn't get any worse. Partially because I feel bad about infecting a few hundred people on the plane. Mostly because I know the trouble it could cause for Son's ears if we travel and he is too ill.
Now we are off to hockey. He doesn't get very close to anyone there, and I am hoping that his hockey masks helps him keep his germs to himself.