For the past, oh, I don't know, let's say a year, I've wanted to do something to add my voice to the public discussion on healthcare. Sure, I write the blog, and I've called my senators more than a few times, but it was always on my mind to try to do something more. Luckily, an opportunity was just dropped into my lap. Our local CF Foundation chapter invited me to go to the Wisconsin state capitol in a couple of weeks to meet with members of the state legislature to talk about issues important to families with CF. Even though I'd been hoping for just such an opportunity for a while, my first instinct was to decline--spending a whole day in an out of offices of people I don't know, talking to them? Ick. But, I managed to overcome my initial reluctance and signed on. So, that's forthcoming.
Other than that, pretty much business as usual here on the home front. Lemon continued to have a lingering but not terribly bad cough throughout the week. I fully intended to do an extra treatment with him during the week on several days, but sometimes it can be nearly impossible to fit in. On Mondays, he has food school, so we get home from regular school at 12, and have to leave again at 12:45 for food school, which gives a grand total of 45 minutes to get into the house, do a treatment that takes just over half an hour, re-locate all the outerwear, and leave the house again. It can be done but it isn't any fun for anyone. Then on a couple of other days, when our afternoon schedule was less hectic, he ended up being so tired that he took naps, and there is just no way I am going to wake up a child who is sleeping and desperately needs the rest to do an extra session in the vest. So, then it was Friday. Our schedule over the weekend was much more relaxed, so we were able to do 3 treatments both days, and I do really feel like that helped him to clear out the last bits of the cough, and he's basically back to baseline now. Would he have gotten there sooner if I'd managed to fit in more treatments during the week? Maybe. Do I feel guilty for not squeezing them in? Yes. But I try to be realistic.
Meanwhile, poor Lime has a couple of pretty sizable cold sores around his mouth. They don't trouble him too much except when it comes to eating ketchup. Which for him is a big problem, because he dips everything in ketchup. Not just the usual suspects like hot dogs and french fries, but also sandwiches, carrot sticks, apple slices, pieces of cheese, you name it. So, hopefully those will clear up soon.As you may have heard, we're in the middle of a pretty bad flu season, which makes me nervous. Please be good to yourself and those around you. Get your flu shot if you haven't yet, wash your hands a lot, don't lick random surfaces while out in public spaces (yes, I live with preschoolers), and stay home if you're sick. While the flu may be an inconvenience to most of us, to vulnerable people like Lemon it could be an absolutely devastating illness, so please keep people like him in mind when you're deciding whether or not to go to work or send your kid to school. There are still another 12 or so weeks of flu season left, so please be vigilant!
