A very sore throat

Lillianna is home sick today. The school nurse called me yesterday at work at 9:20am.......35 minutes after I arrived. She said Lillianna didn't feel well and she looked pale. I went to pick her up thinking she was probably run down and tired from her vacation. I tried to pace her with all her activities but she was quite busy.

She got home and immediately changed into her jammies. After lunch she fell asleep for 2 hours. I figured by morning she'd be fit as a fiddle and ready for school. At 3:30am she woke up with a raging sore throat and couldn't swallow. She sat up watching t.v. and sucking on a lozenge. When she was done,she went back to sleep. I knew she wouldn't be going to school today.

She complained that her ears were crinkling and that was my signal to call her doctor and make an appointment. I grew up with crinkling ears which meant and ear ache was fast approaching. Lillianna has walked in my footsteps.....stupid footsteps! Ear aches suck!!

She went to see Dr. Fernandez who we both adore. She is the best doctor ever! She said Lillianna's throat was very red but that her ears looked ok. I told her that Lillianna feels the ear pain 2 days before a doctor can see the redness. I learned that from Lillianna's previous doctor. I always ended up taking her for an appointment and then returning 2 days later and sure enough that 2 days showed the redness. Dr.Fernandez said she wouldn't wait 2 days to prove that and immediately wrote a prescription for an antibiotic. I totally love a doctor who respects the mother's input. She's known us for about 5 years so she knows I'm not just trying to medicate my child for no reason.

Lillianna is now resting on the couch and she's about to fall asleep. A drowsy 10 year old is a sick one,that's for sure.

The good news is that I called the payroll manager at my work just to check if I had a few sick hours available to cover my 3 days off which is about 15 hours. My manager had told me that since I went part time in June I wouldn't have any benefits until one year from June which isn't for another 5 months. When the payroll manager checked she said I had 48 hours of paid time off. I was stunned!!!! I thanked her and felt a huge burden lift from my shoulders. I panicked for a second when she called back and said she had made a mistake. I held my breath until she said,"You actually have 80 hours of paid time off. I miscalculated and didn't figure in that you've been here 17 years." I think I literally jumped for joy!

So now I can relax and take care of my sick little girl and not worry that my pay check will be 15 hours short. It's such a relief.

Lillianna and I will be resting for the next 3 days. That's not so bad after all.