One of my children is on Day 3 of a fever and therefore no school here. At the time of writing this, I don’t know yet if she’ll be back at school tomorrow or not.
photo credit
And since I’ve been sitting in my house for 3 days, only taking my other child to school and back, I’ve had some time to ponder sickness and how it impacts a family.
Last week, when we were already in the throes of the week and I had my week’s plan all laid out, Big G kept telling me her ears felt funny. I didn’t want to take her to the doctor, because like most of us this flu-epidemic season, I’m reserving my trips to the doctor for when it’s absolutely, totally, 100% unavoidable.
Plus she didn’t have a fever, so off she went to school. Plus I don’t consider “ears feeling funny” something you keep a kid home for. Plus, my week’s plan was already in motion and I was loathe to change it midstream.
Saturday morning she woke up literally screaming in pain from one of her ears. Theatrical and dramatic as she is can be, she never fabricates about illness and that kind of pain, so I knew she was in distress.
So off we raced to the doctor, trying to avoid the later morning crowds of sick kids. I did not want my kids exposed to a myriad of viruses, most importantly the FLU, just from showing up at the doctor.
She ended up having a double “wow, this is a doozy” ear infection and we started her on antibiotics that day. Yay for her.
Cue Sunday and Little Iggy. Waking up coughing, sneezing, can’t keep her hands off her runny nose, etc. And at about 6pm on the nose, she spiked a 101 fever. Fuck me. That trip to the doctor, so good and necessary for one child, did exactly what I was trying to avoid with the other one.
Don’t you hate that? When a decision is so right for one child, but so wrong for the other? Sophie’s Choice, anyone?
And here we are, 3 days later, still riding the fever out.
Which brings me to my musings.
Have you noticed how time stops when you have a sick child? How you just kind of float through the days, not remembering your commitments, not even remembering half the time that the world’s going on without you?
Like, for example, when I was able to run to Panera for lunch yesterday because the Big Man was home for a little bit from a trip. And I’m literally looking around at all the people, thinking, “Wow, what are all of you people doing here today?”
Because time’s stopped for me.
And while I’m less than thrilled about losing points in my competition this week, I’ve kind of liked it too. Because a really sick kid, who leaves no alternative to staying home from school and no second guessing (“Do I send her? Do I keep her home?”), kind of gives me a chance to heal, recuperate, and just “be” for a bit.
And I’m ok with that.
Even though I’m wiping down the house with disinfecting wipes every hour and washing my hands until they’re cracked.
Because a sick kiddo is one thing. A sick Mama? Not an option.
***On my Facebook page this week, I asked how you treat a fever – let it ride or medicate it? Boy, howza, are your answers all over the map! FWIW, my policy is this: medicate at night (mama needs to sleep), and medicate if I have to take them out – like if I have to take another sibling someplace. Otherwise, I let it ride. I’ve had kids with fevers up to 106 before. That was the only time I got truly scared. Otherwise, 101/102 doesn’t faze me. And a fever has a job to do. I try to let it do its job as much as possible.
Hope your littles both get better soon. Double ear infections + Fever days? YUCK.
Yes, yuck. Thanks, Jessie!
Good grief we have been sick over and over. Pretty much for 6 weeks straight someone was ill. And yes, we’d go to the doctor and if one wasn’t sick, they were the next day. We’ve had RSV, the flu, ear infections out the yingyang, colds, stomach bugs.
This mama is TIRED!!!!
Hope they are better soon. Sick, whiny kids do not make for a fun life of a SAHM!!
Sucks! I’m so sorry you’ve been dealing with it so long!
We are living parallel lives this week! One with the double ear infection doozy, another with the fever and general misery (and the other somehow staying healthy – thank goodness!). But I know exactly what you mean about everything else standing still. I’ve gotten precisely nothing done, but that’s okay. Because it has to be.
Right. I did have a mini-melt down Wednesday night when I realized that it was going to be another sick day on Thursday, but I got over it and enjoyed the day for what it was – rare time alone with my youngest.
