Sick Enough for Sympathy?

Those who know me know that I'm not the warm and fuzzy, "motherhood-rocks" type. My rather cynical and smart ass approach to parenting unfortunately carries over to when the kids, or my husband, is sick. I blame my parents (and someday my children will blame me) since they weren't exactly the sympathetic and doting types either (it's okay, guys. I still love you.).

I find that my degree of sympathy and a motherly response is dependent on the physical symptoms I can actually observe:

• Throwing up? Excellent visual confirmation that you are, in fact, ill
• Diarrhea? The kids think one messy poop qualifies. Me? I need to see regular desperate dashes to the bathroom. 
• Fever of 101+? Check. That qualifies for some extra mommy-loving. 
• A croupy cough that keeps you (and me) up at night? Okay, I can buy that. 

But laying around just feeling lousy? An occasional cough or sniffle? A sore throat that the doctor says isn't strep? Pick yourself up, take a shower, get dressed, and start moving. Like my Pop Pop used to tell his daughters, "Put on some lipstick, and you'll feel better." Lipstick was like a magical elixir for my pop pop.

Ian stayed home from school on Friday with a mild sore throat and general lack of energy. I let him stay home because it was the first sick day he requested this year. His vegetative state persisted through the weekend, causing him to miss an opportunity to go sailing with a friend. Missing an opportunity to hang in the Chesapeake on a 47' sailboat would have been a definite confirmation of illness for some (ME!). With Ian, however, I'm never sure if it's illness or a bit of anticipated homesickness that's causing discomfort. I once drove nine hours to pick him up, only slightly ill, from a church mission trip he attended with the youth group. I have my doubts about his general staying power.

On Monday I took Ian to the doctor who diagnosed allergies, suggested some Allavert, and told Ian he could go back to school. Ian wasn't having it. He stayed home again. Tuesday he said he felt moderately better so I pushed him out the door sent him off to school. When I picked him up he looked like death warmed over. He was dramatically improved, however, from about 4:00 p.m. till 9:00 p.m., and then went back to being pathetic not feeling well. Today he's home again.

Is it allergies?
Lyme disease?
Mono (and if so, who's he been kissing)?
Walking pneumonia?
Malaria?
Bubonic plague?
A school bully?
A difficult test?
A mere funk?

I suppose another visit to the doctor is in order, complete with blood work, if this persists.

While I continue to work on my sympathy skills, how about sharing your thoughts on determining the actual level of illness in your child?