Yep, it's Strep

Ooh, that last post got the parents and in-laws all riled up - emails and calls begging me to seek immediate medical attention.  Well, of course parental advice goes in one ear and out the other.  It took a casual playground conversation with a fellow mom to get me to the Urgent Care.  As I described my symptoms to her with all the authority that an hour online searching "sore throat headache feeling like crap" affords, she came back at me with some long, fancy words that I didn't understand.  I said, "Gee, you sound like you work in a hospital."  Turns out what I thought was a fellow stay-at-home mom sitting next to me on the bench was an Emergency Room doctor.  She said she's seeing a lot of Strep throat in the ER these days and that contrary to my Internet wisdom that told me that antibiotics only takes a day off the symptoms, in fact Strep can travel to other parts of the body and become quite dangerous.

So now I'm all antibiotic-ed up and waiting for relief to come.  As a matter of fact, it seems to be getting worse.  But again, I'm in complete denial because we leave TOMORROW for our road trip to Boston!

But before meeting my angel on the playground, I faked it for a day and chaperoned Holden's field trip to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens (smooth move, riding a humid school bus with 24 five year olds, all the while unknowingly infecting them with Strep...).

 A tree house made of fallen trees from Hurricane Sandy

 Sniffing a cinnamon stick.

 Manhandling tropical worms.

In a field of lilacs.

This is a different Botanical Garden than the one in the Bronx which I wrote about before.  Just as gorgeous but not as big.  Holden and I will definitely be bringing the rest of our family back there.

The same day, coming off my triumphant chaperoning experience, I decided I was also well enough to reschedule the cancelled dinner from the previous night with my good friend Stephanie from D.C. who was just in town for the two nights.  We met at a beautiful roof top restaurant on a gorgeous night and although my voice was just about gone, we had a great time catching up and seeing each other.  

I have paid for it ever since.  I haven't had a voice at all for the last 2 days (that's why I haven't called yet, mom).  But I'm on my second day of antibiotics and prescription-strength Motrin and heeding the doctor's advice to "take it easy".  So wish me luck.  I am going to Boston tomorrow, come hell or Strep throat.