The Flu and Exams....

It's exam week. In fact, it's been exam week for several weeks. First, The Boy brought home the "schedule". This is the supposed "schedule" that he constructs weeks before the exams start. This is the schedule he imagines in his mind that he will stick to in order to prepare for his exams. This is the schedule he commits to in front of his teachers and then brings home for me to sign...You know how months before Christmas, you imagine that you will be organized, buy all of your gifts early, send out lovely Christmas cards in advance, prepare a delicious menu weeks in advance?......Well, The Boy's schedule is very similar to this plan. It is made up of the best intentions....but perhaps a bit on the "wishful thinking" side...

Last weekend, he did an admirable job in fulfilling his "schedule". Amidst basketball games, family gatherings, etc., he managed to study for each and every exam. He even extracted my help for the french exam, impressing me with his sudden grasp of verb conjugation. I began to feel hopeful about exam week.....and then Sunday night, he had a little bit of a cough.

I should have seen it coming. Mother guilt allows me to blame myself for almost everything, and in this case, I was more than willing to shoulder the blame. The Boy's daily schedule is to come home from basketball practice,do homework, eat dinner...and head back out to play more basketball with his friends. This may or may not include a jacket, even in the coldest of weather. It also may include a wet head if he decided to shower early.

When I heard that small cough Sunday night, I pounced on him with vitamin c, tylenol, and even....some leftover amoxicillin that he had from his last sore throat. "Mom, I'm fine" he declared. But I was in full-on preventative mode. Monday morning, he felt kind of puny, but he headed to school for review day. I worried all day, only to be rewarded by him climbing in the car after school declaring "I don't feel so good." Now it seems that more that 20 people in his class were also experiencing the same symptoms (had they also been out playing ball without jackets?), but exams began Tuesday, like it or not.

Tuesday morning he sounded terrible, but he had no fever and he could walk and talk....and the English exam loomed. "I may have to call you after the exam" he declared. I took one look at him and stayed by my phone all morning. Sure enough, at 10:40, the call came. "Please come get me". He came home and got under a blanket. I took his temperature. 100. Ok, more tylenol. He took out some math papers to review, but quickly gave up. By evening time, the fever had crept up to 102. At 8:30, for what The Husband and I deemed to be the first time ever in his life....he headed up to bed of his own volition. "Not feelin so good"....

Well, this set off my mother bear instincts. I followed him up asking if I could do anything for him, only to be told that "I just need to sleep." At 11:00, I tip-toed into his room and took his temperature.....103. My heart lurched. Anything over 102, and I feel myself panic. I ran down and called the Dr., who basically told me to chill out and give him more tylenol. No panicking until 105. Don't you hate when the Dr. says stupid stuff like that?

I grabbed a pillow and headed for the couch. The Husband asked where I was going? Well....there are 18 stairs leading to our upstairs. So, in one of my motherly imaginings, The Boy wakes up delirious from fever and stumbles down the stairs. If I am on the couch, I can hear him and help him. Upon hearing this, The Husband shakes his head. He knows better than to try and reason with me at this point.

At 4:30, I sneak in and feel his forehead. Still warm, but better. "Do I need to go to school?" he asks. "Sleep" I tell him.

So today, he'll miss 2 exams. And tomorrow, probably another one. The school secretary assures me it will be ok. They may offer make-ups on Saturday. Or Monday. or after vacation.

Deep breath. It will all work out. I remember the quote about Life being what happens while you are making plans....so until tomorrow...or the next day...