March 29, 2024

Immune system, don’t fail me now

Editor’s note: This column orignally published Aug. 3, 2015.

For whatever reason I have a certain knack for becoming ill during trips just occasionally enough to make it unpredictable, but not unexpected.

Generally it’s not sniffles or the flu but something completely obnoxious — like pink eye or an ear infection. Sidenote: If an emergency room doctor in San Diego tells you you’ll be fine to fly after two days of medication to treat a serious ear infection, he is full of it. You will nearly die before reaching the Des Moines International Airport.

So since my luck with health and travel has been dicey, it shouldn’t have been too surprising that I started feeling wretched the evening before a weekend getaway with my son.

Truth be told, I’d planned a trip with my little guy for two reasons. The main reason was my husband somehow managed to sneak away for a five-day fishing trip with the guys. I marked this something very sarcastic on my calendar, and began making my own plans.

The secondary reason is school is right around the corner, and I decided some shopping was in order. What’s more patriotic than shopping at the Mall of America?

Having booked our stay at the hotel featuring the cleverly named Water Park of America, my son was pumped and so was I — until I got sick. Fortunately, I was able to get enough extra sleep to manage the drive, in part due to my staff rallying in my unplanned absence Friday morning.

However, by the time we arrived I was wiped out. I had enough strength to sit poolside and read a book.  I was grateful my son has had a youth that’s included swimming lessons and that he’s responsible enough to check in from time to time. I remember the years of hovering over him near water and also the summer it was evident he could fly solo. That milestone is almost as rewarding as a potty-trained child.

Later that night I started feeling bad again and was very appreciative that my son nursed me back to health, making runs to the gift shop for water and ibuprofen. By morning I was nearly back to my old self and ready to tackle our day.

The idea that I’d get any type of serious shopping accomplished on this trip is quite laughable in hindsight. We spent the majority of our day in the aquarium (you can pet stingrays for crying out loud!) and at the Nickelodeon-themed amusement park in the center of the mall.

Besides, no matter how many times you look at the map and ask mall employees — nobody can easily direct you to your favorite stores.  I had to bribe my son with both sugar and Legos (another large chunk of time was spent at this shop, conveniently located near the rides) in order to make our way to a handful of them.

In the end, I managed to find a couple of outfits for the kid, but my back-to-school shopping is nowhere near complete. I enjoyed our second night at the water park much more, even climbing the 10 flights of stairs to experience the raft ride and partaking in a few others.

I’m even happier that I seem to be back on the road to health, and perhaps this latest bout of illness has earned me a few healthy trips. But you never can tell.

Contact Abigail Pelzer

at apelzer@newtondailynews.com