The Household Mommy

Just over a year ago, we found out John has some kidney problems. He was given a prescription and told to take it every day and return for a followup in a year. I took it upon myself at the time to make sure John took his medicine. I would put it on the top of his soda can every night with dinner, or give it to him with his breakfast (when he worked the overnight shift). Then I had Alex, and I decided that since I had enough to worry about with the new baby and John was a big boy, he could manage to take his pill on his own. He didn't. The other day I was teasing him about having to admit at his one year followup that he hadn't been taking his medicine.

"I'll just tell him my wife didn't take care of me"
"You're an adult, you can take care of yourself"
"But you're The Mommy"
"Yea, Alex's mommy, not your mommy"
"You're the Household Mommy"

His followup was today and he called me afterwards to report that the doctor has found blood in his urine. In otherwords, the problem has gotten worse and now he has to go in for a kidney biopsy.

I was overwhelmed with guilt for not taking care of My Honey that all I could say was "I'll give you my kidney, you can have it, I don't want it. Take it, please!" even though a kidney transplant hasn't even been mentioned. I don't like the idea of anything at all being wrong with John. He's my partner. We're in this together, whatever it is.

So after his biopsy, we'll know if he has kidney disease or something else. And as the Household Mommy, I'll make sure to give him his medication every day. I'll learn to cook and feed him healthier. I'll start a petition to make soda illegal because it's bad for your kidneys and maybe, just maybe I'll get him to exercise more. And when he complains that I'm being a nag, I can just tell him that "I'm the Household Mommy and you have to do what I say".