Like a turtle

Gabriel, Leo and his TeeTee

Last week, when we got home from school and work, Gabriel ran upstairs like he usually does to check on Leo.  Gabriel screamed "Mom help!!"

I ran to check on Gabriel- and nervous that the turtle would be cold and stiff.  Leo the tortoise, as he's technically called, was laying on his back in his water bowl.  He was floating in bile, or poop, or some kind of turtle bodily fluid.  I emptied his water dish, not knowing if Leo was still alive.  Then, his little turtle arm moved, and I exhaled.  I started thinking about our own lives.  Sometimes, I feel like we're stuck on our backs, kicking, wiggling, and rocking, but not able to turn back over without a little help from someone else.
This week, month, season, and really whole time if year is rough for Gabriel.  Ive been keeping him going, strengthening him up every morning and evening with preventative medicines, and visiting him on my lunch break to give him a breathing treatment.  We've spend a lot of time indoors, we've stayed far away from any pumpkin patch, and we're staying very well rested.  It seems, though, no matter how hard I try, no matter what I do, we cant flip back over without some help.

Gabriels doing OK.  He's been going to school, he has happy, and playful, just working extra hard to breathe these days.  Like Leo stuck on his back- he's just hanging out, waiting for some help, to turn him back over, belly side down, so he can go back to running and jumping.  We visit the doctor this morning, to get some extra help, to get us back on track.

I feel like Leo these days too.  Sure, Im not the one wheezing and coughing- Im healthy and doing well. I feel like a turtle stuck on his back because I cant seem to get ahead of Gabriel's health.  When we stopped by the pharmacy last night- and were handed a bag full of 4 prescriptions, I laughed.  I was at the pharmacy just a week earlier and pick up 3.  Can it be that a young family of 2 spends more time at the pharmacy than at my Moms house?  And, of course, we dropped off some prescriptions too, so of course Ill be back to pick those up!  Im making sure to give Gabriel Albuterol breathing treatments every 4 hours (or sooner if needed), we're going to bed early, and playing indoors, but no matter what I do, I cant seem to get ahead of this.  Im stuck on MY back, working hard, but I realize that this time I cant flip back over, and I cant get ahead of this 'sickness' without someone else's help.  Keeping it from getting worse isn't good enough for, I need to see him better!