The Plague

  I need to decompress....

The worst possible feeling in the world, is when you have a sick child.  Hands Down.  You worry about your kids all the time, but when they're sick, It goes up a notch...or 12.

So, Tim and I are pretty much the same when it comes to sarcasm and humor.  We love them both.  We rely on them.  They are Our friends.  Some people don't get it...that's ok.  You would hate to see the people we are, without them, and we feel it has made us more sane in an insane world.  So this week, we will find the humor.  Somehow, somewhere.....it's there....I know it is.....even if I have to find it under the 12th mountain of laundry downstairs....it will prevail.

As we lay here delerious from exhaustion, our boy sleeping next to us, Avery and Jameson in nice clean beds, we will look back at the fact that we had someone in our family vomiting for 7 days straight(partially in a hotel room), a trip to urgent care for stitches, and a hopefully diverted trip to ER for Bubbs, because of dehydration.  Its a reality show in the making, and a week for the books.

Patrick can be the easiest and the hardest patient.  He likes to sleep a lot when he is sick.  He's usually not too fussy, just a little.  He doesn't get sick often, so we are thankful for that. 

What makes him challenging, is the unknown.  Like a baby...he can't tell us.  And the unknown of whether this illness will be the one to put him in the hospital.

What is he feeling? Is there pain? Is he dehydrated?   Did he aspirate?  Will he get pneumonia?  Am I missing something?  Most parents can relate to some of these if you've had a sick baby. 

Then there is the part when he is vomiting every 20 minutes, but doesn't know how to lift himself up.  So you're lifting a 35+ lb kid, who is dead weight, and is upset and in the fetal position, and holding him over whatever clever option you have, to catch it.  Hated it! Every ounce of it!  You want to take it all away from him.

Then the thought hits you....how will I do this when he is 5, 10, 15 years old and weighs 50, 60, 70 lbs??  That weighs heavy on your mind...(no pun intended;))
But then you move on, because you don't have time to worry about that now....

You spend 90 % of the day squirting pedialyte into his mouth every 5-10 minutes, so we wouldn't have to make the dreaded ER trip for IV fluids.   It was a battle.  It didn't look good for a while.  He was not urinating much or holding the fluids down.   We finally got the vomiting to stop(with the help of some meds). Now he is finally holding it down and we are seeing a little more in his diaper.  I'm hoping we won.  Still on the fence, but close!   Keeping our fingers crossed for a good night!  Blogging is keeping me awake to watch him a little longer;)

Other things that go through your mind while your kids are sick:

Will he be able to go to therapy monday?
Will this set him back?
How will I get this laundry done?
Can I watch Orange is the New Black without Avery coming in the room?
I don't want to eat in case I get sick, so maybe I will lose 5 lbs. now.
I hope no one comes to the door, I haven't showered, I have no bra on and I am certain there is vomit somewhere on me.
Is it too early to drink?
Will the alcohol kill any germs in my belly?(Tim and I actually had this conversation)

We have an amazing support system of people cheering us on, praying for us, laughing with us or at us, and several medical peeps, in the fam, so that is major helpful.  We couldn't make fun of ourselves or get through this without all of you;)

Avery and Tim bounced back great, and Jameson did too, except he decided to take that bounce off of a step, with his forehead.  That kid...... He must have hit it in the right spot because he's been so happy since then! Awww...his first stitches:)

If you could keep our boy in your thoughts and prayers that his recovery keeps making progress!!!
Thanks a bunch!
Good Night:)