The Monotonous, the Mundane and the perfect bliss

Oh dear ... it has been more than 2 months since the last blog entry. No, not because I'm thinking of abandoning my blog again. And not because I have nothing to update/say - on the contrary, there's lots. So, be warned, the next couple of entries will be back-dated.

I have been busy spending and spending on stuff like Pulmicort, Combivalent, Seretide, Rhinocort, Sterimar, Priniton, Controloc ... even acquired a nebuliser machine - medication and inhalers for lung infection (shortness of breadth, headaches, restless sleep) bronchitis and rhinitis. Here are the numbers:

1. No. of GP visits: 6 + 2 (1 for each child)
2. No. of specialist visits: 7.
3. Aggregate no. of days of medical leave: 15 over a period of 3 months
4. No. of bottles of suppressant (cough mixture) consumed: 3
5. No. of X-rays taken: 4
6. Total bill: $2000 (not counting those paid for by the company)
7. Weight loss: 2000g (I could have said 2kg, but when one crosses a certain age, I am of the view, that it is more meaningful/appropriate to measure weight loss by grams. Not unlike how one uses "weeks" when talking about advancement in pregnancy or refers to the age of an infant in "months". Weight gain, on the other hand, should strictly be measured in terms of kilograms.)
8. No. of nights spent sleeping separated from my beloved sons: 5

Quite a record but the only number of significance was the last. The next morning, though well rested, I would wake up totally disorientated, wondering if I were in a hotel in a foreign land. It's of course liberating to have the bed to myself, not having to be awaken in the middle of night by cries, dream-talking, pj soaked in u**** or forceful kicks (All courtesy of Sweet Potato). But somehow, there's also a feeling of loss, incompleteness of the soul.

Last week was my 1st full week back at work and of course, there was much work to clear. And amidst this period of ill health - we went for a holiday at Langkawi, celebrated my mum's birthday at our place and nursed 2 sick kids. Peanut had a fever for 2 days whilst Sweet Potato's high fever (which hit 40 at its highest) lasted 5 days. And here's one more number for you. What is the difference in body temperature with and without diapers?

0.9 degrees Celcius. My poor baby was one hot potato. I am not joking, I was diligently alternating between sponging and temperature taking. I learned that the blood vessels are close to the skin at the forehead, armpits and groin area so heat transfer and hence reduction in body temperature is most marked by sponging these areas. And so diapers can and do make a difference.

Things have finally settled down and I'm so relieved to be able to report that life reverts back to normal humdrum. Normal can be so blissful.