TGTWIAO (Thank Goodness This Week Is Almost Over!)

As I write this, Vivian is sitting next to me at the table, playing with her "computer". (Really it's just a keyboard and a mouse not attached to anything. I know it won't be long before she wants the real thing, but for the moment, I'm hoping that seeing stuff pop up on my screen will be enough for her).) This has been a hard week for me, and for most of those close to me too. I know that as I write this, it will sound like one big whine, but sometimes we need to whine, right?

I finally started my "maternity leave" on Friday. I use that term loosely, because in a family business, is one ever really on leave? I spent from Wednesday to Friday of last week teaching an in-service on Assault and Crisis Communication, which wasn't so bad, but which was tiring. On Saturday, I spent all day at away from home, continuing to pack and sort Colleen's house. Again, very tired at the end of the day, plus all day was spent away from Vivi and Edward. Sunday was Church, which is always worthwhile, but as Primary President, rarely restful. For Sharing Time, after talking about the families that Heavenly Father gave us, we made valentines for them. This was when I realized that my patience level has taken a nose dive!

On Sunday night, after experiencing lower abdominal pain for several days and then contractions on top of that, I called my OB, "Dr. C". She mentioned the possibility that I could have a bladder infection, and told me to drink lots of fluids and get lots of rest. I was scheduled to see her on Tuesday morning anyway, so we decided to wait until then. The contractions, of course, turned out to be Braxton-Hicks, the "practice" contractions.

On Monday night, when I went to bed, I was still in a fair amount of pain, but I knew I was seeing Dr. C the next morning. I awoke at 2:45 in the most horrific pain I've ever experienced. At first, I thought it was just some crazy back pain, that maybe the baby was kicking a nerve or something. Then it dawned on me that this could be a problem with a kidney, due to the location.
Edward helped me to a straight back chair and Dad came down to help administer a blessing. Edward called Dr. C and she said to head to the hospital. They tried to get me up to head to the car, but the pain was so bad that I couldn't walk,so Dad called the ambulance. What a sight! Seven emergency responders in our tiny little house, at 3:30 in the morning! (I was just grateful that Edward and I had tidied the house the night before!) Long story short, after some fluids and some morphine at the hospital, Dr. C released me with prescriptions for an antibiotic and a painkiller. I'm still waiting for test results, which take 72 hours, but she thinks that it was probably a kidney infection, with the smaller possibility that it could be a kidney stone. The good news is that after several days of treatment, the pain is mostly gone, and I'm able to do things around the house again. The even better news is that the baby is fine, and that none of this seems to have affected him or her. No pre-term labor here!

To add to the stress of all this, we have been preparing for a licensing audit at the group home, which is always highly stressful. And as those who know me well know, I am a stress-sponge! When those I love are stressed, I absorb that stress and make it my own! Not a talent I recommend cultivating! On top of that, some things have been happening relating to the school which have stressed Dad, Edward and me out as well. I'm not going to go into detail, of course, as that would be unprofessional. But all this is happening while I'm supposed to be on maternity leave, which I decided to take for this very reason - to lower my stress level!

I mentioned to Edward the other day how much nicer life would be if we lived like the Amish, and didn't have to deal with people all the time. Although I know at least a part of him loved the idea, he had a good point, saying that their lives are stressful too, just with different causes. They have to worry about getting the harvest in, and drought, and the like.

Oh well. It was a nice thought.