March Wednesday 11th I get a call from J’s high school. He’s ill and needs to be picked up. I leave work early to get him. He has a sore throat.

Me: How long have you had a sore throat?

J: Since Monday evening.

Me: And you didn’t think to say anything. Hello - Virus.

J: It wasn’t bothering me.

Suffice to say I was extremely pissed. He went to bed when he got home and step right through the night without eating dinner.

March Thursday 12th. J is still unwell. I leave cold and flu tablets out for him and the throat spray and a note with instructions. I go to work. I’m fine now. My throat is good and I’m only taking paracetamol now to make sure I’ve broken it.

When I get home from work, J’s tonsils are swollen. I ask if he’s taken the medicine I left him. His answer was yes. Nether the medication I left has been taken and I almost certain he’s not used the throat spray. He’s struggling to swallow so I go to the shops and buy jelling and custard. Jelly is out for a $1.00 a packet - I buy 12.

March Friday 13th. J comes out to me before I go to work, crying. He thinks he’s dying. Hubby comes out and we console J and put him back to bed. Until now I haven’t contacted the doctor because if he’d made the effort to look after himself it wouldn’t have got this bad. I might be his mother but he’s not useless and is old enough to look after his own needs. I won’t hold his hand now that he’s 16. I get to work and then call the clinic. There are no appointments for the next 8 days but I’m given the Health Direct phone number to call to seek advice. I call the number 5 lines, each time it rings twice before disengaging. I can’t get through. I call back the clinic to tell them this as they were using that number for anyone calling re; virus. The receptionist is a wonderful lady who I’m very friendly with, she tells me the first cancellation they get they will ring me. By lunch time I get a call from the clinic and there is a 2pm appointment available - I take it. I also mention I have face masks (left overs from Japan) and should J be using them. Yes please - that would be great.

So once more I leave work early and take J to the doctors - he has tonsillitis. He gets prescribe antibiotics and told to not leave the house until the dose of medication is completed. His immune system is now compromised and he should not leave home. This was the wake up call he needed. Now J is taking this virus seriously.