Jack Attack

Today, Jack, 15, had to get 8 vials of blood drawn.  It didn’t go well.  At one point, he looked as if he was going to pass out.  The phlebotomist said, “You shouldn’t feel like passing out, you weigh enough to give 8 vials of blood…(long pause)…don’t you?” As Jack’s eyes began to roll back into his forehead, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was perhaps a bit too late to be asking that question.

Jack has been having these very scary allergic reactions ,to what, we don’t know, hence the need for blood work.  One night, Jeff took him to the ER when he was covered in hives and his lips, face and tongue started swelling up.  He started to resemble Lisa Rinna which for a 15 year old black male is no easy task.

Jack is a great kid.  Really. He has a huge heart and a great sense of humor…not as good as mine but close.  I love spending time with him and hearing what he has to say about politics and basketball.  Jack makes me smile and he makes mean waffles. I don’t always remember all of his good qualities.

What I often seem to notice are that his grades are not what I think they should be…i.e. passing.  He doesn’t always clean his room…i.e. never.  And he has an uncanny ability to make his siblings scream from across the room.  Jack calls that his super power.  Sometimes,  I envision an adult Jack living in my basement unable to hold a job that pays enough for him to support himself.  Although the plus side of that is there will be someone on hand to change my diapers..and Jeff’s too.  I get worried that Jack will end up that scary, creepy 50 year old single man that has a lot of cats and enjoys watching Dancing with the Stars  while eating an Hungry Man dinner on a little t.v. stand….you know the guy I mean.

Then he swells up and we race to the doctor and I think “who cares?”  I just want him to be okay.  I don’t care about grades, or messy bedrooms or how he tortures his siblings.  He is welcome to live in my basement forever as long as he is healthy and happy….and keeps it to less than 5 cats.

P.S. NaBloPoMoW8Lo Challenge – Still no movement on the scale which pisses me off because I haven’t really eaten for a week.  Of course I haven’t really moved either.    I still feel crappy so I don’t think I’ll be exercising a ton anytime soon but if there is no movement on the scale tomorrow morning I am going to make myself walk…if it kills me.  Tomorrow is the 1/2 way point and I still have 7 pounds to lose.  Crap!