What A {Couple of} Weeks

Is it spring yet?

Seriously, this winter has not been very nice to the Sides clan.  Over the past 13 days, we've been to our pediatrician's office twice, the ER once, and took turns at home with a sick baby for three and a half days.

It all started two Mondays ago when I noticed a small, pimple-like bump on the back of Little Man's head.  Upon returning home after a 12+ hour day, I noticed the bump was red and swollen to a quarter-size.  It looked like a similar staff infection I had on my back two months prior.  I freaked out with it being so close to his brain and Facetimed my mom.  She confirmed my initial thought--take him to the ER.  By that time, it was 8:30pm and that was the very last thing I planned on doing when I got home.  But the bump scared the living daylights out of me and I knew it's what I needed for peace of mind.

Fifteen minutes later, we checked in at Children's Mercy South ER and were assumed to be there with the flu.  Nope, no flu for us, knock of wood. 

Surprisingly, we only waited for about two minutes before being called back to the room.  The doctor was also prompt and confirmed my suspicion of a staff infection.  He prescribed antibiotic, but wasn't at all concerned about the location of the likely staff.  Off we went.

Two days later on a Friday, it was still swollen and full of puss.  I called our pediatrician to explain the situation.  The nurse said we could bring him in to have it drained, but it was really up to us.  If we didn't have it drained, it would likely open (eventually) and all the nasty stuff would drain at home.  No thanks. 

I took him in after work and poor guy experience probably the worse pain of his life so far.  The doctor squeezed it and drained it.  I didn't watch.  But I did have to hold him.  Poor guy cried harder than he did four days prior when he got his 6-month shots.  It was like a face-turned-purple, didn't-breathe-for-ten-seconds kind of cry.  It broke my heart.  The doctor said he couldn't believe how much stuff came out.  He wanted to culture it to confirm the staff infection and results would be in the following week.  And then we were on our little way--the spot was bleeding and Brantley was still crying quite miserably.

Four days later, I started feeling miserable.  Like sick miserable.  Feverish miserable.  So miserable that I decided it was worth a half sick day (of my three remaining) and went home.  I noticed on the drive home that it was 55 degrees out.  Yet, I had on a long sleeve shirt, sweater, and winter coat and the heat was blasting and I was shivering.  When I got home, I had a 102-degree fever.  Ugh.  No wonder why I was so miserable. 

I slept all afternoon.  I woke up around 2:30 and noticed a text from our daycare.  "Brantley just threw up.  Can you come get him?"  Oh crap.  The text was sent an hour prior.  I wrote her back immediately and said I was so sorry, I had just seen the text and that I'd send Craig ASAP.  Her response, "He already got him."  I knew Craig was home, but didn't realize Brantley was literally feet away from me sleeping in his carseat.  Both Mommy and Baby were sick.

Craig stayed home with Brantley on Wednesday.  I still wasn't feeling well, but sucked it up and went to work.  My sick days were down to 2.5 and I couldn't afford to miss a day.  I had our school nurse take my temp around 2:00--101 point something.  Lovely.  Thankfully, I was done teaching and just needed to make it through math lab.  Brantley, on the other hand, seemed fine and hadn't thrown up again all day.

On Thursday, I was finally feeling more like myself, but got a call from Craig as I was driving to work.  "Brantley just threw up again."  I knew we couldn't take him to daycare, but Craig could not stay home again.  So I volunteered.  A day on the couch didn't seem so bad.  And quite honestly, the only place I wanted to be was wrapped around my sweet, sick baby.  Nothing else mattered.  I was having a harder time with his illness than he was.

We snuggled all day.  He didn't want put down.  He didn't play, didn't smile, didn't eat.  It was very obvious he was miserable.  Though he didn't throw up again (until Friday), he did have a 101 point something fever.  I tried Tylenol and Pedialyte.  There wasn't much I could do.

Craig stayed home again on Friday.  And finally, today, four days after the initial text, he is acting like he feels better.  Playing.  Smiling.  Eating {somewhat}.  Thank.goodness. 

I'm over being sick.  And I'm especially over having a sick baby.  This winter, it seems we've had it all.

Stomach flu for Mom.
Check.
Bronchitis for Dad.
Check.
Bronchiolitis for Baby.
Check.
Ear infection for Baby.
Check.
Ear infection again.
Check.
Staff infection for Baby.
Check.
Stomach flu for Baby.
Check.
Respiratory bug for Mom.
Check.
And sinusy, cold-like stuff pretty much non-stop in between.

I'm so ready for spring.  It seriously can't come soon enough.  Less than six weeks according to the groundhog.  Punxsutawney Phil...I sure hope you're right.




1 comment:

  1. Oh my goodness- what a rough couple of weeks!!! So glad you went with your gut and took him to the ER - so scary. Hope you are all feeling better soon - spring is just around the corner thank goodness!!!

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