Flu-Like Symptoms

The holiday season has long passed, and I am glad to report that we all survived.  No, not the parties, vacations, and dinners with the relatives. I’m talking about the sickness known as influenza. Don’t ask me which type, but do remember to throw in a dash of bronchitis, stomach whatever, sinus yuck, body aches and you guessed it, diarrhea. We certainly found out the hard way that the best laid plans don’t always go your way.

It’s not as if we had planned a Hawaiian vacation or a trip to Mazatlan that we had to forego. It was, after all, winter break for students and teachers alike so we thought we would take it easy and stay reasonably close to home. What I’m talking about is small day trips, as a family, to the Henry Doorly Zoo (it was 60 degrees December 28th this year), maybe a venture to Kansas City to see my folks, and possibly even New Years in Colorado with friends. Instead, almost from the jump, it was vomit.

Imagine with me, if you will… Picture a nice little Sunday before church with the family. We’re all looking forward to this Sunday because, for weeks, Abram and Ethan have been practicing songs with the church choir for this special service. Grandma and Grandpa have accompanied to see our kids and others sing with the spirit of joy in their voices. Tyler stayed with us in the congregation because the odds were in our favor, one child to four adults. Those aren’t odds with which we are accustomed. He stayed relatively quiet, as toddlers do, until about halfway through the singing when we looked down and, you guessed it, projectile vomit all over his cute outfit. He looked up at us as if to say, “what just happened?”

Valerie scooped him up and tore past the near capacity crowd, leaving me to clean up the mess, while he continued to mess on her. I’ll just stop here and say that you would think cocktail napkins would be more absorbent. As children go, when one gets sick, they all get sick. Be it from daycare, school, playground or work, sickness is bound to invade. About three hours after Tyler was symptomatic, so was Abram. At least in this case we were home and Valerie and I know the protocols pretty well by now. Lots of fluid, if they can hold it down, in which case withhold fluid, but make them eat, unless they can’t hold it down. By all means don’t visit the Pediatrician because it will just be a virus that’s “going around” and like a missing person, you have to wait such and such time before anyone will do anything about it. All fine and well, except its course would later be our entire household; Ethan in the midst of sleep that night. Count with me, one, two, three children, all symptomatic.

But it’s okay, I’m a stay at home parent and made for days like this. Put on movie(s), wash everything anyone has touched, ever, and see to it that everyone has a towel/bowl within six inches. Until . . . That’s right, I get sick mid-day. Close the windows, nobody talk, someone take care of daddy. This is Monday, and Valerie comes home from work to take care of her four boys; by the time she gets home she is symptomatic as well. Valerie pushed through her illness until bedtime when she collapsed next to me. The bright-side is that all signs point to being not-so-sick in the near future! We were just so thankful we hadn’t experienced any of the past week at 7,000 feet or literally stuck aboard a cruise ship swaying with the sea. You know how it is after you’ve been sick. You really want to be around people and do things, but you don’t want to get them sick or clean your home anymore than you already have.

So, we waited, and waited, until about a week later, to even think about infecting others. As it turns out, we weren’t the only ones battling this invisible invader and plans had to be pushed. Finally, we can rejoin society and maybe have a play date. Nope, not in the agenda. It turns out Tyler still wasn’t 100% so we took him to the doctor and now had bronchitis. Medication was prescribed and wouldn’t you know it, doesn’t taste good and is just impossible to make a two-year-old swallow (we’re talking control issues here).

That’s not all, the medication upsets his stomach and yes, causes him to vomit. Per doctors orders, we give it another day before agreeing to switch to a different medication, which still tastes gross but does not cause vomiting. All have healed, and thankfully bronchitis didn’t decimate us as the flu did. All I know is, if that’s what  “vacation” is, put me to work.