Things have been a bit nuts the last couple of days! Then again, are they ever any other way around here???  

   We have been trying to sort out a little party for Pumpkin's first birthday this coming week. So I booked the village hall as we usually do, then cancelled it as most of the people we were inviting couldn't make it and it seemed silly to pay all that money when we can easily fit in our living room!

   Then there has been trying to ring everyone to invite them since I didn't have enough time left to mail or hand out invites by the time we figured out when we could have the party. His Mum has wanted to do something this week too, so we have been trying to organize around her. We had to wait and see what Social Services would allow her to do before we could sort it all out! It is amazing how many people it takes to arrange a one year old's birthday!!

   Then I had to shop last night for groceries and for the party - which was finally settled to happen on Sunday afternoon for just an hour. I also had to ship parcels at the post office and pick up bunny food.

   All day yesterday McGee kept saying he didn't feel well, but there didn't seem to anything concrete wrong with him, and he couldn't pinpoint a symptom so we just watched him. He wasn't interested in tea last night and went to bed early - very unlike my usual human dustbin!

   This morning he woke up and had a high fever and bright red cheeks and a fine pinpoint rash all over his face. He had no headache, sensitivity to light or sore neck so I just made an appointment with the GP to get it checked. And I gave him some paracetamol to bring down the fever. Then I rang his godmother to ask her to pray (she is a nurse practitioner) and she asked me if I had given it the tumbler test.

   So I checked the rash which was dark red - not bright, and IT DID'NT FADE UNDER THE GLASS!!!!  Can we say, paniced mother now???? So my friend offered to come and sit at my house with the three little ones while I ran him to hospital.

   I flurried around sorting everyone out, clothes, food, phone numbers just in case, nappies - you know the drill. Then we flew out the door.

  Oh! And I forgot to mention that Dh left at 6:30am to drive to Birmingham and teach all day and then drive back. He wouldn't be home till late and I had no way to reach him! Just to make things more fun!!  

   The triage nurse told me I should have stuck with the GP since it would be a long wait and put a non-urgent color sticker on his notes! She obviously thought I was being silly. So we sat and read in the waiting room while we waited. When we were called it was to see the nurse practitioner - not a Dr. so she really didnt' take us seriously!!

   The nurse practitioner was lovely and specialised in pediatrics. She checked that rash three times and then went to speak to the pediatric team. She came back and said they definitely wanted to see him and took us to a private side room. We only waited 10 minutes then till the Dr came from the ward to check him over. So I guess people were taking me seriously now!! She had said 'That rash is not fading under pressure!' I told her that I knew that and that was why we had come!  

   The Dr gave him a FULL check over, head to toe, reflexes, eyes, ears, throat, glands, lymphs, chest, skin all over, and tons of questions. He took half an hour! (a very long time in an NHS hospital A+E department!)

   He finally said that McGee probably had a virus which caused a pitichial (sp?) rash and should be observed for at least 24 hours. But he gave me the choice of him being observed on the ward or me observing him at home. Had Dh been here I may have gone with the ward, but with him away it was too much to sort out! So we opted to go home. The Dr then gave us a 'fast pass' to the ward that is good till Monday evening! So if we have any other worrying symptoms or things get worse before that we can go straight to the childrens ward and be seen immediatly - no more waiting in A+E!

   So with that peace of mind we are at home and keeping an eagle eye on my dear 8 year old son! I think we are giving church a miss tomorrow just in case and because we are all exhausted from todays events! Also, we will decide in the morning whether to cancel the party altogether or just proceed with McGee staying upstairs and away from the littlies who are coming.

   I also had to cancel a trip to a friend's house who lives 1 1/2 hours away. I was supposed to take some things to her that she was going to take to my Mom next week when she flies stateside. Her mom lives near mine and she is playing courier for me! Hopefully we can run up to hers quickly on Tuesday before they leave otherwise I'll have to ship the stuff.

   So we are waiting for Dh to get home and getting everyone to bed early tonight! Please pray that we don't have to use our 'fast pass' this weekend. I could use without doing that!