I got the flu, hubby got the flu, and the kids have had colds. Actually wonder if my Girly had the flu and gave it to me, because she had the 2-3 day fever before I had it. I actually got tested to see if I had the flu so I could get my hubby on the antiviral meds. Took me a couple weeks to get any energy back! Ready for the germy season to be over!
Hope your girlies feel better very soon. Poor babes!
Yuck that both you and your husband had the flu! That does NOT sound like fun.
Hope your little bunnies are better soon! I hear you on sick Mama not being an option. Although part of me longs for a day in bed with a book and an endless nap (those kind of sick days have been an illusion for me since we had kids), I feel fortunate I haven’t gotten sick recently. My husband has been the one fighting every germ imaginable, but fortunately our daughters have been mostly healthy so far. Here’s to the end of flu season and a relaxing down day or two without being sick!
I am SO ready for flu season to be over so I don’t have to feel like it’s lurking everywhere right now!
Oh god what a week for you. Amazing how illness just takes over and throws all plans out of whack. I hope she feels better.
Amazing how different everyone treats a fever! Id never thought about how other people do it or that they would do it differently from me. How narcissistic of me!! I always give them something at night, cause sleep is healing in my book. And during the day if they’re really suffering with it.
Yes, that’s exactly how I do it too. At night for sure!
Ow shucks! I hope she is better soon and that you don’t catch it!
Me too! Thanks, Tinne!
I think I might try your method of dealing with fevers.
My daughter is on day 8 of being sick – pneumonia plus the flu. Time really does just stand still when kids are sick.
Pneumonia is the worst! One of mine had it once. I hope she’s on antibiotics!
Wow, sickness sucks, doesn’t it? With only one lil one, it’s pretty easy to avoid spreading (and KNOCK ON WOOD) I have some kind of momma immunity, thank gawd, but I always worry about Dr. visits, the playground, and school when she’s old enough. That shit spreads like wildfire! But, as much as having lil sickies sucks, it’s nice to have the cuddling and swirling around in your own abyss time. And a good excuse to just be. I wish life allowed more of those times sans the illnesses. So sad that’s the time we stop and smell the roses, so to speak.
As for the fever, I’m with you on the 101/102 and letting it ride. I’m not big into medicating unless absolutely necessary and I avoid the Dr. as much as possible. Fortunately, I’ve only experienced a really high fever once (104) and had to medicate that one time. But she’s not even 2… I think you just gotta go with your gut and signs from the child! Hope everyone is on the mend!
I love how you call it the abyss time. Perfect – and exactly what it’s like!
I hope you escape the sickies yourself. You’re right; no time for mommas to get sick!
So far so good! Thanks, Liz.
Sometimes, I appreciate the sick days and my schedule being turned upside down for precisely that reason. Time stops and I can get into a different groove for a few days. We were all sick in late December and early January. I am glad it’s over but I liked the time to just hang out in the house with them too! I hope you house feels better soon!
We are better, thanks!
There’s something about my children being sick that brings out the patience in me.
Behavior that would normally drive me crazy (whining, laziness, being picky) doesn’t bother me and I feel called to care for my babies. Even though they are now teenagers.
This is a good thing; because usually when it comes to that kind of attitude, I just won’t have it.
But boy when they are sick, I am miserable, too.
And I’d take it from them in a heartbeat.
Luckily, we’ve been really healthy lately.
(Fingers crossed.)
Ugh… my first child is only 2 weeks old, but I’m already dreading the “sick kid” thing. I’m already obsessively checking on her while she’s sleeping just to make sure she’s breathing! I can’t even imagine how I’ll be when she’s actually sick!
Hope everyone in your house gets healthy and stays that way for a good, long while!
I had a chance to be sick in December. But then my teaching partner got sick and I couldn’t imagine being sick just before our giant trip to Thailand. I just told myself I couldn’t be and did all my little tricks to stay well. Thank God it worked. As you said, it just wasn’t an option. We had that same story of a horrible double ear infection where we waited until the last minute to go. That was the closet to Mommy guild I ever got!!!
Hope everyone is well soon!!