Daddy needs a band aid.

What a week.  It started late Friday afternoon when, while waiting to tee off on number 9 tee box, an errant shot from a duffer on the range hit me in the hip and actually landed in my pocket.  Ouch number one.  Then nine holes later while attempting a stupid shot to try to save a dead round anyway I tweaked my left knee. The tweak was so bad that I cancelled my trip to Tampa.  I was supposed to do some booth duty at a show and could not see myself standing for four-six hours a day for three days.  I actually thought surgery might be in my future. Saturday we took Connor to the mall to ride the train and had fun.  Then Saturday night my throat got a little sore.  Sunday around three AM I woke up with a teeth chattering chill.  I put on a long sleeve shirt went back to bed.  Getting up twice more to change the shirts I’d sweat through.  When I woke up, my throat was swollen and had the tell-tale signs of strep.  The worst of it is our family vacation is just one week away.  We’ve got a beach house rented for a week with the Grandmothers.   So Sunday, I’m off to the after hours clinic and get the swab test, luckily no strep but still contagious… and no antibiotic.  (Don’t get me started).  My new job is to avoid the wife, kids, and moms.  I can handle being miserable and alone for a week, but we can’t have two sick kids or two sick 76 year olds (or any combination) and expect any sort of fun no matter your proximity to ocean water.

For those of you who remember, I almost went to med school.  The two things I said I could never do were to be a vet or to be a pediatrician.  The reasons are neither can understand that what you are doing to them are for their own good.  Connor was so excited that Daddy stayed home from work but couldn’t understand why daddy didn’t want to play with him.  Nita explained, “Daddy is hurt, he isn’t feeling well.” To which Connor offered, “Does daddy need a band aid?”  My boy. J

The next phase of my misery was a tooth issue.  Yes, as if enough hadn’t happened, my swollen throat also put pressure on my gums which in turn aggravated a crown.  So now my tooth is pounding, causing a severe headache, and I’m swallowing razor blades and hobbling around on a sore knee.  The hip bruise doesn’t even register any more.  And while I’m avoiding my family for their own good, Nita thinks I’m just avoiding chores.  (She finally comes around when she comes home on Tuesday and I’ve soaked through four pillows, the sheets, my clothes and my eyes look pretty sick).  Luckily my dentist is awesome.  I called and told them of my situation and he had me come in immediately.  He said, “Let’s not do anything until we get that throat settled down, it may take care of everything else.”  So he prescribed amoxicillin and asked, “How’s the pain?” Thanks Doc.  So I’ve been taking my Hydro and Amox and was even felt good enough to pick up Connor from School on Wednesday afternoon.

So how was my week?  My knee has gotten pretty close to back to normal.  My hip still has a bruise, my throat is still swollen, my tooth still hurts a little and I’ve got plenty of Hyrdocodone left.  I can honestly say the worst pain was not being able to put Connor to bed or take him out of his crib in the morning.  Not being able kiss my sweet pudgy cheeked daughter Josie until she giggles.  Not being able to hang Connor upside down and play the “where’s Connor” game.  “Here daddy, upside down, daddy, here!!”  Not being able to grab his sweet little face and kiss him on the nose.  Or even kiss my wife.  Time heals all wounds and ills, but you know what?  Daddy needs a band aid.