Monday, January 21, 2013

Well. That Didn't Go As Planned.

I drove down to D.C. last Tuesday to spend a few days with my daughter1. Hubs had a business meeting in Canada last week, and then work commitments here afterwards so it was going to be some fun me and my girl time. I stopped at my mom's for lunch en route and had a nice visit with her before trekking on into the city. I got there about the time daughter1 was getting home from work and we celebrated with a grown up dinner in a nice restaurant. There is something a little surreal about sitting opposite your 'little girl' over a nice meal. You find yourself wondering how in the world you got there?

I'm happy we had that very nice evening out because things went downhill pretty quickly from there. I started with a sore throat and a cough on Wednesday. It was like one minute I was fine and the next I was the person people wanted to take three steps back from. Also, that evening my daughter asked me to look at a little rash sort of thing on her back. It was itchy and stinging slightly, but I thought it might be just an allergic reaction to something and it didn't look too worrisome.

Long story short (ish)...it leapt to miserable pretty quickly, and as much as we did not want to set foot in a walk in clinic we decided we had no choice. We had more or less self-diagnosed the rash as shingles and we knew if that were the case she'd need the meds within a few days to get the best outcome down the road. Thursday evening we trekked to a clinic outside the city (the one near her office said she could come in on Sunday! Four days away!).  On the way to the clinic I kind of made up my mind to go ahead and have the doc look at my throat because holy moly it was excruciating.

They gave me a flu test because they said they were giving them to anyone who came in with respiratory symptoms.

The flu test is not pleasant.
Just sayin'.
I think they scrape the edge of your brain with that q-tip.

My strep test was negative, but because I looked and sounded so awful they sent it off and he went ahead and gave me the z-pack. If it was indeed strep I'd already have it treated.

Doc diagnosed daughter1 in about 10 seconds with shingles. Haven't you always heard shingles was something for the over 65 crowd? Seems everyone she told knew of someone her age or even younger who'd had shingles.

Shingles are pain.ful.

She was given a 'controlled substance' for the pain and all I could think of was Gregory House and his addiction-ha. Daughter1 is used to my paranoia, but sometimes I wonder if these doctors actually register how tee-ninsy she is when they set the dosage. She might be almost a quarter of a century in years, but she's no bigger than a minute in weight, and sometimes I wonder if they notice.

Daughter1 had already arranged to leave work at noon on Friday and we'd planned to meet my sister in law in the city for lunch and then do a little walking around. Change of plans.  She  took a whole pain pill before work and then called me in tears around 11 saying she was green.  Daughter1 came home from work and went to bed and sister in law came to the house, which I gotta say at this point was feeling a little bit like a leper colony. I was well on my way to completely losing my voice and I'm sure my sister in law whipped out the Purell the minute she got back on the train.

The week away did not go as we had anticipated and looked forward to.  We didn't do the shopping we'd planned unless you count hitting CVS no less than five times in four days as 'shopping'.  

We don't.

We didn't eat out at all the fun places she wanted me to try.  Instead, we stayed in our yoga pants and ordered food in.  We drank gallons of tea, watched SVU marathons and napped on the couch.


We didn't do any 'sight seeing' although the Urgent Care north of the city is lovely.


We did talk, and I'm pretty sure we solved some of the world's most pressing problems. We managed to laugh a lot. Daughter1 said over and over how happy she was to have me there. She admits she's not the best one for getting herself to the doctor, plus shingles are a little bit scary. I did all her laundry and before I left I cleaned the bathrooms, changed her sheets, and Lysoled the place down for which she was grateful.

She was feeling a little less crazy from the pain on Sunday so she worked her tech magic and got my blog transferred over to my domain name before I left. Since you're here reading it must have worked. Hubs said I should stay if I felt like she needed that, but it was time for me to go.  I was annoying even myself and I knew she was feeling well enough to cope on her own. She has sweet roommates, one of whom is a P.A., and I know they'll keep an eye on her.

Now I know there are some people who might look at this week and say it was a big giant FAIL. Daughter1 and I would have to disagree.

Was it what we imagined it would be?  Definitely not, but mothers and daughters can bond over lots of things, including finding the humor in shingles and cough syrup.  

When daughter1 was little and we'd visit her grandma, she would get very emotional when it was time to leave.  My mom would always go back in the house and get her a cup of water, and this became required procedure for many many years.

Sunday was a gorgeous day in DC, and as I got ready to leave we were both feeling a little teary. Daughter1 came out of the house with something to give me-


...and for a minute, she was not the grown up girl with a job in the city, who rides a train to work, and pays her own bills, and manages her own life.


She was the golden haired toddler who sprinkled our lives with sunshine and whose heart has been inextricably linked with mine since a long ago day in June.

Definitely not a fail.

31 comments:

  1. I'm so sorry you've both been sick, but I know your mother heart was very glad you were there for her when she needed it. I hope you're both recovered completely by now.

    Very sweet ending to your story, by the way. : )

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  2. How sweet is that?!
    I have never heard of someone that young with shingles!
    Hope you are both feeling much better soon, goodness!
    Good perspective on the visit. You certainly made a memory!

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  3. That is the sweetest story ever. You make me miss my daughter.
    Hope you are feelling better.
    Makes me wonder if I should get the shingles vaccination.
    I got that throat/cough virus before Christmas and still have a cough.
    I love her bringing out the glass of water. What a great relationship!

