Well, I guess I have a longer road ahead of me trying to recuperate from this antibiotic, Cipro. I thought by one week I should be back to feeling well. Guess I was wrong. So far it has been two weeks.  I looked on line for any issues with allergic reactions to Cipro and was astonished to find so many complaints-and pretty much the same symptoms I have been having. Not to mention that some people complained of having symptoms for a year after taking the medication. I think that was more for the ones that were told to keep on taking the antibiotic even after they reported adverse affects. It seems their infections were worse and they did not have much of a choice. I just took two doses and am amazed at the affect it has had on me.

      Here I was again having to go home from work on Friday because the symptoms were so bad. I don't usually work on Fridays, but the kids were both off on Monday for Presidents Day and Allison was scheduled  to work and needed a ride. Also, I had promised Scott a play date at the rollerblade rink with his friend Sammy. So I switched my day off and was scheduled to work in two different clinics on Friday. I had parked in the back of campus, and by the time I had walked uphill to the other side of campus(about a 15 min walk outside), hauling my laptop behind me, I was out of breath, dizzy, and  nauseous. My heart was racing, my mouth was dry and my hands went numb and were shaking so I couldn't even type my notes on the computer. I started itching again and had muscle cramps in my legs to the point where I could barely walk around the clinic. I managed to treat one patient and told the staff I was done for the day and had to go home. I was just glad I was able to drive myself home.  I also decided I still can't handle caffeine which I had in my morning cup of coffee.  You are not supposed to mix the  antibiotic with any caffeine drinks so I still must have enough of this drug hanging around inside me to react again. I had to switch to decaf coffee for my morning breakfast which I seem to handle better.

        But once again I was very limited by what I could do for the entire weekend and mostly I slept because my head felt so foggy. I did manage to sit down at the computer and fill out a formal complaint to the FDA concerning my reaction to the medication. The pharmacy actually  provides you with the FDA hotline to report any problems. Most comments online report that Cipro ruined their lives. They report they were all healthy before they used this drug and that it is pure poison and most of the reports came from people in their 20s to 50s . So I am a little surprised that it is still being prescribed. Guess there are not enough people complaining yet. I just hope I never get Anthrax because that is the drug they prescribe!

      Fortunately we had a pretty slow weekend and Tom was around to play chauffeur. He took Allison to an SAT review session on WEds. night. Allison had taken a practice exam a few months ago, so they provided the results and made recommendations on how to take the test and boost your score(which Allison needs to do).  She actually did  pretty well, but would benefit from a higher score for college applications. I already have her signed up for a review course starting next week since she plans on taking the real test in March. By the way, the SAT comes in 3 parts now-Math, English and an Essay. Allison also  had to work  Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, so Tom was able to let her practice driving as he took her to work.  She also had a full day Saturday to get some homework done. Friday night we had a few girl scouts over to prepare for our Up All Night weekend this coming March 3-4 at our local Mall. My girls are manning a craft table all night long for Junior Girl SCouts starting at 10 pm until 530 am on Sunday morning. The girls have helped run this program since they were in 6th grade and they really have a lot of fun(then we just sleep the next day). They especially enjoy eating chinese food at 3am.

     Scott had his first Up All Night event this past weekend with the boy scouts, but he actually went to sleep around 3am. The boys were guests at a local firehouse and had a tour and then watched movies and ate snacks. Tom picked Scott up at 7am and he came home and slept until after noon. Sadly he missed his last swim lesson, and since I did not get a chance to sign him up for the spring session we found out that all the classes are full. (of course).  Scott had a pretty light weekend for homework and studying since he just finished his second school semester, but he still had a few projects and tests to prepare for next week. Tom also spent some time with him working on his Science FAir project.  I had him studying for his most recent novel, The Master Puppeteer. We had some cramming to do with his studies last week for a few tests since the semester was coming to an end. But it looks like he will be bringing home a nice report card once again, and he actually improved in several of his subjects. He is just counting the days until summer vacation!

  I did manage to get out with Allison for hair cuts on Saturday(I think I slept through mine!). February was hair cut month for the entire family, including the dog!  I was just very sad to find out that the woman that has cut my hair for the past 8 years just quit. And I can't get anyone to tell me where she went or if she is still even working. So Allison and I had to switch to a new stylist that has cut Allison's hair in the past. She was fine, but not like the girl I used to have. I also had to go back to the dentist last Monday to show them my broken crown. They were shocked as apparently this rarely occurs. Of course the lab did not keep the original mold of my tooth, so now I have to reschedule and have the whole process repeated after they cut this broken crown off(which is cemented to my original tooth). What fun I am having. I go back to start the process all over again this coming WEds. I also spent Presidents Day at the doctor's office to have Scott checked out since it has been several weeks since he wiped out skiing and he was still complaining that his chest hurt. Tom was concerned that he might have a cracked collar bone or rib. Turns out the doctor believes he actually bruised the cartilage by his ribs and sternum since nothing seemed to be helping for muscle pain. I also think he kept reinjuring himself with gymnastics and swimming, but the doctor felt it was more important for him to keep up with the exercise. So we are killing ourselves trying to stay healthy!

     I even managed to get Allison out Sunday morning before she went to work so we could shop for Prom Dresses at a  fundraiser sale for the American Red Cross at the YMCA. She has a short dress already purchased, but wanted something a bit longer. She found a beautiful fuscia colored, ankle length dress with a black cremlin skirt underneath. Unfortunately there were not a lot of dresses in her size, but it was fun to look, and she is excited about this dress. It is also a very good brand for a good sale price.  I  just found out though, that the the prom date is the same weekend I was going to take the girl scouts camping for a 100th anniversary event. I just crossed that off my list. Instead I may be staying up all night anyway that weekend since they have an Up All Night After Prom party scheduled there at the Y for the high school students following the dance and they are always looking for parents to help out.

     So I hope to survive another week!  Big Happy Birthday wishes go out to Caroline and Clayton Bozyk who hit the Big 16 this past week on Presidents Day!  And another Birthday wish to Susan (Seitz) who celebrates today!  Also, I mailed out boxes to Dan and Dave so keep an eye on the mailbox this coming week.

Kathleen