<p>Didn’t send a thermometer. We did get a memo BEFORE she went indicating to send one. When I made the comment to both D and H that I should pick one up they both said why. She never uses one at home when she’s been sick so didn’t think that would change. I didn’t send one. I’ve been asking myself if I should get one and send it in a care package but I still don’t think she would use it even if she does get sick. Ugh…</p>
<p>Sent off an entire medical bag of goodies last year and S1 never realized they were there until he got to Boston for the summer and unpacked same. This year the bag is on his bookshelf and he was given specific instructions, given the bugs flying about and the need for him to stay healthy since I am immunocompromised. He got a regular flu shot at his physical in Spetember.</p>
<p>If your kids have a single and are sick, make sure they let someone know they are ill. No fun to be alone, and scary as heck if one gets worse and has noone to reach out to for help.</p>
<p>missypie, am sorry to say DH is an attorney and we have never completed wills. Could never decide on who would get the kids. I think it’s important to discuss this stuff with the kids so they know you and your H have already covered the bases. It’s easy to imagine the worst, and all too often, families haven’t planned and are faced with a dramatic change in lifestyle.</p>
<p>I will second the life insurance suggestion – doubled my term policy when I was 4 months pregnant with S2, and got an automatic increase rider for the first four years. Ten years later, I was completely uninsurable. It will pay for college for both kids – which was the point when we got the policies – that it would make up for my income and pay for child care/tuition for the kids.</p>
<p>I have made contact. S2 says the Tylenol is working and he is OK; just sleeping. He wasn’t in the mood to talk but sounded coherent. </p>
<p>I have never learned to text. My phone is my blackberry so I have always used email. I know S gets text messages so I will add learning how to send a text to my “to do” list. Thanks everybody for your support. H has his speedwork on Tuesday nights so gets home late (and isn’t reachable) and I was just going into meltdown with worry. I don’t worry that often so when I do start to worry, my imagination can get out of control very quickly.</p>
<p>For $10 more I think, we added emails onto S’s cell phone plan. so he can receive and send on his phone. Convenient when he can’t get to his computer. It takes major battery power to send email but it’s great for him to see and read any new ones. It helps me to know that he probably reads anything from me fairly promptly. Or at least has the facility to do so.</p>
<p>Analyst, sorry you had to go through that ‘alone’ . Sit you and your imagination down and have dinner and a glass of wine. Your s will be fine.</p>
<p>Hugs to all who have sick kids…and whomever said it is quadrupling is so right. I am an optimist (and a nurse) but I have to say I am getting worried about this one. I didn’t send a thermometer but am contacting the D’s tonight to buy one, and tylenol, and lozenges, and a couple of 2 liter bottles of their fav soda (not DIET, they will need the calories) to have on hand. Just in case.</p>
<p>Good news, the analyst - whew!!
Just finished ichatting with D. Major stress overload - 2 prelims on Thursday, paper on Fri, studio project tomorrow. I told her to do deep breathing exercises, stretch, play her instrument, walk outside, etc. I’ve always thought a little something physical goes a long way. I actually just walked around the office parking lot today when things got a little hairy!
Thoughts, recommendations??</p>
<p>theAnalyst – it’s easy to send a text on a Blackberry. You do it just like you would an e-mail, but choose “SMS” instead. [How</a> to Send SMS Messages on a Blackberry | eHow.com](<a href=“http://www.ehow.com/how_2076587_send-sms-messages-blackberry.html]How”>http://www.ehow.com/how_2076587_send-sms-messages-blackberry.html)</p>
<p>Good news, TheAnalyst! That’s scary. Positive thoughts for others not feeling well.</p>
<p>From experience – son will answer a text 10X more readily than voicemail or email (he hardly checks email these days – have to text him to let him know I sent one).</p>
<p>For those of you with kids taking courses from professors who have a NO MAKEUP policy, just advise your kid, when he/she goes to class/takes an exam while sick, to interact with the professor a LOT, sneeze on the test paper, cough in the professor’s direction…</p>
<p>:D</p>
<p>Just back from traveling then weekend with D for Family Weekend events. Catching up took awhile. Missypie, sorry to hear about you friend, what a sudden and tragic loss. DTE great news that the worst chemo is behind you. Be kind to yourself, it takes time to rebound from the toxic stuff. My travels this time seemed to have found me with more energy than when dropping D off in September, so you can get past the worst of it.
All the H1N1 info has me hoping D will have access soon to vaccine. S is 4th year in med school, and has called to remind me to be sure D and I both get it as soon as its available.</p>
<p>Owlice, had to read that twice: “No Makeup policy.” I thought, really? The girls can’t wear makeup?"</p>
<p>blackeyedsusan, thanks for the link on texting. I will try it today. I know we pay for unlimited texting on the two boys’ lines but pay per text on my line and my husband’s phone (since neither of us ever used texting), but it’s definitely worth using in an emergency so good to know how.</p>
<p>woody, no words of wisdom but like your advice to your D on exercise. I need to take that advice myself.</p>
<p>I’ve had a Blackberry for years…thought for a while that I couldn’t text…then one day one of the kids texted me, I hit reply and I was texting (but I thought I was emailing.)</p>
<p>Son will be cutting his classes on Friday to be home for our friend’s memorial service. Folks, that is one of the advantages to having them fairly close to home - they can come home for stuff.</p>
<p>TheAnalyst, if you get GoogleVoice, texting is free (and can also be done from your computer).</p>
<p>the analyst, glad he is doing ok. hard to sit at home and wonder. I think if the kid is sick then a daily “I 'm ok” is warranted. especially withthis swine flu thing. or even reg flu. We have to loosen the apron strings but not cut them.</p>
<p>I “text” back and forth from my computer using email to both kids (and this would avoid text charges on your mobile). In the “To:” box just put the 10-digit phone number plus the provider: </p>
<p>T-Mobile: <a href="mailto:phonenumber@tmomail.net">phonenumber@tmomail.net</a>
Virgin Mobile: <a href="mailto:phonenumber@vmobl.com">phonenumber@vmobl.com</a>
Cingular: <a href="mailto:phonenumber@cingularme.com">phonenumber@cingularme.com</a>
Sprint: <a href="mailto:phonenumber@messaging.sprintpcs.com">phonenumber@messaging.sprintpcs.com</a>
Verizon: <a href="mailto:phonenumber@vtext.com">phonenumber@vtext.com</a>
Nextel: <a href="mailto:phonenumber@messaging.nextel.com">phonenumber@messaging.nextel.com</a></p>
<p>Verizon has a 160 character limit per message.</p>
<p>SoCal, that looks great because I can just put that email address in the contact list; very easy. I’m not sure about the google voice; will ask H if he knows. We have comcast phone, internet, and cable but verizon cell phone service. I love the unlimited long distance for comcast on a landline and the comcast phone does put voice mails on the computer, which I like conceptually, but don’t seem to use in practice. If I’m away from my desk I forward my home phone to the blackberry so most voicemails, if I miss a call, end up on the blackberry. I am on a lot of long conference calls (listen mode only for 99% so just on speaker/mute), so most people that need to get me use email anyway because I can have multiple conversations via email while being on the phone. It’s the equivalent of texting without the word limit, but everybody is right that the kids are still in text land, not email land. I learn so much useful stuff on cc. It is just amazing.</p>
<p>wow SoCal–the verizon worked! how cool.</p>
<p>I got an answer too!! Unbelievable. That is really going to be helpful. Thanks again for the tip SoCal.</p>
<p>I’ve just had a whole conversation with D - I’m emailing and she’s texting. The best of both worlds! Thanks SoCal!</p>