Late last week, McK started coming down with a cold. Friday night she was up most the night, screaming and holding her stomach. Saturday then was pretty much a wash. Yesterday, I started out tired, but as the day went on, it got a lot worse.  Felt like I had been kicked in the ribs, ran a 20 mile marathon, and had a vise attached to my head. Needless to say I didn’t get much done at all. McK woke up at 1, 1:30 and 1:50 talking and fussing. At 2:47, she decided to wake up for real. So we have been dozing on and off and watching Little Einsteins since then. I don’t know if we have the flu or what, but we’re all staying home today.

Update: Tuesday, McK and I felt a lot better. I went to work though I tried to maintain distance from folks. When i got home, hubby informs me that daycare said she woke up complaining of earaches. I KNEW, dang it, that I should have brought her to the children’s hospital right away. Here is the run downof what happened that night :

  • put McK in bed around 9:30–a little later than usual. She watched Little Einsteins for about half an hour. I started work. That lasted about thirty minutes.
  • called the AskANurse Line at 10:30 as McK was screaming and clearly trying to sleep but couldn’t be calmed or comforted. Answer: wait two hours. If she doesn’t calm down or sleep, go to ER; otherwise, go to clinic in morning.
  • Sure enough, she fell asleep at 11:30. That lasted for about thirty minutes as well (do you see a pattern?)
  • at 12 pm I woke up dear hubby and said, “Paul, wake up. We’re going to the ER. Now.” (I have had an average of 4 or 5 hours of sleep per night for the last week and a half, so it might not have been worded so nicely, I have to admit).
  • We were admitted within, yes, 30 minutes.
  • Diagnosis roughly 30 minutes later: 2 ear infections. We discussed how hubby and I had flu-like symptoms but that was ignored.
  • Presription picked up 30 minutes later: ear drops every two hours, Amoxacillin, Ibuprofen.
  • Returned home: roughly 2:30 am.

A night passes painfully slowly when it involves a sick child and movement in half hour increments.

Today:

  • McK woke up at 5:30, the time hubby was going to work. Then she fell asleep on floor.
  • Gave 6 am SOS to youngest sister whose schedule is a little more free. She agreed to be here by 9:30.
  • 8 am: called campus to cancel classes
  • Daughter was up at 9:30, sister arrived, and we had 30 minutes to get them re-acquainted before distance ed class began!
  • Attended class
  • 11 am: Hubby calls. He went to clinic and was diagnosed with flu. Was told to stay home for five days. Doctor immediately prescribes one more medication for McK, as well as TamiFlu for hubby and I (and cough syrup with codeine. Of course, we have to take it in shifts!)
  • between noon and 2, I email my students, make some lunch, play with McK and sleep.
  • 2:30 I feel more ill (from meds) than I have since Saturday and sleep for an hour.
  • 4:30 Sister leaves. I give baby a bath. She coughs so hard she gags. We get past that incident and play some more. I’ve had baby duty until just half an hour ago (hubby was on the codeine).  We’re nearing her bedtime; she’s in high spirits, re-medicated, and watching Dora. Again. I’ve canceled classes for tomorrow as well.  I’ve been vomited on, kicked and pinched (all by daughter, not hubby, just so we’re all clear). I think it’s my turn for the meds and the bed.

We’re not complaining. We’re just trying to make it through. If you get at all achy, GO TO THE DOCTOR! The fellow Paul saw today said he’s seen 50 cases of flu, often from people who had the shot, this week alone!