Until it wasn't.
Melinda texted me early on for prayers.
So she was on my mind all day.
(pre-catastrophy)
Katie went to school as usual and would have a long day due to volleyball practice at 3:30.
Then at 3:20 Katie called me.
Mom, I can't practice volleyball because I don't have my form with the Dr. signature.
Oh shoot. I forgot to bring that along with me on Tuesday when she had her sports physical.
I told her to go sit with the team and I would drive over to the Dr. (1/2 hour away), ask him to sign it, bring it back to the office, and then she could practice.
So, in rush hour traffic, I drove like a maniac to Madison, ran in the office and pleaded for the Dr. to sign the form. He was there and signed it right away.
I ran out the door, jumped in the car and raced over to school (15 minutes to go two miles because of traffic). I dashed in the office and was about to hand the form to the principal when she said, there was a problem with the volleyball team.
I followed her over to the gym and saw Katie still dressed in her school clothes. "Change your clothes, Katie." I ordered.
The trouble with the team....two teams scheduled the gym at the same time on the same day.
This is not a problem for us...but for most of the other players. Huge issue.
So the girls wandered around and jogged outside a little as the people in charge tried to figure a solution.
I went back to the office and filled out more forms for an upcoming field trip and headed back to the gym.
The sixth graders were scrimmaging with the seventh graders.
When 4:30 came, I summoned Katie over and said we need to get home because your friend Izzy is coming over at 6:00 to work on your school project. (egg drop)
Katie said. "My knee pads must be too tight. Look! My legs are purple."
Wow! They really did look strange.
One of the coaches came over and agreed that they looked strange. She said we should go right to the Dr.
And so we did.
The drive back to the Dr. office was congested and crazy from school.
I nearly died from the stress.
We got there at 4:50.
All the docs were gone. But a nurse kindly saw us.
She looked at her legs and agreed they were strangely colored and hot.
(I thought this might be a reaction to the shots.)
She said we could stay and a Dr. would be in at 5:45 for the night shift.
I asked her if Katie was her child, would she come all the way back?
She said yes.
So, because Katie had her egg drop meeting at our house from 6-7:00, I made an appointment for
7:30.
You got that right. Go home. Eat. Do school work for an hour.
Get back in the car and drive back to Madison at 7:30 at night.
I said to Patrick at 7:00. She seems fine. I think we can stay home.
He encouraged me to go. Better safe than sorry.
So the girls worked on their project, which was due this morning, until 7:00.
We jumped in the car to drive Izzy home. It was a mad dash to get to the Dr. office by 7:30 but we made it. (I have this thing about being late. Don't like it at all.)
So we were called quickly to go back to the examining room.
A nurse came in to get the basic scoop.
She listened to our story of fever and purple legs.
She listened to Katie's heart and lungs.
Then she looked. She agreed that Katie's legs were discolored.
She said, "Why are your white bracelets blueish?"
"And your fingernails?"
hum.
that's weird.
She noticed and I did too at this point that the color seemed darker at the hair follicles.
I looked to her and said, "Katie wore a brand new black skirt to school today."
And we knew.
Katie's legs had been dyed by the skirt and because she wasn't wearing it anymore I didn't and certainly Katie didn't think of it.
I felt like a dummy.
The nurse was very nice and said she could remember her son's jeans doing this to his legs and that kind of tipped her off.
Katie was very sorry. But really, how could she know.
Unfortunately, we still had to see the Dr. and the Medical student. (both very nice but a waste of our precious school night time.)
We did not get home until 9:00.
And there was still homework to be done.
This morning as we headed to school, I asked if Katie had brushed her teeth and had her gym clothes.
Yes. Yes. No lunch needed today. Hot lunch.
Because I had Dr. appointment this morning for blood tests I wouldn't be stopping to get a Chai so we took Ginny along with us to school.
We arrived at school at 7:45. Nice and early.
As we pulled into the parking lot, Katie said, "I forgot my 'egg drop' project."
I looked at her and my mouth dropped open and I wanted to cry.
I would have to drive home, in the hideous traffic, and get her dumb project and bring it right back to school, in the hideous traffic.
It was my worst nightmare.
So off I sped to get the project. I dropped Ginny off at home.
Brought the project back to school. Took it to her class and headed home.
Since I was afraid to miss my appointment I went right my Dr. office, which is right near my home.
I was 20 minutes early but seeing that this was just lab work, I would go and hope they could get me in early. After 35 minutes of waiting....I went back up to the window and said, 'do I have the time wrong for my appointment? I've been waiting a while."
To that she said, "Oh! You can go right back to the lab and give them your purple paper."
Of course.
What a horrible 18 hours.
I am now home and plan to sit on my couch and pray that the phone does not ring.
Me forgetting. Stupendously stupid medical scare. Rush hour traffic. Katie forgetting.
Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad.
Hopefully,
The End.
Donna
