you are cordially invited to my pity party

how tired am i of going to the doctor's office? very.

so bug came through the allergic reaction just fine, but in the meantime, she managed to unearth some rsv. (and she's shared it with her family.) yep, the pneumonia-causing virus that lands infants in the hospital.

fortunately, she doesn't have pneumonia. she just has bronchiolitis and a tremendously snotty nose. which situation caused me not only to lose my rare chance at a day to myself on monday, but to stay home from work today as well.

(i missed the second weigh-in for thrive, much to my dismay, since the scale finally! registered a loss this morning.)

so now bug is receiving steroids. the irony here is that this is the day after pooka gets her very.last.dose.

part of the reason i'm so fed up with going to the doctor is the drawn-out process. i like our doctor, and most of the office staff, but every appointment takes at least an hour, even a well-child visit. today's's 930am appointment ended (granting time for a chest x-ray) at 1230pm. seriously? we spent at least 50 minutes in the exam room waiting for the doctor to return and tell me the next step.

don't get me wrong. i'm very grateful to have access to doctors, medicine, and the insurance to pay for most of it, but it's infuriating to deal with them. and it's heartwrenching to have sick kids. especially ones who can't tell you what's wrong.

i often indulge in some self-pity comparing this aspect of my life with my sister's. she had 3 kids when she was still young, naive, and uninsured. they almost never went to the doctor and are now robust, non-deformed teenagers (no comments about well-adjustedness).

i had a college degree before i had kids, read a lot of preparatory material, and am well-insured. i have one kid with a life-threatening illness and a second who's faced one (fairly minor) obstacle after another.

alright, i'm done crying, "poor me!".

daily i thank God that we have the means, the strength, and the support to deal with everything we've encountered without suffering loss of marriage, house, or sanity.

if He sends His special children to those who are best equipped to obsess over care for them, i guess he found the right place.