Point of No Return

My son, Nicky, has been home from school more often than I would prefer lately thanks to multiple snow days, an early release day for a storm that never showed, a pretty substantial stomach bug and the infamous Strep. 🤒

Full disclosure, when the doctor discussed several, various illnesses she was testing him for two weeks ago, I was wholly routing for a strep throat diagnosis knowing 24 hours of antibiotics would deem him no longer contagious and able to rejoin the world. That was absolutely the lowest of all the evils in a list that included covid, flu, RSV or the beginning of the Zombie Apocalypse. 🧟

Feeling victorious with the verdict, we left the doctor’s office with a note for the school to excuse his absences and a prescription for amoxicillin. After another day and a half of rest, Nicky was good as new and back to school, sports, play rehearsal, talking back to his parents and annoying the crap out of his sister. 🙄

Fast forward to precisely seven days later and the child is suddenly, with no warning, absolutely covered, head to toe in the most miserable rash I have ever seen. They insert an ‘amoxicillin allergy’ into his medical file after another visit to the doctor. Seven days in on this antibiotic and he has to start from scratch with another nasty tasting, pink liquid to make sure the strep is fully annihilated.

Finally, after two weeks treating this issue that was supposed to be the most simple of ailments in the malady roulette, he heads to school this morning without having to be medicated. We casually stroll to the bus stop, discuss our plans for the evening and he joins his neighborhood comrades in some football in the slushy snow. ❄️

I hear the squeal of the bus in the distance. The boys all run from the yard to gather their bags and await their big, yellow chariot. Nicky takes this moment to grab my arm and tell me his throat hurts and he does. not. want. to. go. to. school.

🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

I control my rage and quickly feel his forehead and look in his mouth. No disconcerting signs. The bus comes to a halt in our wake. It’s now or never. The bus waits for no kid. I don’t want to be the mom who sends a sick kid to school, but I don’t want him home unnecessarily either. 🤔

I guide him towards the door and tell him I think he’ll be okay. He ascends the steps and is on his way. Moments like this are tough. My gut tells me that he is fine and just doesn’t want to go to school. Either that or I sent him off with a raging fever and another round of strep or something more treacherous that infects the entire school. 🤦‍♀️

I wish he gave me more time to investigate, but I did the best I could at that point. Once the bus arrives, time is up. We all know there is no way he was going to school if he didn’t get his butt on the bus. This is the last stop on the school train, the point of no return. 🚌

Here’s to a happy and healthy day for my little guy and hopefully no call from the school nurse! 🤞