A Few Things I've Learned

So this blog post is going to be about a few things I've learned since Saturday.

 

I do NOT like when my sweet girls aren't feeling well!

This makes me sad! But more on this in a bit.

 

Some night around this joint are busy & some are not. So I've started putting my daily tasks that change on the dry-erase board.

That way if I don't get stuff done on Tuesdays due to Moms Bible Study or I have extra time on Wednesdays to get stuff done since we have Cheer Practice on Thursdays, I can just do it when I get to it.

 

I also figured out that I am NOT doing intentional exercise, so I quit marking that check on my chore chart. Yes, I know the vitamins' spot has a line threw it, but that's cause I had to stop taking ALL meds & vitamins 7 days before my minor, outpatient, heart procedure (that got postponed & will be rescheduled at another date...I'll talk about that in a bit). 

 

I mean, I am burning a TON of calories when I clean: 

But I need to log intentional exercise so I will actually do it.

 

Saturday, The Morning Before the Flu, we all felt GREAT & showed NO SIGNS of being sick!

So we all went to watch Kayla cheer. I know one of her friends has the flu too & if anyone else got it from us, we are SO, SO, SOOOOOOO sorry!!!! I swear if we had know or if Kayla would have shown any sign of being sick we would not have been there!

 

But Saturday afternoon, Kayla woke up from nap not feeling well. After checking her temp & it registering between 103.5 - 104.2, we gave her some fever reducer & I took her to the ER in Somerville.

1st time she's been to the hospital since she was born, other than to visit me & Jamie when Jamie was born.

She was laying in the ER bed & I was laying beside her. This was on the table on the other side of her & she said: Momma, it's the Good News Bible, please read it to me.

 

That made my heart smile cause she read those 3 words all by herself and she wanted me to read from it. She had me read from it till the doctor came in.

While I was reading, she was "sleeping". Okay, not really, she was all into it & wanted me to take her picture pretending to be asleep since she was in a bed.

 

The doctor came in & told us, she had the flu. Yes, she had just had the flu shot not a full 2 weeks before, but it takes 2 weeks to a month for it to fully build up in your system and it does not fully protect you from getting the flu. We were sent home & told to take Tamiflu along with fever reducer, allergy meds, & given something for upset tummy. They told us to follow-up with our PCP office on Monday. The girls' nurse practitioner at their PCP office is AWESOME! If we are having a problem after-hours, she tells us to call her at home, on her cell, or text her. So I texted & gave her a heads up to tell her we would see her Monday.

 

After thinking about it, I decided to text the doctor I had scheduled my heart procedure with {yea, cause he's cool like that & says just text him}. Since I had & would continue to be exposed to & in close quarters with the flu & high fever, we decided it was best to postpone my procedure.

 

Sunday, my big girl took the cuddle spot when she's not feeling well. 

(she's leaning up against me)

 

And she goes hot & then cold when she's running fever. 

Again, notice my arm in the picture, she was stuck to my side...

 

...and I would watch her fever go up & down & up. At the 3 hour mark after fever reducer on Sunday afternoon, I watched it go up & up & UP:

(I was starting to get a little worried)

Yes, it says 104.7 & I was DEFINITELY not feeling easy! Needless to say, I went ahead & administered fever meds as those numbers were climbing within 30 minutes.

 

And because we have a sister, we share, everything...

...we may not always want to share everything, but we do....Jamie started feeling icky on Sunday afternoon & started running a low-grade fever.

 

And when you're running fever, need fluids, & not eating much, you're Mommy & Daddy will let you eat a Popsicle pretty much any time you ask (at least in this house).

Little Monkey just did a lot of laying around too.

 

On Sunday when Jamie started getting fever, I texted to let their nurse practitioner about Jamie's fever & symptoms. She went on & called Jamie in some Tamiflu.

Jamie woke up crying Monday morning. I've learned that when she is spiking a fever, she complains about her tongue burning. She had hit the 103 mark. So once the girls got up & dressed, we were off to the doctor. Do you notice Jamie's outfit?

