WFMW....My Sick Child Stash

At my house my children tend to get sick on the worst weather days, or when hubby is out of town or has emergency meetings all day. And what Mom wants to run to the grocery store when it's snowing outside and has a child vomiting every 30 minutes? Not fun, right? So, over the years I've learned to stash a few things away for those "sick" days. Even if I have to run into town for the doctor I don't want to have to make extra stops, especially since the doctor is on the side of town closest to our house and everything else if further away:)

Here is what I like to have on hand:
Pantry:
crackers
chicken broth
Ramon noodles
jello

Freezer:
Popsicles

Fridge:
Sprite or Ginger Ale

Meds:
Tylenol
Advil

I also like to have a little box of coloring supplies or books that they haven't seen so if they get to feeling better they have something they can do quietly.

I never let myself run out of these things if I can help it. My kids don't drink soft drinks at home except on special occasions so they know the Sprite is off limits. And everything else I just make sure if it gets low I replenish.

Anyway, this is what works for me. Head over to Rocks In My Dryer for more great tips!

Battle of the Germs

Everyone here says it's been the worst winter they can remember in a long time as far as sickness goes. Lucky us! The news reported that both of our major hospitals are completely full and they are sending patients to the nearest town which is two hours away for care. Apparently, staph, strep, and flu infections are the cause. Everyone in my house got the flu shot but me, but they say that because of the mutation in the virus this year the shot only gives you a 50/50 shot of not getting it. I'd say that is about right because Soph and now hubby have definitely had a form of it. Yes, just when I got my girls well and back to school hubby starts complaining of feeling bad this weekend. By Sunday he had no voice and a bad cough. Monday, which was a holiday for him, he wakes up running a fever and goes quickly downhill from there.

I think I said three words to him all day. He was miserable and I made him my sister's immunity broth and tried to help any way I could. But, men are a different animal when they get sick and I've learned to just let him lie in bed with the sheets over his head until he surfaces. The girls and I ate early and settled in. Soph was supposed to go to the doctor at 7:00, yes that is p.m. to have her rash looked at but it seemed better so I cancelled. Figured she didn't need to be around all those sick people. About 6:30 hubby came down and mumbled that he needed to go to the Urgent Care Clinic. So we all packed up and headed out. I knew they didn't close until 8:00 so we had some time. I think his words to me in the car were, "I think I'm going to die."
As I sped to the clinic I prayed that Little One would not catch this terrible flu or myself for that matter, because who was going to take care of everyone if I got sick!!

I dropped him off at the door to the clinic, prepared to endure a long wait with three kids out in the car, while I found a parking space. Before I could drive off my husband was back at the car saying the note on the door said because of large patient load no more patients would be seen that night. But it was only 6:30....but I also know those doctors would probably be there half the night as it was. So I drove across town to the other clinic to find their doors locked, not taking any more patients I guess. The other option was the ER, but hubby decided he just wanted to go home. So back home we went. Made a call to Nurse Mom and got instructions on getting his temp down. When I checked on him at 9:00 he was sweating, good sign. I checked again at 1:00 to make sure he took an Advil and he was awake and didn't feel warm. So this am he still sounds terrible, but has a little more life in him. He has definitely turned the corner, so I consider us lucky. Some people have had this flu and it lasted for a week or more. Poor Soph ran a high temp for four days.

Anyway, just had to give the latest medical update here from the Cotton-Top Infirmary!!

This Is Not An Infirmary!!!

Okay, well, maybe it is. At least this week it feels like it. I have not blogged since Thursday, would you like to guess why? No, I did not take that vacation to Tuscany, Italy I've been planning for five years. I'm not browsing the marketplace buying fresh mozzarella, basil, tomatoes and bread. I'm not sipping wine on my veranda overlooking the countryside as the sun sets on the horizon. No, no instead I am spraying Lysol as if my life depended on it and praying that the germs bounce off me and drown in the bleach which I'm mopping my floor with.

Here's the medical update:
Em came home from school early Friday with temp.
Soph's congestion turned into infection on Sunday.
Little One's nose began to run and her ongoing battle with her ears continued.
Went to doctor on Monday...Em getting better, Soph has lots of yellow, infected stuff in back of throat and nose.
Ear Specialist in the afternoon....Little One still has fluid in both ears...put on antibiotics for 3 weeks as last ditch effort before tubes.
Monday night...Soph's temp. is hovering around 103.5

So today, Soph is still battling her fever, Em has a terrible cough and little one tries her best to act happy even though her ears are bothering her.

And lets just say that at one time I thought of being a nurse and now I realize my dream is being fufilled!!!

Now I must go Little One is crying and my time at the computer is up:)

Medical Update from Cotton-Top Hills

Okay, just to add to my list this am we went to the doctor. All three of my girls this time. Last night I got a call telling me Little One had two types of bacteria growing in her nose culture (nice, huh?) so she needed a shot plus ten days of antibiotics. I just want to stop here and put in a small plug for breastfeeding. The fact that I am nursing gave my Little One the extra boost she needed to keep from coming down with pneumonia, which was one of the bacteria strains growing in her nose! And the fact that she had these two nasty bugs in her body and she only ran a low grade fever one day and had a runny nose. She possibly would have been able to fight this off on her own, but since we are going out of town didn't want to take the chance. I just had to mention that because sometimes when children who are nursed get sick it's like a banner for those who don't nurse to say, but see your kids get sick too so why should I breastfeed. *

Em's cough was turning a little croupy and Soph's nose was beginning to show signs of infection. Once again allergies turned bad! So more meds since we were leaving town for a few days. This time we were in and out of the doctor's within 30 minutes, yee haw!!

*Disclaimer: I am in no way insinuating that if you choose not to nurse or can not nurse that I am better than you.

Added later: Didn't mean to sound trite. Just want to give all those nursing moms encouragement!