Emergency Peppermint Mocha

Thirteen days and two negative COVID tests later, Tate is still sick. We took him to the clinic yesterday to get checked out because he just isn’t getting better, and in some strange, ironic twist, all his test results look great. He’s doing amazing except for the sick part! His ANC is 1465, so his immune system is strong enough, his chest X-Ray was normal, and the rest of his blood work was all within range. It’s baffling. They prescribed him antibiotics to fight a possible sinus infection, and we’re hoping that leads to some improvement soon.

In the meantime, Tate has been hanging out with his cat and enjoying some coffees. Supposedly caffeine can help reduce headache pain, so when Tate has taken all the Tylenol he’s allowed to take and he still can’t get his head to stop hurting, I head to Starbucks and return with what I hope is a delicious treat laced with a little relief.

Bringing a person with a cough to a medical facility is no small endeavor these days. We considered that we would be extremely uncomfortable (okay, borderline venomous) if we were stuck in a lobby with someone who couldn’t stop coughing, so Tate decided to wait outside. When I checked him in, the grumpy front desk guy asked if Tate had a cough as part of their new screening process, and his eyes got very big when I said, “Yes, that’s why we’re here. He’s being seen for a cough.” Despite the serious side eye and the intense follow-up questions about whether we had warned the staff Tate was coughing when we made the appointment, he was doing a great job trying to keep the clinic a safe place for the staff and patients. And it happens – we’ve seen it – sometimes desperate parents lie to admission staff to make sure their children see a doctor. Not us, though. We’re like, “Yeah, he’s coughing, but we made him wait outside so it’s okay.”

Another measure the clinic put in place to protect its patients is a designated exam room for kids with coughs. When the tech lead Tate to a room on a different hallway from the oncology rooms, I realized they were steering him away from the most vulnerable patients just in case. I’m sure this is happening in medical practices around the world, but it’s not something I would ever think of; we don’t do this kind of problem solving in mortgage.

The coolest thing happened! I went for a New Year’s Day hike at Usery Park, and a lady going the opposite direction on the trail was wearing a Make Tate Great Again hat! My heart nearly exploded with happiness when I saw it. I know people are out there rooting for us, praying for us, thinking of us. I know it. I can feel it. And to see it, to see a stranger wearing Tate’s hat on a hike, well, that just about did me in.