 

When I pulled into the parking spot at the office, before I could get Jamie unbuckled, she started crying about her tongue burning again & threw up all over herself & her carseat. We got cleaned up & changed into the only thing I had in the back, a dress (reminds me I need to restock the emergency bag in the back of the SUV).

 

We went inside & waited our turn. 

 

I REALLY HATE it when my girls don't feel good!

They were tired & cold. They didn't actually go to sleep, but just wanted to close their eyes. It was confirmed that Jamie had the flu.

 

Have I mentioned that their nurse practitioner is AWESOME? She went ahead & wrote me a prescription for Tamiflu & said for Greg & me to start taking it once a day as a preventative. She also said if one of us started getting fever, up it to treatment for the flu as twice a day like the girls & let her know & she would call us in another prescription.

Kayla started feeling a little better, well, not better but was no long spike fever, so Jamie took the cuddle spot on me.

The girls had a few noodles & a Popsicle for lunch. We aren't to force them to eat, just let them eat what they feel up to. Yes, I know Jamie is mighty dressed up for not feeling well. But she did not want to change out of the dress from changing when she threw up at the doctor's office & I was NOT going to fight her on it.

With the girls wanting & getting all of the cuddles, the dogs were getting jealous so they were both on top of Greg & are pretty much every time he sits down.

The girls do have their moments were they feel like getting up to play a little.

 

And you know what, because the girls love me so much, they've decided to share the flu with me. So we have texted their nurse practitioner & gotten another prescription for Tamiflu. I literally feel like my muscles have been put through a week of workout boot camp & two-a-day practices & every time I sneeze I feel like my head is going to explode. Needless to say, it was a good call on deciding to reschedule my procedure.

 

FYI:

1 ER co-pay + 2 Doctor Office co-pays + 4 prescriptions of Tamiflu = $575 for us

 

In case you were wondering...having the flu makes you feel crappy & is NOT cheap! I have never gotten the flu shot, but by George we are all getting it when we should next year. Greg got it this year in October or November & has managed to avoid this flu.

We are enjoying family Popsicle time. And ya know, when you've ran high fevers, have the flu & ask for a 2nd Popsicle in one day; this Momma is NOT going to deny you.

We've mostly done a lot of laying around.

Eating a little when we feel up to it.

It's funny to me how dogs know when something is not right about you. Tess (the little dog laying down) has been by my side A LOT. Abby checks on me....

...makes a good guard dog & lets me know when someone is coming down the driveway.

The girls do get little burst of energy when they feel like playing (they're diving off their diving board into a pool here).

But when their fever starts to go up a little, it's back to cuddling.

Lunches (& dinners) have been eaten on TV trays in the living room.

And sometimes the flu just gets ya down & you need to take a little break from eating.

But other times you have energy to be up & playing, as long as you have your cup close by to take in your liquids.

This morning the girls were feeling well enough to play dress-up & doctor. Jamie is checking Kayla's ears & guess what?!?!?! Kayla has the flu.

But then our fever goes up a little & we just want to sit around on the couch with Mommy (who is just NOT feeling well, at all).

But even though she's sick, she still wants to play her spelling game on her DS. At one point today I had to tell her I just did not feel well enough to tell her how to spell any more. I had her go get me a piece of paper & I have just written out the words she keeps asking me how to spell....you see, I try to get her to sound them out on her own & spell them, but I just don't have the energy.

 

In fact, it's taken me a few hours to get the energy up to complete this blog post. And, I've had some Unglued Momma Moments. I'm not proud of them, but they've happened.

2 sick, clingy & whiny kids + 1 sick Momma = a bad combination & some unglued moments

But I'm praying & have some friends who are too & we are making it. I can rest in the fact that I know they know I love them & I know they love me too. I have apologized to them when I've had those head-spinning moments & really shouldn't have. They are understanding that Momma just really feels crappy.

 

Whew...time to get some rest now.