Exterminator Needed

A couple of our family members don't particularly like bugs, unless they are ladybugs that is, but there is one kind of bug that none of us like. The bug that causes the stomach flu is one such bug.

It all started Thursday afternoon. On our way home from picking Zachy (our dog) up from the vet Josh woke up from his slumber and vomited chocolate milkshake all over himself...three times...and passed back out. I had nothing to clean him up with in the car and I knew that the dog was likely to bolt out the car door the second I opened it so I rolled down the windows and we all tried not to breathe for the remainder of the ride home. I got home and unlatched Josh's carseat. I carried him, still buckled into his seat, into the house and straight to the bathtub where I proceeded to hose him down with the spray nozzle. Later, he decorated our dining room carpet with Tang. He woke us up in the middle of the night with dinner's encore. He was better, with the exception of some gross diapers, on Friday.

Friday the flu hit my husband and I. Scott, with his iron stomach just felt bad for the day. I, however, didn't fare so well. I couldn't hold anything down...nothing...nada...zip. Because of that, I could hold down my anti-nausea meds either. Between the stomach flu and (probably) morning sickness uncontrolled by my daily meds, I spent the entire night awake and vomiting hourly. By noon the next day, I had vomited 14 times, had diarrhea 5 times, held down nothing (not even sips of water) and was very dehydrated. With a resting pulse of 138 and my midwife's advise, I drove myself to the ER. Josh's car seat still wasn't cleaned and put back together so Scott couldn't take me.

The ER was fun. They checked me in, did my insurance and right to treat paperwork, and tried to draw blood for the basic blood work. After my warnings that I'm hard to draw from and two failed attempts, they gave up for the moment and sent me back to the waiting room. After an hour and a half in the waiting room, they rechecked my vitals and found that my blood pressure was now high, too. I joked about having mean thoughts about them and wanting to lay down on the floor since there was no where else to lay down. They decided to elevate me so I could get into a bed. I got into a bed and the nurse miraculous got an IV started on the first attempt (it usually takes 2-4 attempts) but it was the most painful IV insertion I've ever experienced. Owww! They drew the blood, had me pee in a cup, and started giving me IV fluids. A few minutes later, she came back and gave me some IV anti-nausea meds to stop my vomiting. About thirty minutes after that, they decided I wasn't going to die on them and moved my bed to the "you're not going to die on me in the next hour" spot in the hallway. They needed my room with its monitor equipment for an incoming trauma. I spent the next five hours or so in that hallway with my hall mate who was suffering from kidney stones, watching nurses and patience come and go. About once every 45 minutes or so, someone would stop and check my vitals. One nurse noticed my IV bag was empty and changed it. He was almost my nurse but had another contagious patient and they didn't want to risk exposing me to whatever they had. Finally, after being in the ER for 6 hours or so, the doctor came by and did a quick ultrasound and declared me fine. "Here's a script for an anti nausea med. Drink lots of electrolyte fluids and water. You'll be fine in a day or two," she said. I left feeling better in that I wasn't nauseous but I was still thirsty, I hurt all over, and my pulse was still at 120. Oh well.

Meanwhile, I was calling home to give updates and found out Sammy had come down with the stomach flu as well. He's been sick a few times and tossing and turning ever since. He's not sick anymore and holding down fluids fine, but he's sporting a fever.

Soon after I arrived back home from the ER, Mika came down with it. She's also been sick just a few times and is now holding down fluids fine. She says she feels fine but she's also sporting a fever. I think the fever is in part because it is a warm day and she's been covered by a very warm double-layer fleece blanket all night and day.

I confident the bug has moved on. We're passed the worst of it and probably not contagious anymore...just on the recovery part. I've given both kids Tylenol for the fever. We're suppose to be leaving in about an hour and a half for the circus...a field trip for our science studies. The $100 we spent is non-refundable. Ugh!

Hopefully, I'll be back to posting normally soon.