Arrrrrrrrrrgh!

Long thought it, I shall now say it; the Kid is a hypochondriac. By 5 they had been to see the doctor more times than I had by age 50, and that is not an exaggeration at all. Now, much of this is not due to the Kid’s hypochondria, though it may have fed it. Japan is obsessed over fevers. Even before the panic, we had to take the Kid’s temperature and record it in the “Contact Notebook” that had to accompany them to nursery school through kindergarten. This continued into elementary school but do not know if that was due to the panic as they entered 1st grade just as the panic hit. We no longer have to take and record their temperature every day before sending them off to school, so I do not know if it was customary prior to the panic to take and record the temps of the earlier years of grade school or not.

During the entire “preschool” age, periodic temperature taking was performed daily at school. If the temp was too high, we’d get a call to pick them up. They do not make any distinction between high body temp and fever as they do not understand this, so when the school took the temperature after the Kid was running around outside in the hot sun, we’d get the call. We were often then required to take the Kid into the doctor to be “cleared” of a fever before they were allowed to return to school. Madness.

The Kid developed at an early age, perhaps as young as 3 or 4, the idea that any time anything is not perfect, they are to be given a band aid or medicine, or taken to see a doctor. We have a call button in the bathroom for emergencies. Common feature in Japanese residences. The Kid uses this almost every single day. Every time they notice anything they press the button. Unusual noise, press the button. Water temp slightly too hot or cold, press the button. A slight scratch or bruise they picked up during the day at school, press the button, demand a band aid a/or medicine. My favorite was when they flew into a panic and demanded we take them to the doctor for having the texture of a seat temporarily imprinted into their leg. Of course, us not fulfilling their demands is child abuse in their mind and they have told their teachers about our many transgressions.

Today, they said that their thigh hurt and thus could not go to school and that we must take them to see a doctor. This burden, as is usually the case, fell upon my shoulders to bear. So off we go to the chiropractic clinic. Though I have gone to a Judo bone setter and a Traditional Chinese version thereof, I had not until in my late 30s or early forties. At 11, the Kid has been at least twice already. After a long wait, we were finally called in. The chiropractor could find no outward sign of a cause and the Kid provided no idea as to what might be the cause. They recall no bumps, trips, falls nor hits that might be to blame. So, they had to get an x-ray. Possible inflammation of the membrane between the muscle on bone at the hip; nothing to worry about, just take a week off from athletic activities for a week. Uh-Oh, the Kid has a swim meet in a week. Doc says, no problem with the swim meet nor practicing for it, as whatever it may be, it is not that serious. Kid got to miss yet another full morning of class though.

To add injury atop this, the first thing I was asked upon entering the clinic was if I had a mask. March 12, 2025, five full years after the start of the great panic on the 2020s, and I either have to put a mask on that I brought with or be given one and charged ¥300 for it, then don it. I stated I did not, but the Kid, having been to a great number of clinics corrected me and told me that mommy keeps a couple in the hand bag that houses the kids medical documentation. Got to sit for 2 hours breathing through a stupid mask at a medical facility. And they really expect people to take them seriously? They still have all the plastic barriers up too. Worse, hay fever hit me hard just yesterday. One nostril is completely blocked and the other 30% blocked. Having to breath though a mask in this condition caused an increase in breathing rate and heart rate and fogged my glasses. I am so sick and tired of this B S.