Thanks David.

You mean the cello?

Gods, I feel like a complete idiot. It doesn't sound like one to me at all.

Ahh and here's why I couldn't recall the music from Requiem. It will always be the music from Excalibur to me.

Gods, I feel like a complete idiot. It doesn't sound like one to me at all.

I'm not sure I could pick a cello out of a musical line-up either. I just know the Kronos Quartet is four cellos.

I have a music performance degree. (Not on cello, but...) Believe me, I have failed.

Cass, I'm so sorry to read about your friend's death. Will your step-mom find out from this newsletter?

P-C, I missed the testimonial stuff, but have seen your copy of your mom's response. I can't imagine you writing anything that isn't endearing. Piffle on your mom. I hope you can work it all out. I agree with the people who think it's good you're being yourself in your biodata. That's got the best chance of letting a woman who You would find interesting -- find you interesting. I know there's a better way to punctuate that, but I don't have it in me, right now.

I've skipped. I've skimmed, big time.

Chris was sick the entire week before last, with a temperature that hovevered between 103 and 104. I took him to the doc, but it was just viral, so we rode it out. He got better finally, on Saturday. Saturday night/Sunday morning at midnight, Ben woke with a sore throat. He seemed good Sunday morning. We went to church. He looked like death warmed over, after Sunday School, so we took him home.

Monday, I took him to the doctor. He had strep. He also had a good deal of congestion in his chest, and a nasty ass cough. Since he got hives once, when he took either penicillin (sp?) or amoxicillin (sp?), they gave us Zithromax. His throat started improving by Tues. The cough was as strong as ever, throughout the week. Took him back to the doctor on Fri. The doc he saw this time called it 'pneumonia' and gave us a script for Biaxin to fill, if his sore throat returned, or if his fever returned.

Gave him his last dose of Zithromax at 2pm, Fri. He broke out in hives around 6pm. Called doctor, who never called us back (I think I know what happened, and the doctor isn't entirely at fault here -- did not try again, because Benedryl took care of the hives, and Ben was otherwise well).

Last night -- Sat, his temperature was up to 99.9. We'd pre-filled the Biaxin prescription, so we wouldn't have to run out, if he needed it at an odd hour. The doctor wrote it for pills -- because the Biaxin liquid is supposedly totally gross tasting. She knows he can't yet swallow pills. I mention to Ben that we'd crush it in applesauce or whatever, if he had to take them. Went to give him the pill last night, read the fine details, and this pill (which was a HORSE PILL) cannot be crushed or split.

Ben made a tremendous effort, trying to swallow the pill, but just couldn't do it. Since the temperature was fairly low grade, I said to forget about it and go to bed, that we'd deal in the morning.

Called the doctor this morning. Neither of the doctors in our practice were on call. Got the number of the service of the guy on call. He wants to know if Ben reacted to amox or penicillin, because he wants to give us the other. Every thing I've ever heard about antibiotic reactions says YOU DON'T DO THAT. We refuse. He says he doesn't know why the doc prescribed Biaxin, because it's in the same family (mycins) as the first prescription (Zithromax aka azithromycin), so he doesn't think it will help the pneumonia if the Zithromax didn't.

He wants to give us something else, but there's a chance of a cross reaction with the cillin family. We say, "No, just give us the liquid form of what our doctor ordered. He agrees, says he'll call it in, and we hang up.

THEN, I start thinking about the hives Ben got on Friday, and that I don't know if the Zithromax caused them, but if it did, since Zithromax stays active in the system for days, I'm not so crazy about giving him a drug that's a relative to that one. We call back the doctor. Due to some

Marital Discommunication, we (but probably not me, because did I mention I have a fever and am a little wheezy, myself????????) still don't tell doctor about the hives from Friday. Doctor won't change script because he doesn't even know us and already called in the others, and it's Sunday, and why don't we go away (well, he didn't say that, but you know...)

After we decide we can't afford a divorce, dh goes to (continued...)

( continues...) pharmacy, to tell nice pharmacist lady who flirts with him (and I must send her a note to tell her I will throw in the root - gratis) the whole story. She thinks it's probably fine to give Ben the Biaxin. Scott calls me, and I say, "Okay, if she thinks it's okay, do it." By now, Ben's temperature is up to 100.9.

While he's en route home, Ben's hives re-emerge in the same exact cluster. I call, but it's too late. He's already got the medicine He gets home, take Ben to the ER. They spend approximately 4-5 hours there.

GOOD NEWS: Ben doesn't have pneumonia. If he did have it, he has recovered to the extent that it is not showing up in the chest xray.

MEDIUM NEWS: We don't know why he's still feverish. They did a culture, but don't do the rapid strep kind, so we won't know for a couple of days.

ANNOYING NEWS: Don't give him the Biaxin, because it was dumb for the doctor to prescribe it, AND the hives may well be from the Zithromax and he's very likely to have a cross reaction.

BAD-ISH NEWS: So, he may well be allergic to two of the primary antibiotic families out there. (I will be requesting tests at some point in the future).

NEWSY NEWS: He's on steroids and an inhaler 'til the chest clears. The doctor wants him kept home at least through tomorrow. Honestly, because steroids weaken the immune system, it's fairly unlikely I'll send him to school before Thursday.

SUMMATION: I am so tired and I'm sure my poor husband is, too, which is why I am throwing in the root, gratis, to the pharmacist.

Poor Ben! What an ordeal, and it's not even over. I hope he makes a swift recovery. I wish the same for your marriage.

Egad, Cindy! That sound like a completely horrific weekend for you and your family. I hope Ben's on the mend and you guys recover.

Owen asked to go to bed at 7:00 p.m. tonight. I suspect someone replaced him with a pod child.

Oh, baby. ::hugs Cindy gently:: You so deserve cake and hot tea, or possibly wine. Hell, all three.

All kinds of healing vibes for all you, Cin.

{{{Cass}}}