AND THE STRESS GOES ON........

Janai Lowenstein, M.S.

Spring, 1983.....It was one of those days I wanted to apply for the Olympic Housewife Gold Medal for being a survivor. Husband, Dr. Tim, was out of town. I was cooking supper when a long-distance business call came through. Thirty seconds into the conversation our toddler son yelled from the bathroom. The long phone cord allowed me to glance at his predicament. His face was grimacing as his legs entwined with each other to provide bladder control. Balancing phone between right shoulder and head, part of my brain and all of my mouth focused on the call. I helped Darion to process his clothes with two hands - but not fast enough. As he accidentally urinated on my clean skirt, I breathed deeply while calmly conversing. Our sick daughter yelled from the front room sofa. "I hope she doesn't need to vomit NOW" whispered a corner of my brain. While still balancing the phone with head and shoulder, one hand holding my wet skirt away from my legs, I stretched the phone cord to the front room.

"Whew" trickled a mini-thought...she was just thirsty. THIRSTY!

That word sent me flying into the kitchen, still conversing business and holding my skirt out, to check on supper. Part of my brain said "goodbye spinach dish".

Back in the bathroom Darion was yelling for a washcloth. I tried to get it quickly before the party on the phone could distinguish his determined words...."I got peeeee on me and I gotta kween it." Too late. I had to explain that my son just wet his pants and my office is in my home.

The above rendition took all of 3 minutes. Somehow I remembered to practice stress management skills (breathing deeply, relaxing body parts) or I'd have been in knotted nervous shock. The whole day had been horrendous (I remembered glancing at the plastic knife Darion had gotten stuck in the kitchen door keyhole). I started to feel sorry for myself then recalled the fact that this is the wrong century for martyrs!

That night I collapsed without brushing my teeth (apologies to my dentist). Interruptions throughout the night led me to chalk it all up to "one of those days AND nights" in a life with kids and stress.