The good news is, we're on the mend. The bad news, of course, is that we've needed mending. For the past two weeks, or so.
A couple of weeks ago, Nora and then Vivian woke up in the middle of the night throwing up. The vomiting phase passed quickly, but they kept the tummy bug for a while and had some listless days that required us to keep them out of school. Then, of course, we got the bug too. And just when the girls seemed to be getting better, Nora developed a cough and Vivian got a bad sore throat, both with high fevers.
Fortunately, our family doctor was able to see us late on a Friday afternoon, and the throat swab confirmed that Vivian had strep throat. After some consultation, we decided to prescribe antibiotics for both kids since, if Nora didn't have strep, she certainly had something, and besides the two girls were as likely as not to just keep passing the illness back and forth. And, within twenty-four hours, both girls were worlds better.
But then I got sick.
It's a head and chest cold. I was all right enough to drive the kids, grandma Rosemarie and myself to the cabin in the woods that Erin had booked for the week to finish her edits on **Sorrow's Knot**. Then it hit me like a brick wall. I crawled into bed and slept the next eighteen hours or so before I was well enough to drive the kids and company back home. And then I slept for another long while.
I am now on the mend as I type this, but I still have congestion in my lungs that I'm coughing out. And here I learn of a drawback to vigorous exercise. I've been working with a personal trainer in order to make my exercise regimen more effective. Her work (which is excellent) has been to strain my muscles enough until they're sore the next couple of days -- the better to rebuild them stronger. I am seeing results already. However, the day before the chest cold hit, she had me working on my pectoral muscles.
Imagine what coughing is like with sore pecs. Not fun.
This has thrown my work history for a loop, but I'm starting to pick up the pieces, now. Tomorrow should be a productive day. Wish me luck.