January 17, 2011

Feel sorry for me

Ok, don't really feel sorry for me. I realize that this last week is really NOTHING compared to what some people go through and I'm actually pretty fortunate to have kids as healthy as mine are. I might even read this and laugh someday. Maybe? Or maybe not.

While there was nothing "fun" about this last week, I did like that I was forced to slow down, put everything else aside and just focus on my boys. For that, I am thankful.

TUESDAY
Jack gets a fever and develops a pretty bad cough.

WEDNESDAY
Our car is pronounced dead.

Jack's very sick and very cranky.

THURSDAY
Kyle leaves for the weekend to attend his first grad school classes. Jack's fever starts to dwindle and coughing seems lessened. We had originally planned to go with him and head farther south for a short vacation this week, but with the upcoming tuition payments and our dead car, we decided it wasn't wise. At this point, I was really thinking that the boys and I might have a really great weekend.

FRIDAY
Bennett woke up at 2:30 AM (and hour and a half after I made it to bed) and decided it was morning. He refused to go back to sleep. By 4:30, his temperature was 102. Fantastic.

Jack woke up at 6:00 and I spent the next three hours failing as a parent every time I was tested, due to lack of sleep and two sick, cranky kids. At 9, Brian came to watch them so that I could run some errands. Without that two hour break, I don't think I would have made it through the rest of the day.

Jack and Ben both napped a little and I was able to get some work done. I spent most of the afternoon holding Ben. His temperature was over 103. I talked to the doctor and felt comfortable just letting it run its course, with the aid of some motrin.

That night, Brian and Debbie came to take Jack to dinner. Within minutes of putting Ben to bed, I heard the sound of rushing water. Awesome. It turns out there was a waterfall in the basement. Why? Because of all of the standing water on the floor of the master bathroom. Double awesome.

Brian and Debbie helped me clean up and Brian fixed the toilet problem. I went to check on Ben and he was breathing super fast and it was very labored. His temp was 103.6 again.

So, at 8:30, my mother-in-law and I took Ben to the Emergency Room. That trip deserves it's own post. Let's just say that involved a nurse telling me multiple times that medicine is really "all about science." Oh really, Hippocrates? I had no idea. I am NOT a fan of that hospital and wish I would have listened when my instincts were telling me to drive the extra 30 minutes.

While at the E.R. I realized I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. No wonder I was so cranky.

Diagnosis: Double ear infection and bronchitis.

SATURDAY
4 hours of sleep. Jack and Ben were both up periodically throughout the night. I felt like I had a newborn again. Overnight, Jack developed a new, worse cough than before. And? You guessed it - another fever. Thanks to my in-laws, I was able to go into town to get Ben's prescription filled and they brought lunch.

Neither of the boys napped well and I spent the rest of Saturday holding them, wiping noses and coming up with creative ways to keep Ben from spitting his medicine back at me.

By Saturday, my arms were feeling like I worked out all weekend because of lugging that 27 lb. child around.

SUNDAY
2 hours of sleep. They both took turns waking up and needing to be soothed back to sleep. I spent the rest of Sunday doing the same thing I did Saturday, though I have little memory of it. I can't remember every being so glad to see Kyle walk through the door than I was that night.

TODAY
Jack was up for 3 hours overnight, but Kyle let me sleep in! It was glorious. Ben still has a fever, but his wheezing and coughing are really sounding so much better. This afternoon, Jack felt warm again, and sure enough . . . another fever. We took them both to our doctor and Jack has his first ear infection and some bronchitis.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

SARA! Holy cow, girl...that stinks. I've definitely been there (minus the waterfall, thank goodness), feeling like there can't possibly be one more thing go wrong, and then it does, and you're feeling sunk. Hang in there...hopefully the antibiotics will kick everything quickly.

And WHAT? Jack's first ear infection? At 3? I'm amazed.

Anonymous said...

sounds like a rough weekend! It's it interesting how things always seem to fall apart when the Hubby is out of town? Happens around here ALL the time!

Jeanette said...

Yikes! I needed a xanax after reading this. I'm not sure how you were not reduced to a blubbering pile of human half way through this weekend. You are amazing to have gone through all of that and not require some sort of padded room. I'm sorry you had to go through it, though. I hope the boys are feeling better soon!