Belle: Croup round 1, 2 and three.
Belle: Double ear infections
Mady: Sinus Infection
Mady: Upper Respiratory Infection
Both: Strep tests positive, testing for cultures
Both: Constant, non-stop, never-ending colds and snotty noses
Finally, the stomach bug from hell.
All this crap began around Christmas. Slowly we all started getting sick and the girls have been taking turns keeping AK and I out of work the best they can. It's embarassing how much time we have lost from work. One afternoon, I was on my way home from working out of town and Kelly called, it was the FIRST break from the 30 degree weather we have had, it was 60s and the kids NEEDED the fresh air so she asked if I would like to join her at the park. I agreed, I picked up Mady early and met Kelly at the park. The kids played but Annabelle was very monotone. While pushing her on the swings, AK called me.
AK: Hey hun. How are you?
Me: Hey! Im good. At the park with the kids, meeting Kelly. When are you coming home? You should join us! It's beautiful outside today!
AK: Yea, about that. I have this job that needs to go out tomorrow morning at 5am and I some things just came up that I need to work on. I'll be here pretty late.
Me: Ok.. so how late? Like after dinner? Do I wait for you to go to bed? How late?
AK: Well. It's going out at 5am. So yea.... that
I looked at Kelly and said, "Well. My husband won't be home and yours is out of town. Why don't we go out on a hot date together? ...with the kids too of course. Chick-Fil-A?"
During dinner, Annabelle pooped. It smelled horrible and I just knew it would be a mess so I decided we were all finished anyway and I would wait until I got home to clean her up so I could give her a bath. When I opened the back door in our driveway, my jaw fell to the group. She was sitting in a pool flood of feces. Im not even kidding. She could literally splash in it. I didn't even know what to do! I couldn't figure out how to get her out and upstairs without ruining everything in our path! I ran in and grabbed a towel. Pulled her out the carseat and ran upstairs and pushed the rug to the hallway. That became my battle zone. The poor baby couldn't stop pooping. I gave her a bath and 10min later she did it again. Again, I CANNOT describe the amount of fluid that can come from that child.. Mady was right beside me, doing her best to help although I asked her to stay away. She would get me plastic bags. I would bag the trash (diapers, disposable cloths.. sometimes clothes) and tell her to carry it downstairs and throw it outside! lol. I didn't have time run laps! I was in over my head and already changed myself twice from being pooped on twice. Finally. I gave Annabelle a couple cups of water to hydrate, she started to slow down and I was able to pull the messes and house together. I bathed and scrubbed Mady. Got her in bed and came downstairs to begin scrubbing everything else.. doing incredible amounts of laundry and dismantle the Hazmat condition of a carseat.
That's when I texted AK, "You could not have picked a more perfect night away to be unreachable at work. Our house is going down. Ive been pooped on twice and everything in the car and second floor is covered in your kids poop. Either hurry and help or stay far away!"
He texted back: Now I know why my stomach hurts so bad... Im on my way home.
When he got home, he threw up for about 30min straight. Again, I did more laundry. He was up and down all night sick. Each time he got up, I went upstairs and changed Annabelle's diaper to keep her dry. The rest of the week was equally shitty. We battled who would stay home because we both needed to be at work. Friday was our Anniversary and I asked AK to stay home so I could go to two of my meetings, one of which was at an off-site substation. He grumbled and agreed. I promised to be home at lunchtime. Noon rolls around and the guys at the substation are just finishing up, I felt so bad for AK but had to tell him I would be late.. he was ticked. I got back to the office, cancelled my second meeting and said I was on my way home.. until I went outside and my tire was flat. Called him again - he was furious. As if somehow it was my fault! We were all just tired and frustrated. The weekend was spent helping Annabelle get over the tummy bug that she just couldn't seem to kick.
Monday. The first day Annabelle is feeling better. Mady had an appointment with the Orthopedic doctor and took another xray of her shoulder. Miracles and prayers were answered! She's healing!! No more surgery!! I took her to school and went home to let Belle nap. Annabelle had an appointment with the allergist at 2:45pm. I met AK for lunch, then ran around for a few before getting to the allergist 15m early. We began a test to determine if the Rice Milk I have been giving her for two months was making her sick. Annabelle screamed the entire time I talked to the doctor trying to explain things.
Then my phone vibrates, it's Mady's teacher from school: Mady just threw up all over the table.
I am already on the verge of tears because of the last two months. Annabelle has been sick and we haven't slept for a week and a half straight. The doctor visit is enough to make someone jump out the window.
My response: You're kidding. Mrs. Davis: Nope. She's thrown up everything. Can you come get her now?
I had to make AK leave work AGAIN and go get Mady. I couldn't walk out of the visit with Annabelle because it's a very important visit for us. She's had a lot of issues lately and I fear they have everything to do with allergies so I needed to stay.
Mady spent her night vomiting every 30min until there was just nothing left on her poor little tummy. I pulled bed sheets downstairs and took the pillows off the couch. I made Mady and I a perfect comfy bed on the couch and laid a towel on the floor that held: a bucket. wet washcloth. sippy cup of water. tv remote. At 11pm I gave her an old Zofran that I had leftover from my pregnancy with Annabelle. That slowed the vomiting to every hour until 3am when she started every 30min again for a couple hours. At 5:30a I walked into the bedroom and told AK I needed to tap out and sleep before going to work. I slept for an hour and somehow managed to drag myself thru the day. By the time I was home, Mady was bouncing all over the house and eating everything in sight with no issues! Thank goodness! I hate seeing my babies so sick :(
For Annabelle, we are meeting the GI Specialist this Thursday because I keep pestering them to find me a cancellation and see us asap. The poor little girl is miserable. She cries allllll.theeeee.timeeeee! She is always hungry. I feel just so terrible for her! I think the smartest decision is to remove her from all foods all together and let her little system relax. The longer you're exposed to allergens, the weaker your immune system becomes. The fact that it took Annabelle 9 days to get over a tummy bug that took the rest of the family 1 day tells me that her system isn't doing so great. She needs help and I am on a mission to get the poor kid answers soon. I promise her I will!
Im sure there are a million other misc. things that keep trying to knock our little family down but we keep picking up the pieces. This winter, for sure, hasn't been very nice to us at all. We cannot wait for spring and summer and I cannot wait to find answers for Annabelle. Mady has a birthday coming very soon! Scooby-Doo for her FOURTH birthday! I cannot believe it's already been FOUR years. Heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time.
One day I will look back at the blink of these memories.. until then, Just keep swimming, Just keep swimming...
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