bensrib: The beginning of the story.

It's been so long since I was here I had to sign in. And Google didn't even remember me. One thing I can say with certainty: this working thing is hard—not the work part, but the trying to get anything else done part.

For instance, I'm leaving for my son's wedding in ten days and I do not yet have a dress. Also, today was the first time I used my big-girl camera in three months. It's all very sad.

But on a happy note, I used my camera today! And I'm about to share with you, in pictorial format, a small part of what we've been up to.

But first, let's back up to July 22, the day Abbey and I got home from visiting Mansquared at camp in North Carolina. We both had a sore throat that day. I thought we'd probably gotten something from Mansquared (who was sick), and Abbey thought she had strep, since she'd been exposed to it the day before we left.

So we both went to the doctor and got amoxicillin to kill the strep. We both started to get a little better, but never completely got over it. Abbey's doctor switched her to something a little stronger, and I went back to see my doctor (a very long, drawn-out story that I won't bore you with).

Abbey continued to get worse and developed a nasty cough, which is pretty normal for her. She gets bronchitis every year. But she wasn't getting any relief, so Ben and I made a trip down to Lynchburg to take her to the doctor again. (Keep in mind this girl is no longer covered by our health insurance.)

So on a Friday in August, we drove down, got her a third antibiotic and some cough medicine, took Mansquared and her out to dinner, and got home around 11 pm. WAY past our bedtime.

(I'm trying to shorten this story. Really; I am.)

The next morning we both had phone messages from an unknown number. Ben didn't see his and left to go paint. I saw mine and listened to the voicemail, a tearful, shaky-sounding Abbey saying something about driving and somebody pulling out in front of her and Ben's car being totaled. (She had left her truck here for Ben to do brakes on, so she was driving his Taurus.)

I tried to call Abbey and it went straight to voicemail. I called the unknown number and got a woman I don't know, who saw the wreck and stopped to let Abbey use her phone. Abbey was way out in the mountains west of Lynchburg, driving around because she woke up early and couldn't stop coughing. And yes, some woman pulled right out in front of her.

And because she was way out in the mountains with no cell phone service, Mansquared couldn't find her. (Insert long skipped story here.) He finally did, got her home, and the Taurus was hauled away.

Back to Lynchburg we went. Leah also went, with the intention of staying there for a few days to nurse Abbey back to health and take her to the chiropractor. After spending the day in Lynchburg with the kids, we came back home.

Fast-forward to Tuesday evening. I was aware that there was still no improvement in Abbey's cough, and Leah was trying everything she knew to do. Tuesday night Abbey called to say she thought she might be getting worse. By this point, she had pleurisy, an inflammation in the lining that surrounds the lungs and causes a LOT of pain every time you move, breathe, or cough. I talked to Leah and they were preparing to go back to the doctor again. A short time later, Abbey called to say she had coughed really hard and felt/heard something pop in her left side, and she was having trouble breathing and beginning to panic. After speaking on the phone with the doctor, it was decided (ordered) that she be taken to the ER. The girl with no insurance.

So at 9:30 Tuesday evening, I made my third trip to Lynchburg in five days, getting to the hospital (with the help of Siri) around midnight. We stayed until about 2:30, and after a shot of codeine, Abbey was a happy camper. They sent her home with more codeine, which was her best friend for the next week.

After sleeping a few hours at Abbey's, we all came home to our house so I could keep an eye on her and wrap her bubble wrap.

And if you think that's the end of the story, you're wrong. But this is way too long already, so I'll finish tomorrow.

I'll leave you with Ben's car: