by Janet H. Brown

The question is "Who takes care of Mom when she is sick?" Due to illness, I didn't have my article in the Community Press last month. My illness wasn't life threatening, and I am very thankful for that, but for four weeks I couldn't breathe through my nose. My head was so full I felt as if it would explode at times. When your head hurts, it's hard just to think. I come in contact with a lot of people at work and at times it's very hard to keep a smile on your face. While busy at work there were times I just wanted to lie down on the floor, for just one minute, but I don't think that would have looked very professional. I got more sympathy from my co-workers than I did from my own family.

When you can't breathe through your nose you can't smell and you can't taste. It is amazing how important our senses are. I didn't care to cook, because I couldn't taste and everything was the same, I chewed anyhow. I could have eaten shoe leather - I don't think I did, though. My husband asked me if I smelled something bad in the refrigerator. I looked at him with a sneer on my face. He knew I couldn't smell, but I humored him and looked in the refrigerator and commented I didn't find anything.

My children were just a joy - I didn't get any rest. It's much easier now that they are older, but the messes are bigger, and I just ignore a lot of little things to make my life easier.

Now that I'm better, I have some of my humor back. I can breathe through my nose, and my senses of smell and taste have returned. Food is much better and the chewing isn't so mechanical - I have a reason to chew now! You really don't want to know what the smell was in the refrigerator but it's now gone. I'm feeling much better, but now my daughter is sick. I helped her on with her shoes this morning because her head was so full she felt lightheaded. So who takes care of the children? That's right. Mom.