A Different Kind Of Worry.

Before I was a Mom, I worried. I worried about my students and their well-being. I worried about my family. I worried about my doggies. I worried about most things, sometimes unwarranted, sometimes warranted.

Regardless, I'm a worrier. A worry-wart, if you will.

 

But since becoming a Mother? My worries have changed. I've gone from worrying about Friday night plans, to worrying about my daughter being warm enough when playing in the ever-changing Fall temperatures.

I went from obsessively worrying about my weight and looks, to worrying about the nutritional value of things M eats. I worry about the world M will grow up in, the slightest runny nose she has, and if we're doing the best we can, as her parents, to guide her in the right direction.

This Mom worry? It's a different kind of worry. It's an all-consuming, keep-you-up-at-night, lose-your-appetite kind of worry, especially when something seems wrong.

And that's where we're currently at.

M was being a little cranky last week, which is abnormal for her because she just isn't a cranky kid

She had a runny nose that started out of nowhere a week ago Monday. It went away in two days, and she was mostly acting herself, except for the crankiness.

Mid-week last week, M started to sleep poorly. Like, she would wake up every few hours and cry/complain, then go back to sleep. Weird for a kid that otherwise sleeps through the night.

The poor sleeping continued into this week. Except over the weekend, M pretty much stopped eating. She had the equivalent of two crackers the entire day on Sunday. Then at 5am on Monday morning, she woke up dry-heaving. (I mean, she couldn't throw anything up.. she hadn't eaten the previous day.)

She had a temperature of 100.4. Okay, doctor's office, here we come!

The verdict? Ear infection. We went almost 25 months and this is our first ever ear infection, let alone sickness, in a year. I'll consider that a victory.

But, earlier in the day on Monday, M developed a cough. A slight cough, but a cough none the less. I figured maybe it was some of the drainage from the ear infection.

Fast forward two days, to yesterday. M's cough has gotten worse. She's on antibiotics for the ear infection, but why the cough and still having a runny nose? I called the on-call nurse and she said that the cough and ear infection are not related.

Hmm. Okay, so where do I go from here?

The nurse said to wait two to three weeks to see if M's cough subsides.

NO THANKS.

Because this morning? M had a rattling noise as she slept. She's still being rather lethargic and you can just look at her and see the sweet girl doesn't feel well.

Her chest sounds horrible, like a car engine being revved constantly. She's coughing. Runny nose.

What happened to my girl?

We have another doctor's appointment today at 3:40. If you could, would you spare a prayer or thought for my little girl? As her Mom, I'm naturally worried.

Worried about her health, her well-being, her being okay.