A truly odd day

Two days ago the mosquitos completed their first feast on my son.  It is so aggravating as we try so many different approaches to keeping them at bay.  From soap to sprays to protective clothing and even chemically treated stickers placed strategically near hems, we try a bit of everything to protect ourselves from these pests.  But one little slip, and we find ourselves served as a buffet to entire colonies of the pests.

Since Saturday, we have been reminding our son not to scratch.  It is been a constant chorus of "don't scratch" and replies of "I'm not scratching!" We've also been trying a variety of itch remedies.  Regardless of our efforts, his bites have continued to bother him and he unconsciously relieved his irritation multiple times. 

This morning, I caught him scratching on the walk to school.  I offered to put a Band-Aid on the offending bite.  When I got a good look at it, I was shocked.  It was red, swollen, and had liquid filled blisters.  I was quite concerned.

I asked an English speaking mom and we asked for the teacher's opinion.  I did not know if I should keep him home and rush him to the hospital (going to the hospital is standard practice in Japan, and would be comparable to walk-in clinics in the US) or if I should send him on to school.  She thought he would be just fine, based on her experience as a mom.

As I walked away from the school, I had my husband call and make an appointment for our son at his doctor for after school.  I then went about my day.

One of my errands while my son was at school was to pick up some flowers at the garden store.  I rode my bike there and picked a wide variety of flowers, as well as basil that I couldn't pass up.  I loaded my bike up and headed home.  While pedaling down the street, I saw a crow hopping around on the sidewalk.  Not giving it a second thought, I wheeled around it.  Just a short moment later, I suddenly felt a sharp pain on the back of my head.  I let out a scream as the bird struck me with both feet and beak.  I reached behind and batted it away as I kept on riding.  There were at least 15 people right near the area.  They simply looked at me with a strange glance, but no one said anything when I stopped to check myself after I had cleared the immediate area.  My heart was still racing as I finished my trek home. 

I've heard of people getting attacked by crows when they ventured too close to a nest.  This is my only logical guess of how I might have offended the bird.  I really hope others do not meet the same fate, as it is a high traffic area. 

After venting via text to some friends, I had to pick up my son from school.  It was time to get him to the doctor. 

The doctor took one look at the wound and told me that my son had given himself a bacterial infection by scratching the bite.  A quick prescription of a topical cream should heal it really quickly.  It was a sign of relief.  (By the way, all of this was free of charge thanks to universal healthcare for children in this country.)

We went home, exhausted.  Being attacked by so much wildlife has taken its toll.  My husband brought home doughnuts to cheer us up.