Doesn't it Figure?

Nico went to school yesterday because he was afraid missing would put him behind. The teachers must put the fear of God in them about missing school because I practically have had to beg Nico to stay home in the past and yesterday was no different. I got a text from him close to the end of school saying his ear "hurt terribly." I called the doctor and tried to get him an appointment before they closed at 6:00. They were booked. I hate when that happens. The nurse got my hopes up when she asked me for a pharmacy number. He was going to get meds and all would be okay soon. Not so much. She called me back with a home remedy of peroxide and water and hot compresses. Those worked for about 10 minutes. Tylenol did nothing. Advil helped but two hours before I could give him more, he was in so much pain, he was crying. I was ready to take him to the ER and had a babysitter on standby. I called the doctor on call which is one I really don't like. She makes you feel like you are meds seeking and always says the same thing, "He/she really needs to be seen. I can't help you without seeing him/her." Well, why are you even on call if you can't help? What is the point of calling? I asked her if a middle ear infection could happen that fast? The water was dumped on him and an hour later, he was in pain. She said, maybe...really, really no help. The Advil kicked in and I really didn't want to have to bother someone to come watch the other three so we didn't go to the ER. He was up again last night and so I am waiting to call and get him into the doctor today. I hope something will work to relieve his pain. Doesn't it figure that my kids ALWAYS get sick when Leo is out of town? Last time, Belle got the stomach flu. The time before that everyone had strep throat.

I wonder if I am the only parent that sees how screwed up the middle school is. If you have read previous posts, you know that with some incidences at school the lesson has been, if you hang out with troublemakers, you are going to be thought of as a troublemaker. If they are getting into trouble, you are going to get into trouble, whether you do it or not. Guilt by association. We have driven this point home with Nico. I got a generic email from the counselor saying that the lunch table my child has been sitting at is too large and too hard to control so they split it up. Nico is no longer eating with two of his best friends. He is sitting with two boys that he is becoming better friends with which is fine but when I asked Nico about lunch, I was pretty disgusted. The first week of school, the kids sit at a table. That becomes their assigned table and who they have to sit with everyday. Nico said he sat down and about five boys he is friends with sat with him. He didn't mention a few that he hangs out with regularly and when I asked, he said it just happened that way the day they said it was their assigned tables and that other kids got there first. I asked who else sat at his table and doesn't it figure? Some of the same boys that he got in trouble with in gym. I asked him why he doesn't move and he said he can't. He'll get in trouble. He said once you are sitting down, you can't switch tables. He tried and was sent back. Now that the table is split up, he is sitting with two friends and some of the troublemakers. I told him that if they start making trouble, to move to another table but he said he can't. I told him to sit and don't even talk (nice, lunch, huh?) and he said it doesn't matter. The whole table gets in trouble. So apparently the lesson is, if the ship is going down, too bad. You'll get in more trouble if you try and save yourself. I'm teaching my kid to not hang out or be around kids causing trouble and the school is forcing him to stay in those situations. I get that they can't have a whole table of kids causing trouble but there has to be a better way or just let a kid remove himself from the situation. We ended the discussion that I'd rather get a call that he moved away from kids causing trouble than a call that he is causing trouble.

The last "doesn't it figure" is a good one. My ENT doctor that did my surgery called yesterday. They finally got the original slides and had their pathologist look at them. It was NEVER cancer! They feel that it was an inflammatory issue and that it still needed to come out so nothing would have changed except I wouldn't have had the ice cold fear coursing through my veins that I had cancer. It is the equivalent of when you get a mole removed and they say it was benign. I am frustrated that you trust the medical profession (literally with your life) and these mishaps happen. I am still chalking it up to the work of God but am happy that the word cancer is erased from this experience. I have to thank my best friend, Rochelle. It was because of her that I even went to get it checked out. I was not happy with her at first but only because I am a "head in the sand" kind of person. I am thankful that she loves me enough to force me to go so that this whole thing is behind me. Thanks, Roche! Love you!