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  4. I'm so glad you are both on the mend. I can sympathise with shingles - I caught it at aged 18 and my daughter caught it aged 6 and was very poorly with it. So it can hit all ages.

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  5. Oh, I'm so sorry both of you were ill during the visit, but how wonderful that you were able to make the best of it :) and still come away with some good memories!

    I, too, thought shingles only affected older folks!

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  6. The best laid plans....and so forth, but it sounds like you found the heart of your visit in being there for each other. I hope you are better and that her shingles are under control.

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  7. I'm so sorry you were both so very sick. But I'm glad you were able to be there for each other. I'm also glad that it seems like you are both getting better.

    May I ask what the advantage is of changing to your own domain? Is it better than blogger? Just wondering if it is something I need to consider.

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  8. Oh my goodness. Sorry for the sickness, but really such a beautiful post. I am all teary-eyed.

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  9. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Precious!

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  10. even though you visit didn't go as planned you still had each other and dealt with your sickness together. My Mom had shingles and said they were so painful. I hope your both on the mend and I am sure you have plans to head back to see her soon. Hopefully all will go has planned.

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  11. I'm glad you two had lots of time together albeit not as planned. And for the record, I have as yet no obvious symptoms to determine if I contracted anything from the two of you. And yes, I did whip out the Purell immediately upon exiting your vehicle at the train station. Can't be too safe!

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  12. Oh My you poor girls! Katelyn has had two friends in college that had shingles during finals. I think it's stress induced. I hope you are all feeling better.

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  13. I would say it was fortuitous that you got to be sick together - you know you would have been crazy with worry if you hadn't been there so it all worked out beautifully.

    I had shingles in my early thirties. It was a mild case, but highly unpleasant!

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  14. My friend recently had shingles. She said it was the most painful thing she ever went through. Not fun! I hope you both are feeling better!!!

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  15. Feel better and I hope the shingles do not last!

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  16. Ugh! Hope you and Daughter1 are feeling much, much better!

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  17. I shouldn't be laughing, but somehow I think you'd say it's okay. This line made me snort: "We didn't do any 'sight seeing' although the Urgent Care north of the city is lovely."

    I certainly hope you're both on the mend very soon.

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  18. awwww i am sorry about all of the sickness, but this was very sweet and cozy---i hope all are on the mends :)

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  19. What a blessing that you were there and could be with your girl!!! How lovely that God put y'all together to commiserate with one another during your sicknesses. Sweet ending to your trip too!

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  20. It's "nice" to have someone to commiserate with when you're sick. Maybe having a few days to hang out and talk was what you "really" needed.

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  21. Oh my goodness, that cup of water is so precious!!

    I was looking forward to seeing all your sightseeing (hoping for a good restaurant recommendation!), but I'm so glad you two could be sick together. I'm glad she had her mom and I'm glad you could commiserate. Can't believe you did all that cleaning feeling icky!

    Hope you both 100% soon!

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  22. I knew you'd write a great post about our unusual but fun week together! So grateful you were there and I so enjoyed every minute of your visit despite all the diseases :)

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  23. You know, all of this made the visit "more memorable". One you won't forget. And what a blessing for both of you to have each other when you got sick. All in God's plan.

    p.s. My hubby and I both had to have that test and we both had the darn flu. And we both had the shot. I think the scraped the eyeball but you might be right, it was the brain. Darn, that Q-tip is long. lol

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  24. I am so sorry you were sick and that your daughter has shingles. Bless her heart, I have heard they are horrible. Hope they heal and go away quickly! It is amazing when you are spending time with your daughter(s) what some might look at as a terrible time are some of the most memorable times you will have. I enjoyed reading this even though you were sick. Amazing how God works things out. Momma was there just when daughter needed her! I love the glass of water!
    until next time... nel

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  25. Ahhh, bummer. But think how you would have felt if you weren't with her and she was sick. That's the worse for me.
    Must be quiet around your house, eh? ha. I am so sorry your week was interrupted but hey you can go back!
    I had the shingles a couple years ago. Ouch. It can be attributed to stress, ya know. Poor thing.
    This reminds me I need to go get the shot!

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  26. Hate that you didn't get to do all of the "fun" stuff, but, I have to admit that as I was reading the post, I thought it sounded like a pretty nice time (minus the not feeling well!).
    Hope she is feeling better. I had no idea young people could get shingles!

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  27. OK, I was doing great until you got to the "cup of water" thing and then here I am, with a tear in my eye! Oh how sweet. And yes, I got the shingles after my MIddle C was born, and my sister-in-law has gotten them numerous times. But they won't give her the shot for them because she is 40, not 60. So painful. But sometimes the best memories come from when our plans don't go as, well, planned.

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  28. Joyce, sorry things didn't go as planned but I'm happy you were there for each other. ((HUGS)) Hopefully you can have a do over in the near future!

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  29. Ugh! I had Shingles right before we got married (Jason must have stressed me out .. ha ha....actually I didn't train well for a 1/2 marathon and I think that stressed my body out and I got it)....I was 27 at the time---Shingles wasn't even on my radar---crazy! 2 kids later...that is THE worst pain I have ever been in! Hope she is doing better and so are you! --Krista

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  30. Joyce, what a tale. I think it was terrific you both had each other while you were so sick. Issue feeling better? I never heard about anyone so young getting shingles.

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