Sick!

I think it all started Monday... Olivia got a little sick, then Kaitlyn the next day. Wednesday Emily cried for several hours after school, and we couldn't figure out why until about 5:00 when she threw up. Then, for the next four hours, she threw up every ten minutes. The first two were the most fun as she'd run away from me thinking that may stop it from happening. After the four hours every ten minutes, then it was twice every 20 minutes, then twice every 30 minutes, then once 40 minutes later, then finally she was done.

She slept between us, and it got so bad that she'd stay asleep while she was throwing up; we'd just hold her head up next to the bowl and then lay her back down when she was done. Since we worry about everything (me? I know, you'd never expect), our concern was hydration, so I called Kyle, who let me talk to Sean (Crew Chief at EMSTAT) who managed to talk to a doctor over in the ER about what medicine I could take. I also talked to the nurse hotline, and went to Walgreens and asked the pharmacist. Turns out we didn't give her any medicine, just let it run its course. They all did, however, emphasize the need to give her fluids between episodes. The problem with that was every time we gave her something, it was 3 minutes between not 10. But, since everybody kept pushing the fact that we HAD to do it, we just kept shoving little sips down her. I'll tell you what, after 4 hours of watching that, 20 minutes was like heaven, and then when it reached the 40 minutes, wowie zowie did that feel nice!

Anyway, in the meantime Glenda got sick, and Brian got sick. With my expert skills, I deduced that 48 hours was the window of safety: if Leslie and I could make it 48 hours without getting sick, we were probably in the clear. As much as I hate throwing up, I knew I didn't want any "substance" coming back up, so I stuck with soup and crackers for my two days. Yesterday morning I felt like I was in the clear...

So I got home last night, had real food for the first time in two days (hamburgers and fries.. home made.. mmmm). I remember asking Leslie if she thought we were in the clear. Her response: "we're never in the clear... never"

So at 2:00 this morning, Leslie started. I remember her telling me a few days ago that if I thought I felt bad when I was nauseous, to imagine adding a pound or so lump doing flips constantly in your stomach while you feel like that.. UUUGGGHHHH. She's been up all night. I guess she was right, we're never safe... NEVER.

So, back to soup for me. The good news with this (if you can call it good news) is that thankfully we don't have it at the same time. I've resolved myself to the fact that I will too soon be heaving my toenails through my nostrils, but I keep telling myself that if Emily can do it for 6 hours, I should stop complaining so much.

Any bets on whether or not I make it out of this without getting it? While you are most certainly laughing right now at that possibility, let me tell you my version of this nightmare:

Leslie's sick today. Emily and I will probably get it again (because as everybody has informed us, not only does the flu shot not work with this strain of flu [this is why I never get a flu shot.. amazingly, EVERY YEAR, there seems to be a flu strain that EVERYBODY GETS that has nothing to do with that flu shot that the ONE year I had one I got more sick than ever before..], you can get it OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER AGAIN) within the next day or so. We'll be close to over it by Monday, but then Glenda and the kids will show up. Whatever is left in the house, they will catch. They will go home and infect their households and they will get sick. They'll turn around and get them re-sick, then they'll come back to our house and we'll get sick again. The cycle will NEVER END. How's that for a happy ending?

I eagerly await my fate. As I sign off, perhaps the last post of health for a while, I will quote one of my favorite Klingon philosophers: "Perhaps today IS a good day to die."