Ellie had come home from school excited about her speed! She completed the mile race for her grade in P.E. that day (every grade was participating through the week). After she told me her ranking (4th in the group and the second girl) in the race she complained that it was hard to breathe and still felt funny in her throat. I suggested she take it easy for the remainder of our day and didn't think much of it.
The following night her face was flush and she had a fever. I told her she would have to stay home from school the next day. She had responsibilities for a conservation fair to be held in two days. She felt like she had to go to help her team get ready. Not only did she miss the preparation day...the fair itself...she missed the entire week after.
We found out after the second missed day that she had pneumonia. She was given an antibiotic Friday night. Her fever slightly improved but it was there every morning and evening even well into the next week. Neither of us could take it anymore...so on Thursday we called the doctor's office again and they wanted to see her. Her new chest x-ray showed that her lungs were worse than the original x-ray. The antibiotics weren't working. Her doctor prescribed two more---and the next morning....NO FEVER!
This has been quite an ordeal for Ellie. I have been really impressed with her attitude through out. She missed three birthday parties, a book-club gathering, the conservation fair, the spring UT football/alumni game (Danny played!), her first spring tennis lesson, the first road show (play) night that we are all participating in, family gatherings...and a lot of school. Although a few tears were shed regarding a few of these events--she turned it around every time and found something quiet to do here to make her happy. A few things we did do: draw... and draw... and draw... She read The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and started Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. She saw Pride and Prejudice for the first time. We discussed questions she found online for our book-club book (Number the Stars) and we discussed them after her sisters went to bed. Even though I hate to see her sick and I almost did a cartwheel in the kitchen when she had no fever this morning, I will miss having her with me. We love so many of the same things (guitar, books, movies, photography and even cooking). She is growing up so fast---now that she is on the mend, I realize how much I am going to miss her through out the day when she is at school next week.
