Need My Cootie Shot!

I wouldn't call myself a germaphobe.

Honest, I wouldn't!

If I had to define it, I would say that I have a healthy respect for staying far, far away from anyone carrying contagious diseases.

My policy is: I did not go into the nursing profession and I don't get paid a doctors salary; if you are sick, stay away from me! I don't love you that much and I certainly don't want it!!

Seriously, anyone who has ever thought they were doing the right thing by dragging their sick ass coming into work when they were clearly sick will tell you how I feel about this...

If you are sick - if you even think that you might be contagious - STAY HOME!! The company will still be here when you get better; in the meantime, I don't want your germs and I would appreciate it if you would keep your cooties to yourself!

Don't come around me and, if you do, prepare to be disinfected! I will spray your ass with Lysol in a New York minute!!

So, as you can see, I have a healthy respect for staying clear of people with germs.

People ask me all the time what I do when my children get sick. The answer is, I keep them home from school and quickly take them to the doctor so that they can get well soon. When they are at home, they are in their beds (and yes, sometimes they are in my bed too), getting the necessary amount of rest so that they can hurry up and get well. I usually give them lots of fluids, chicken noodle soup and regular doses of whatever medication the doctor prescribed. When they are well enough to leave their sick bed, their bedding gets stripped and washed in hot water with Lysol and their rooms get disinfected.

As you can see, I'm not such a germaphobe that I can't tend to my children when they're sick. I take care of them and give them love, but I do not hug and kiss all over them. They're sick and while I do love them that much, I still don't want to share. I'm just sayin'. ;)

So, what led to the anxiety attack tonight??? Well, it goes like this:

• Last Monday - Sugar came home from school complaining that she wasn't feeling well.
• Tuesday - she was very sick with a fever.
• I took her to the doctor and she was tested for Strep and the Flu (both negative).
• She was diagnosed as having a sinus infection.
• Wednesday - she was still feverish and started coughing
• Later that day, she started feeling better and she was back in school on Thursday.
• Saturday - Spice started coughing (Sugar was still coughing, but hers was now a dry cough).
• Sunday - Spice is coughing and has a high fever.
• Monday - Spice stays home from school.
• Mr Shell takes Spice to the doctor
• She is diagnosed as having an upper respiratory infection BUT she wants to know who's going to take her to school (this is her first year in school and she doesn't understand that she can't go to school with a fever).
• Today, Spice is back in school
• Right as I get out of my car to head into work, my phone rings
• It's Sugar calling from Middle School to tell me that she doesn't feel good. I ask her what's wrong and she says she feels like she's going to be sick. I gave her some medicine to help with the coughing this morning and she hadn't eaten breakfast so I figure that's probably what is making her feel ill and ask her to try to stick it out.
• This afternoon, when I pick her up, she's still coughing and now she's sneezing too.
• We go pick up Spice.
• We head to Walgreens to get some more cough medicine, since nothing I have seems to be helping.
• Meanwhile, she is sitting in the front seat, coughing and sneezing on me. Seriously!! I am trapped in the car with this girl and her germs, and she for real coughs. on. my. arm.
• I am completely grossed out!!
• And, as if that isn't bad enough, when I get back in the car from purchasing the cough syrup I feel her forehead and she has a fever!!!
• We get home and I take her temperature: 102!

(AND I WAS IN THE CAR WITH HER WHILE SHE WAS COUGHING AND SNEEZING ALL OVER ME!!!)

I looked like Ace Ventura, Pet Detective, riding down the street with my head stuck out the window... Okay, so maybe I am a little bit of a germaphobe after all. :(


PLEASE, PEOPLE!!! The flu season is striking early this year and it's supposed to be a bad one. If you are sick - STAY HOME!!

In the words of my youngest, "I'm for serious!"