Cause and Infect

I am writing today from my usual winter writing location, my leather Lazy Boy with the leg rest propped up and my new birthday mug (note: yesterdays photo) next to me full of Folgers Carmel Drizzle coffee (YUM!). It is now 12:15 PM and I am finally starting to write. The reason for today's delayed writing is that I have an infection in the stitched area from my October surgery and I am just flat out exhausted.

 This infection has plagued me on and off for a couple of months and to be honest I have tried to ignore it and persevere in spite of it. Now before you start judging me and getting all mothery about taking care of myself and all the great mothering comments you have in your arsenal, take a good hard look at yourself. Do you take care of yourself?

 I learned long ago that you keep going in spite of the pain. Think about it where did the phrase "No pain, no gain" come from when it comes to exercise? My own mother moved a piano by herself after bunion surgery on both her feet. I know I am not the only one that hears the doctor say "Take it easy" and nods knowing full well you can't and won't.

 For me personally there are two reasons; I cannot give up my post and I have an ingrained "everyone before me" mothering barometer. Perhaps if when I was sick my family would take a short vacation, I could follow the doctor's advice but when everyone is here I feel like a complete slacker. I probably should have joined the military when I was young, because I live by their mantra's everyday:

1. Be all you can be
2. Never leave a man when he is down
3. Never leave your post

Number three is the trick card when you are a wife and mother. A mothers post is a moving target and knowing when you can leave…well, how about NEVER! My oldest is 28 years old and she is not off the hook and probably never will be (Sorry Ashleigh!). I am in for the long haul on this parenting thing and there is no way out but through it.

 As far as the infection goes, I think it best that now (finally) I listen to the doctor. Especially, since he (the doc) came at me yesterday with a scalpel and a stitch puller thing that looked a lot like pliers. I am not sure what has gone wrong and I have joked that someone sneezed on the thread before surgery, but none of that matters now because I am sore, tired and it is not getting better even though I am taking two different antibiotics at the same time.

 I really do not know the cause of this infection, but I am pulling out all the stops to get better including, taking care of myself and making myself number one. Please do not throw me out of the Mothers Club, this is only a temporary situation and I will be back martyring myself for my children with the best of them in no time. For now my feet are firmly planted in the upright position on the leg rest and I am focused completely on my latest game obsession Bejeweled. Try not to hate me too much!