I Do It For Colt.

Let me just vent for a few minutes, okay?

I’ll start off telling you about my work schedule.  I work on Tuesdays and Thursdays all day.  On Fridays, I work until about 1:00 without taking a lunch, so I can eat lunch alone and run the errands I need to run without a 43 lb. two year old tagging along making it difficult.  I do this for maybe an hour, two at the most before I go pick him up from his Mimi’s house.  

Now.  My days off.  Mondays, we have Speech Therapy.  This Monday (and all too often, it seems!) we also went to the pediatrician’s office.   Colt has a double ear infection (sixth double ear infection this year), a sinus infection (fourth this year), the beginnings of bronchitis (fourth this year, twice requiring two rounds of antibiotics), and also something viral causing ulcers in his throat and a 103.6 degree fever since Saturday.  On Wednesdays, we have Physical Therapy and usually something fun for Colt as a reward.  Last week it was the Tennessee Aquarium.  The week before, it was Waffle House (don’t judge me) and the playground.  Fridays, as I mentioned, I get maybe two hours to myself.  THIS FRIDAY, I take Colt to the Walker County BOE place to have him tested for Special Ed Preschool.  Saturday, my husband works all day and usually into the evening hours, so I have Colt to myself AGAIN. This is fine, don’t get me wrong, but it is HARD.  He requires A LOT of attention and help.  Sunday, we go to Sunday School then church, go to lunch, home for Colt’s nap, then back to church.  Next week, I go to the doctor, the week after, Colt goes back to his eye doctor to check and make sure the three surgeries he had last year are still doing their job.  Sometime in there, we are supposed to hear from Colt’s geneticist to hear the results of his second round of genetic testing.  Also in there, we go back to the ENT, even though we just went in June, to see if they are going to do tubes again, since Colt has had 3 double ear infections and a busted ear drum since our last visit in June.  

PLEASE TELL ME WHERE IN THERE I FIND TIME TO LET MY PERSONAL LIFE INTERFERE WITH MY WORK.  

People are really, REALLY clueless.  I do not feel guilty in the least for those two (at the most!) hours I get to myself, even if it is to walk aimlessly through Target with a Starbucks latte.  I would give anything for a massage or manicure/pedicure or to be able to go shopping and not feel guilty because at home on the kitchen counter are over $4,000 worth of medical bills that need to be paid. 

Please don’t take this as a complaint, or a cry for attention, or an attempt to make people feel sorry for me.  It is not that because to be honest, I would not change it for a second.  Take it as a reality check for those of you who think that I hardly do anything with my life because I only work 2 ½ days a week.  

 I do it for this boy.  I do it for Colt.