The doctor

I am sick with a chest cold or upper respiratory infection or something, and the boy child is very concerned. Part of his concern is that he doesn't want to get close enough to me to catch my germs. The boy child's perseverative thoughts/behaviors -- the OCD-type characteristics that go along with Asperger's -- don't usually involve germs and handwashing and whatnot, but if someone is ill, he keeps his distance as much as possible.

And yet, because of his extensive knowledge of medicine and biology, he is interested. Yesterday he interviewed me in great detail, asking the specifics of each of my symptoms and writing them down in a notebook. Several minutes later, he handed me his "prescription" written on a baseball-shaped sticky note:

DO

• drink lots of water
• eat SOFT food like soup or yogurt
• rest a lot
• relax

DON'T

• drink milk
• eat chewey or crunchy foods
• be active

Today he interviewed me again, asking whether each symptom I'd reported yesterday was more or less severe today, and whether there were any new symptoms. He offered to come up with another Do/Don't list based on the changes I reported, but I told him I thought the one he already gave me was working great.

It's nice having a doctor in the house!