How To Take A Bear To The Doctor

Given the fact that the Bear's illness came equipped with high temps (103.7), his older sister who lives nearby just got over the flu, his oldest sister developed life-threatening pneumonia after her own bout with the flu, and it was the weekend (whew!) I felt it necessary to take the Bear to the doctor Friday. This was not easy for a couple of reasons:

1. Our doctor's office was turning children away unless it was a dire emergency.
2. The Bear hasn't been ill since 2005 so I wasn't sure he was still in their system. Really and truly.

But off to the doctor he went. Just not without a hitch. So here are the steps I took to get the Bear there:

• Call for appointment. Actually get one! Amazing! Have 60 minutes to get him there.
• Put Fen in his car seat, dogs in crates/rooms, get Bear off couch, grab purse and prepare to load big boy and little boy in car.
• Remember that Pastor Dad took my car on his funeral trip to WV since mine is more comfortable on trips than is his. Reassess situation.
• Look for keys to Pastor Dad's car since this is the one in the garage.
• Realize that I no longer have a key to Pastor Dad's car since someone (I'm looking at you, Nevada!) lost my keys this summer.
• Panic!!!!!!!!
• Call son-in-law in hopes that he is not (a) substitute teaching, (b) off running errands, (c) ignoring the call once he sees it is his mother-in-law's number on caller i.d.
• Breathe once more when son-in-law answers phone.
• Borrow son-in-law's mini-van and drop off Fen to play with his adoring cousins (bonus!)
• Drive Bear to doctor's appointment where they are positive that it is strep but the test is negative. Go back home after several blood tests, no diagnosis, and no prescriptions.

The good news is that the fever is now broken and the Bear is on the mend. Blood tests for things like mono are negative.

Bear looks like he saw ghosts this Halloween. Or maybe it's him that looks like a ghost. Good thing we kept him in the house away from the trick or treaters! I don't care how he looks. I'm just thankful that the fever is gone. Seven days is a long time to have temps over 100 degrees unless one is off on a Caribbean vacation.