Misery Loves Company

I think we get a note home about once a week informing us that someone in the girls' class has strep or some other highly contagious disease.  I realize it's only contagious if transmitted by drinking from someone's cup or sharing a spoon, but these kids also are coughing on each other all day long.  Whenever I'm in their class, I feel like I need to step into a decontamination chamber on the way out of school.
About two weeks ago, the blond twin complained about a sore throat combined with a headache and stomach ache.  We went to the pediatrician who said it wasn't strep.  We went home with orders for rest, lots of fluids and over-the-counter cold medications.  The next day the brunette twin was home from school for the same symptoms.  We followed the same treatment for her.
Since then we've been on a roller coaster of symptoms and over-the-counter medications.  Yesterday both girls woke up about 5:30 a.m. crying about headaches.  When I took their temperatures, one was 102 and the other 101.  I called the doctor to get them appointments.
After an hour of waiting, we finally saw the doctor, who apologized and explained that he has been slammed with emergency patients.  Another hour later (quick strep and other tests), we left with six different prescriptions for an antibiotic, cough syrup and nasal sprays. 
Today both girls are home from school coughing, crying, sleeping, reading, sleeping and feeling lousy.  Just after I called the school to report their absences, their Brownie troop leader called to cancel today's meeting.  It turned out that 12 of the 16 girls in the troop are home sick today.
If misery loves company, then I'm at a party right now.  I just don't realize it yet.