Black Death

A bit dramatic for a title, you say?  I can think of no more appropriate name for the particular germ my babies have been dealing with for the last few days...which feels more like weeks.  Yes, I know I shouldn't complain, but seriously, this has been quite a difficult few days.

Monday evening, I noticed Em felt a little warm.  I wasn't too concerned because she has been working on some new teeth, and I just figured they might be bothering her.  The next morning, Avery vomited his tube feed.  Again, not a terribly unusual occurence.  Sometimes his feeds just don't agree with him.  But after the second and third vomiting experience, (literally as I was pouring the formula into the syringe connected to his g-tube, he was puking and filling his diaper at the same time) I got a little worried.  I noticed he had a low grade fever too, and with him, any fever means a trip to the hospital.  So, I called the hem/onc clinic, and Phillip took him in for labs, cultures, fluids, and antibiotics.  Meanwhile, Em seemed to be even more uncomfortable, and her diahhrea and vomiting started too.

We spent Wednesday in Hem/Onc as well getting additional antibiotics and fluids just to be proactive, but Avery's cultures were clean and labs were stable, so his doctor assumed it was a virus.  He and Em just kept it coming though.  Strangely, Avery didn't act like he felt badly at all.  He would just sit up and puke and go back to watching his Barney.  He's my trooper, as always.  Em has just wondered around crying, being sick wherever she feels like it, and wanting me to hold her constantly.  That has kind of been hard when I have another sick one, a six-year-old who is pretty needy, and my laundry was piling up faster than I could wash it. 

I have spent the last several days up to my elbows in body fluids of all kinds.  I have changed diapers, clothes, and bedding constantly and given my dirty babies multiple baths throughout the day.  It seems like everyone has been getting clean clothes, long baths, and fresh bedding except for mommy.  I actually did 8 loads of laundry yesterday and still had some piled by my washer when I collapsed into bed.  Oh, the joys of being a parent!

I'm HOPING with all my heart that my kiddos are on the upswing.  Avery seemed better today, although I held his formula and put Gatorade through his g-tube instead.  Em did less vomiting today but still had lots of diapers.  I am having post-chemo flashbacks of when Avery was breaking records on how many diapers and bed changes one person could go through in an hour, but at least then, I had a hospital staff to help with the work.  It's been mostly a one-woman show around here, although Phillip has been very helpful when he has been home.

I'm thinking maybe we got a little confident in our immune systems around here, and perhaps we ventured out with Avery too soon.  We have been in two restaurants this month, a church service with no mask, and made a trip to Tennessee for Thanksgiving where we were around a lot of family.  I know we can't avoid all germs, but after the last four days, I've decided to avoid crowds with Avery and Em for the next few months if at all possible.  Avery hasn't gotten re-vaccinated yet, and Em is missing quite a few because some of them are live viruses that Avery can't be exposed to.  So if you don't see me and my crew for awhile, you'll know where we are!

Plain and simple -- Black Death.  You don't want it, and I hope if I'm going to get it, the good Lord lets my children fully recover first.  Now, I think I'll slip off to bed since my sickies are already there and try to get a few hours of sleep before Em starts crying.  Oh, I didn't mention that Em has been crying off and on all night, and last night, she puked in her bed.  Yep, it's been crazy around here.

Night, ya'll!
Bethany