Something Cliff Said

Cliff's most recent post inspired me here. Not as a whole about truckers, truckstops, or stoic waitresses, but one word, "cough." You see for the past two years, my daughter gets this cough. It usually starts in the fall, when the weather starts to change. It lasts a little over the week, and gets way worse before it gets better. It sounds like croup with a bronchitis mixed in. I take her to the doctor three days into it, and lo and behold it is viral, or allergy related, maybe. Iknow it isn't productive, nothing is spewing out, it just sounds awful. I usually keep her home for one or two days when it is at its worst. I do take her out in public, as it is sometimes necessary. Sleeping is a challange for me, not for her, I give her an over the counter cough med and she gets some relief from that one. The doctor never perscribes anything stronger, he says that it is dangerous. She barks at the doctor, she barks at the nurse, she barks in the waiting area. VIRAL, give any and alot of fluids. Keep an eye on her, call us if it gets worse. Worse????? how much worse can it get???????? She is barking, not coughing...Strange, and it never really affects her personality, she takes it in stride, goes about her day, hates to miss school, and just deals with it. Her teacher, thank goodness, had her last year, so he knows the cough. He understands when I call to let him know that it developed overnight,and we are riding it out. He always says he will watch her and call if he feels it is necessary. The nurse, the best nurse in the whole world, has heard, seen and helped, with the cough. She says the same thing as the teacher. She will watch out for my little one. So, if you see me out in public, with a little girl, coughing her head off, I am not an abusive, neglective mother, I am watching and waiting it out. I can do nothing more, as your hideous look suggests, I have been the route of nurse, doctor, home. I have not felt as if the whole of western medicine has let me down. I have vaccinated my children, I do have health insurance, I use it, I have a doctor, I go to his office. I just have accepted the fact that my daughter has a cough, it sounds worse than it is, it will pass, and life goes on! So, now, at the moment, she is cough free, hopefully she will stay that way for a very long time.