My very long day

My day started at 5:45 this morning. Not so bad except I was up with a sick kid until nearly midnight, then slept badly because I was worried about everything I was gonna have to deal with today. So after I got up, I threw on some clothes, went and woke up Nick to tell him we were leaving and he was in charge, at which point Zach somehow managed to spill the bowl he was using to throw up in all over his bed, so I cleaned that up, then left to take John to the surgical hospital so he could have both his knees operated on.

It was just an outpatient procedure, but he elected to have both knees done at once, because with work he just didn't know when he was gonna be able to make time for a second surgery. So I dropped him off, hung out until he was called back, then raced home to check on the kids. Zach had thrown up some more, so I cleaned that up, threw his bedding into the wash, helped get Madison ready for school, and sent her off, thanked Nick again, because I had no choice but to have him skip school and stay home and babysit his pukey brother and Christopher, so I could go and pick up John. I sat in the waiting room for almost two hours, trying to read, but all the while worrying about John, and the rest of the boys. And feeling badly that Nick was missing school. Finally they came out to get me and said that John was awake and ready to go home. Everything went well with the surgeries, there were no surprises, and everyone seems pretty optimistic he should do well. So we are all feeling good about that.

Apparently he had been telling everyone on the post-op staff several times how he was going to In n Out for a cheeseburger and strawberry shake after he got out of there. He doesn't remember this, but that doesn't surprise me. He gets pretty loopy when he's on the good drugs. One time after a colonoscopy many years ago, it was Christmas time, and after he had repeated himself for the 17th time I had the best idea in the whole world. I decided to take him Christmas shopping and let him pick out his own presents and then on Christmas morning he wouldn't even remember picking them out! It didn't work. He totally was uncooperative, and just wanted to go home. Don't worry, I didn't try that again. For starters I learned my lesson, and secondly, this time he was in a lot of pain, and can barely walk. (he was totally pain free and mobile the last time)

So I dropped John off, saw him to bed, apologized to Nick because I needed to neglect his education for another hour while I ran to the store to pick up John's prescription pain meds, and some Sprite. (he asked for that twice) Also since there was an In n Out nearby I grabbed cheeseburgers and shakes. I picked myself up a coke to keep myself going, but while I was taking care of John, Christopher claimed it as his own and wouldn't share it with me. ( I forgot to get him a drink)

After taking Nick to school, (with only two hours left) and making sure everyone was okay, I laid down for a few minutes, but totally passed out (cause I didn't get my stinking coke!), only to be woken up by John standing at the bottom of the stairs yelling for me (I know! I know! I feel bad about that!)because I guess Madison had fallen down while chasing boys at recess, and turned her ankle or something and was whining in the nurse's office, so I needed to go down to the school and take her some Tylenol so she'd go back to class.

The kids came home shortly, and I had Nick babysit again while I took Madison to her tutoring lesson, then stole some time to myself and did a bit of Christmas shopping because her tutor is near a mall, and it would be ridiculous to try and come home for 10 minutes anyway. Luckily we had leftovers from last night and the night before so I didn't have to cook. That and only a few of us have appetites at all.

But at the end of the day, we are all doing well, or better anyway. Zach has been keeping stuff down for several hours now, and John made it up the stairs to our room so we don't have to sleep in the guest room. Of course he is the "Mr. tough guy" so it probably hurts more than he's letting on, and I'm gonna have to force some percocet down his throat in a minute here. They say he should be walking on his own (without crutches) by the end of the week. (but most people only get one knee done at a time.) They had to shave both his knees- mid thigh to mid calf. Supposedly the itchiness from all that hair regrowth is supposed to be just as bad as the pain from the surgery itself. I imagine it will be, he's got some pretty hairy legs.