Distractions

Two days ago I did something really dangerous and stupid.  I took the wrong medication.  A few months back I injured my shoulder. Remember the post I where I mentioned the weather was beautiful and I didn't want to stay inside?  Well, I was out digging in the dirt with a rototiller.  My shoulder had been sore prior because of the crazy workout routines I had been doing.  So off I went to the doctor to get some relief. It took a while because my mother got sick.  Remember that post as well?  Anyway, the doctor gave me Tramadol.  Tramadol and I don't get along.  I was nauseous and itchy.  In other words miserable.  So the 2nd doctor (socialized medicine means I don't always see the same doctor....life is good though) prescribed Motrin.  Of course he did, you are thinking.  Motrin fixes all, doesn't it?

Now let's fast forward to Sunday night.  We are cleaning up from dinner and I reach to take my medicine.  I try to follow the directions for the meds...don't take on an empty stomach.  A short while later I am feel very light-headed and not quite right.  My oldest child thinks I am just tired.  No, that isn't it.  I am shaking now and breaking out in a sweat.  I am wracking my brain for what in the world I could have taken.  I head to the kitchen and it dawns on me that I didn't reach in my purse for my meds.  I grabbed the bottle on the counter.

Did I mention my dog takes Tramadol for his hip dysplaxia?  Yep, I took the dog's medicine.  Thankfully, the dog's medicine is the same as the human version.  I googled the heck out of my issue.  Needless to say, I am fine, but how scary is that? 

It was a teaching lesson for the Littles.  I pulled out the dog's medicine bottle and showed it to the kids. I asked them what it was and one of them said it was my medicine.  Nope, not my medicine. The bottles look the same and so do the white pills inside.  When I told them what had happened they were very quiet and solemn.  I explained how miserable I felt.  I told them the importance of paying attention to medicine bottles and not to ever, ever, ever take medicine without discussing with an adult.  Yes, we have had these conversations before, but we have never had a real-life "teaching moment."

So it got me to thinking about distractions in our lives that take us off our financial paths.  How many of us get distracted by the new and shiny?  Or by what our neighbor has parked in the driveway?  Or by the vacation our friends just took?  We wonder how they can afford these things. We figure if they can afford these things we should be able to also. Afterall, we DESERVE ___________ (you fill in the blank).  

Does this happen to you?  Clearly we know I get distracted, how 'bout you?