Doctor's Orders

Christmas was over, the New Year was approaching and I had six days off from work to spend with Krischan and relax.  Well, that plan worked for a couple of days up until the point that whatever it was that had been keeping Krischan under the weather had found its way over to me.  That’s when the fun began.

Let me explain how this particular ‘fun’ worked.  A persistent cough that felt like a scalding hot, razor sharp blade was penetrating my chest cavity.  Sneezes were similar although more painful; much more so, in fact.  Congestion that couldn’t have been any worse if a vise was holding my nostrils closed.  Constant chills, except for the occasional times when I became so hot my clothes became soaked in perspiration in a matter of seconds; an overall weakness that defied any and all logic and that skin-hurting-when-clothing-touches-it thingee that probably never will be explained if we all live for a thousand years.    

And lest I forget, what ‘fun’ wouldn’t be complete without a total loss of appetite and a perpetual desire for nothing other than restful, healing, pretend-it-don’t-hurt-no-more sleep?

So now that you understand my definition of ‘fun,’ know those last four days of my vacation time with Krischan were exactly as I described and for those reasons I will always remember them as fun.  The kind of fun you’ll always hold dear in your memory. 

Because for those four days Krischan did everything he could to ‘take care of his G-Pa.’ For those 96 hours he was the embodiment of every flawless albeit fictional doctor I watched on television while I was growing up.    

Don’t believe me?  Get out your scorecard and you’ll see how well young Marcus Welby MD fared:

Compassion: With every cough (or sneeze) as I lay prone on the couch, Krischan would lean over and kiss me on the cheek to make me feel better.  The crazy thing is it worked every time, because I actually did feel better.

Medical care: At regular intervals (it seemed like every two hours, but I was in-and-out most of the time so it’s hard to gauge exactly) Krischan told me it was time for my medicine.  He would then give me one piece of raspberry sorbet Ice Breaker’s Ice Cubes chewing gum and then help himself to one as well because it was not only medicine but ‘our favorite gum’ as well. 

Proper treatment: As Krischan patiently* sat by me on the couch as ‘just a few more minutes’ turned into hours that turned into several hours after that, he would reach over and rub my forehead, neck or shoulders.  (*Patience to a five-year old constitutes having a fully-charged iPad on one’s lap and the Nicktoons channel playing on the television.  Now you know.)

Patience: As previously described and to include other ways of passing the time.  Like drawing one’s own bath, for instance.  Krischan asked if he could take a bath (he had a plastic alligator and four frogs he wanted to play with in the tub).  I asked if he was able to take a bath without me, and the next thing I knew I heard the bath water running.  An hour (two?) later I called out to see if he was ready to get out of the tub.  ‘Not yet.’  An hour (two?) after that I asked again and got the same answer.  This time I wasn’t taking no for an answer (translation: I was now able to pry myself off the couch) so I went into the bathroom and found Krischan splashing around in no more than three inches of very cool bath water…without any evidence any actually bathing had occurred.  I ran some warm water and poured a cup of it on his head so I could wash his hair.  The next thing I know he’s screaming ‘it’s hot—it’s hot.’  It was barely lukewarm, but I guess when you’ve been sitting in cool bath water for two (four?) hours or so it would give the illusion of being hot.  All this to say: Krischan did a good job occupying his time while I was sleeping.  I’m just grateful he didn’t turn into a prune.

Accountability: Not once during those four days did more than a few hours go by before Krischan would touch his palm to my forehead and offer his medical opinion of my current condition.  ‘Yep, you still have a temp-a-toor’ seemed to be the most popular one offered.  (I believe it was fairly accurate.) 

I’m not sure I would have made it through those four days without him: Cindy was working, I didn’t feel like doing a single, solitary thing and I’m a man and you know how needie we are when we’re sick.

Having Krischan watch over me those four days was just what the doctor ordered.