Wednesday 17 December 2008

Diagnosis

OK, Tiger has mumps. She comes downstairs looking like a hamster that's had a particularly good night developing the nut storage system.

Quick as a flash I'm on the phone to our local surgery and extract a home visit on the basis that I am disabled. Actually I am not, but you try hoisting sickly, awkward and asleep triplets into a car and getting them to a health centre in under ten minutes. And there's not exactly a lot of help here, unless I kidnap the milkman. Dig, of course, is not here because when these things happen, he never is. So for that holy grail of doctor's appointments, I qualify.

And for the rest of the day I am Nurse Grit. I pump Tiger full of pink fluid. Shark I don't have to do anything with because she's asleep. Squirrel I suspect is OK but she declares herself sick in sympathy and I tell her she might be really very ill, and the best thing is to lie down and try some reading because reading books about wombats makes you better.

Now with a quiet day punctuated only by groaning, snoring, the dribble of pink fluid and Squirrel asking whether she should get out of bed yet to run about the house dressed as a fairy, I can do the ill thing that I never managed to do yesterday and hit the manuka honey.

12 comments:

Irene said...

I guess I have to read yesterday's post to understand the reference to the manuka honey. What does it have, besides healing qualities? Do you get drunk on it?

sharon said...

Please tell me you had Mumps when you were a child because you really don't want to catch it as an adult. My bout of mumps when I was 20 finished my fledgling teaching career - although maybe I should be grateful for that! I hope the Gritlets make a speedy recovery from all their ailments although I suspect Shark and Squirrel will succumb to the Mumps too. Poor all of you:-( Lots of ice-cream to sooth those swollen glands - it has some nutritious value if you get a good quality one made with real eggs and cream.

Kitty said...

OH no! Poor Tiger. Hope she gets better soon. x

Merry said...

O.M.G i remember my brother getting it and i remember having it - ow, ow, ow, ow, ow. I hope Dig has had it? If not, make sure he stays away :(

Merry said...

PS - poor you, i HATE nursemaiding prolonged illness.

Dig said...

Staying away from the children at Christmas is hardly an option, Merry! But I think I had mumps when I was little, and I've survived the other two gritlets who managed to get it before they were vaccinated.

Suburbia said...

Oh I hate it when they're poorly.

I do hope your Christmas went ok

Lisa @ Boondock Ramblings said...

They make us get shots for our kids for it over here, but I've heard that they can still get it for some reason. Hope things get better soon! What an awful thing to have to deal with for you and your little girl!

Iota said...

Yikes. So sorry to hear this.

Grit said...

thank you for all your comments folks. tiger is much better. she had her MMR vacs, and still got mumps, so feel about that what you will! we are still slogging along here, and i am always behind with everything as usual. one day i will catch up and surprise everyone.

Unknown said...

lol, Dig, i dunno... i might have done it if i was in danger of swollen testicles! Not, obviously, that i have testicles, so far as i know....

Growl that she had MMR too - what a swizz. Only got Josie done the other day, when Measles stories got the better of bad-mummy-of-4 lethargy.

Anonymous said...

Poor wee thing I'm sure the manuka honey looked after you Pitty it doesn't get you drunk!!