Another Pox Post

We made it home from holidays.  Usually not a news worthy statement, but it was a bit touch and go there for a while!  If you read my New Year's Day post, you would know that Murphy's Law ascended on us and gave my eight year old son a good, decent, solid case of the chicken pox.  It knocked the poor kid for an absolute six.  What was most unusual about this scenario was that I remained strangely calm and relaxed during it all!  I'm still rather confused as to why I was, but also very impressed with myself....

Once we could get to a pharmacy, the day AFTER the pox arrived, and spent a small fortune stocking up on Pinetarsol (that shit stinks), Sol Site gel (expensive little tube of scar healing gel) and Phenerghan (GOLD), my poor little man just slept off the pox.  He also became a beautiful, darling little child, who actually came to me for a hug and let me look after him.  So, basically the complete opposite to what he would normally allow me to do!  Cadyn is a Daddy's boy..... Well, he was - until Daddy pushed him in to the ocean for some salt water therapy.  I think the other beach going families thought we were attempting some sort of strange baptism.  I went forth and explained to one of the families that we weren't in fact trying to kill him, but that he had chicken pox and we were trying to heal him.

Anyway, a couple of days later, and our cheerful lad returned in all his smart-arse glory.  Straight back to annoying his sisters and non-stop commentating of sporting events.

I called our airline to check what I needed to ensure that we could get on the plane home in a few day's time.  I spoke to Marg from the airlines, and was directed to get a letter from a Doctor to say he was fit for travel.  That's it.  So I made an appointment at the nearest GP, 20 minutes away in Beaconsfield (yep, the Beaconsfield that is unfortunately famous for the mining disaster) and when we presented there the day before travel, a hippy like looking GP wearing boardshorts and a check shirt with a leather necklace wrote me a little medical certificate to say we were A OK to get on a plane and not infect everyone with the pox.....

We spent our last 24 hours in Tassie at the beach and also having lunch at the marina, then headed to the airport.  And this my friends is where my calm, relaxed facade instantly disappeared......

Our family of six lugged all our shit to the start of the line and when called went to the check in desk.  I presented our booking forms and then proceeded to explain our son's predicament and gave her the medical form.  Airline lady looked momentarily perplexed as she looked from the medical form then to Cadyn and back again.  She then got out a small folder and flicked through, clearly not having any idea what to do.  Next step was heading over to another older airline lady and asking her advice.  Young airline lady disappeared and older airline lady headed towards us stating that the medical certificate was not enough and that young airline lady was going to consult their nurse.

WHAT THE F*CK!?!?!?!!?

Right about then was when my cool disappeared and my ranty pants returned.  I managed to rant without expletives, which in itself is a miracle.  I felt Andrew's hand on my shoulder as he tried to calm me down, but I was so frustrated at the thought of doing all I was told to do, and then possibly being stuck in Tassie whilst half our family left....

My cool returned whilst we stood waiting patiently shitty as hell for around ten minutes.  We'd sent the four kids away to sit together in case Andrew had to lose his shit upon airline lady's return.  We also now had a very captive audience of fellow traveller's who were becoming increasingly restless with the wait.  Airline lady appeared with folder in hand and asked to see Cadyn.  So we called him over so he could be inspected in front of everyone, and she asked if his spots were all scabbed over (fuck I hate that word)?  Well, you're looking at him lady??  Then, in all her wisdom, she declared he was able to fly!

HOORAH!

So we got our tribe home, relatively happy and healthy and I'm just biding the time waiting for both girls to present pox like symptoms so that the school holidays can just be that little bit more FUN!

I have a couple of lessons for you in this post - 

1.  Do not think that just because your child is immunised against chicken pox that they won't get it.  And don't think that if they do get it, it will necessarily be a mild case.   A friend asked me why we couldn't just get on the plane without saying anything?

My point made....only a balaclava would have made getting on to the plane easier.....

2.  Don't trust an airline phone operator with a Malaysian accent called Marg.  

3.  DO GO TO TASSIE FOR A HOLIDAY!  You may or may not be aware that they are currently going through a terrible bushfire season.  100's of homes lost and no respite just yet.  This was our second holiday to the Apple Isle, and I can highly recommend it for a great place to visit.  I am planning on running an Underwear Drive to aid those who have lost everything (including their undies), and have contacted Foodbank Tasmania, to be recipients of any donations.  If you would like to contribute to the underwear drive, please email me msmidge1@bigpond.com and I will forward details.  If you can't donate underwear, you can donate to The Red Cross Tasmanian Bushfires 2013 Appeal.  If you can spare a few dollars, they will make sure it goes a long way.

Beautiful Green's Beach, Tasmania.

Amazing Cataract Gorge, Tasmania.

So - how are you getting through these holidays?


****  Edited to say that I will in fact be running the Underwear Drive!