the sick pilot wife

I woke up on Wednesday with a sore throat.  Actually, just one side of my throat was sore.  Throughout the day, things got worse.  I called Steve on my way home from work and said "I am sick...I am going to be out of commission tonight."  Thank goodness he was home!  Talk about perfect timing, as he got in that morning from a trip.  When I got home from work I parked my ass in bed and didn't move for the rest of the night.  My fever eventually got to be 101.

So there I was, laying in bed, sick with a sore throat and a fever.  And there was Steve, on three hours of sleep due to the red-eye he flew the previous night.  Who trumps who?  Who will win, sleep deprived or sick with a fever? 

Well as I previously mentioned, I parked my ass in bed all night and Steve took care of the kids.  Poor guy.  The last thing he wanted to do after a crap-ass schedule was to come home to a sick wife and the need to be a full-time dad...on three hours of sleep.  Yes, he was cranky at times, but he pulled through.  He even finished off the evening with a couple rounds of Black Ops and a beer or two.

I went to the MD the next morning and got tested for strep.  Negative.  Good!  My fever and sore throat continued for the next couple day.  Thankfully Steve was home to play Mr. Mom the entire time, while I stayed in bed nursing a fever. 

When you are sick, you really do keep counting down the days until your pilot husband/father leaves, and pray that you get better in time.  Yes, a pilot is always able to call off a trip, even an emergency drop if necessary (like when I went into labor with Ben).  But, you have to watch it around high holidays.  I am sure crew scheduling thinks it is awfully convenient when pilots call off on July 4th or Christmas Day or New Years Day. 

Finally, on the 31st, I woke up in the morning with no fever, so I knew I was on the mend.  Steve actually had a day-trip that day, and I was able to manage the kids fine.  In the back of my mind, I had the plan of calling my sister or aunt to come over and help if I needed it...again, the last thing Steve would want to do is call off sick on New Years Eve.  I was rather slow, moving about 60%, but I managed.  As the day progressed, I was feeling better and started doing my normal daily things. 

By that night, with the help of some more advil, we went to my aunt's house for a party.  I wasn't able to drink in normal fashion, and the empty belly I had for a couple days wasn't prepared for the invasion:

But, Steve and I rang in the new year with family, and that was just wonderful! 

Steve left on New Years Day for his next trip.  By the time he left, which was late afternoon, I was really feeling better.  I even took the outside Christmas lights down, and started to take down decorations in the house. 

As I mentioned previously, the timing of my sickness worked out nicely.  But, there are plenty of times when you are sick, and have to power through it since your pilot is on the road. Not only do you feel like shit and just want to veg, but you have little ones to tend to.  You feel like the worst Mommy when you tell your kids "what movie do you want to watch next?" instead of "how about we go to the library or the park?"  Or when you make mac and cheese for dinner, instead of something with more nutrition.  But, you gotta do what you gotta do.  Powering through being sick is sometimes your only option. 

And, there are plenty of times when you little ones are sick, and you are the only one home to handle it.  So, you take the brunt of the middle-of-the-night wake up calls, and puke clean-up.  But, that is all part of this lifestyle, and you take the bad with the good. 

Here is a healthy 2012!