The Second Saturday

October 8, 2022

It’s the second Saturday in October but feels like the first, I don’t think I studied for the first one - just flew right by me before I knew what hit me. But Bradley was sick last weekend so there really wasn’t all that much time to study anyway. He could have technically gone back to school on Monday - but he was on an antibiotic. Big deal right… yeah, problem is that Bradley can have explosive reactions to antibiotics… (see Blogpost Day 3 in fact). Anyway, if it’s too bad or runny - they send him home with a checkmark on the COVID symptoms list and he has to see a doc and get a note - or stay home for five days anyway. Right now we’ve reached our catastrophic cap - so it costs me nothing to go unless you count the gallon of gas for the round trip (currently $6.29 or so). But they also have so many new nurses over there, they constantly want to push me about him wearing a mask. When you get to the parking lot you have to call to make sure the doc is ready - they call you back and tell you to come up and everyone must be wearing masks. At this point I don’t even remind them that Bradley doesn’t wear one - too many arguments ensue and usually I have to wait for a second call to say yeah come up. Who needs that frustration because his stool was loose at school.  His main source of nutrition is Pediasure - similar to formula… and formula fed babies are well, loose. Sigh… 

So we hang out for the five days and he goes back - if he is really sick, I take him in because I am actually very cautious with Bradley. When he gets sick, he can get really sick. So we really don’t play around with this stuff with him. But maybe because he can get so sick we have to see them a lot - I don’t subject him to a visit unless I have too. Right now, we’re already at a doc appt each week - I just think that that is enough. 

So he went to school three days last week… he’ll go four this week - maybe. Today was the last day of antibiotics and now he has a goopy nose? What??? I’m pretty sure this is not how things are supposed to go…in fact, years of life with Bradley tells me it’s definitely not. 

Anyway, October remains a full Medical month - and now November is starting to fill up just as full. Good grief! Turns out, it’s actually relatively easy to get him into a routine, keeping him in one is the actual true test.  

Closing this out now, bad news in an early morning phone call has left us all tired and sad. Eric is mourning the loss of a Beloved Uncle tonight, and our hearts are sitting heavy but with our family in the Midwest as they are forced to walk a new path without him. 

Hold those you love closely. Time makes you believe you have all you need; when in fact, you have barely any at all. 

31For21 Blog Challenge for Down Syndrome Awareness and Acceptance have a peaceful Saturday.