I is for Influenza... BUMMER!

As I mentioned in the previous post, Grandma Judy wasn't the only one in our family to catch the sick bug.  By Sunday evening M was also down for the count.  In fact he wanted me to wear him in the Ergo like I did when he was a baby.  While it did still hold him, I do not think it was ergonomically correct at his weight!

When you are sick you just want to be close to Mom!

M was running a fever so he was home with us on Monday.  Luckily Monday is Brandon's day off so I was still able to get lots of laundry done and go for a walk with a friend.  That walk was sadly the last walk I have been on!  

By Monday night I was feeling pretty miserable too.  M stayed home on Tuesday and we just slept and cuddled.  I had pretty low energy.  M was so well regulated both those days which doesn't usually happen, even when he is sick!

On Wednesday T wasn't feeling great, but M was better and going to school so I figured that T could go to school too.  We had T's IEP meeting at 11:00 and I wanted Brandon and I to both be able to attend.  I did get a call from the school that T wasn't feeling well, but when I asked about the meeting they told me that she could stay in the sick room during the meeting.  

T was home the rest of the week.  She was running a very high fever by Wednesday evening.  The highest reading I saw was 103.9, but she wasn't closing her mouth tightly when I took her temp, so it could have been a bit higher than that.  That night she was up in the night with headache pain.  

On Thursday morning I took T to the Dr and they confirmed that she had Influenza type A.  The Dr said that I most likely also had it.  My fevers were lower than T's but I felt pretty miserable. Tamiflu (the main drug given to people with influenza) really only lessens symptoms by one day, so he said that we might as well not give it to T.  He did suggest that I take it (because being sick while caring for sick kids is hard) and that we get some for Brandon as a preventative.  

M came home weary after school on Thursday.  He didn't have a fever, but the Dr said that the cough can last a while and he was just tired out!  

Two sick kids!!

T was MUCH better on Friday.  Her fever broke on Thursday night and never came back.  I was still on the mend, but she was all over the place wanting to play and begging to go back to school.  

Everyone was better by Monday!  I was so thankful to have some calm in the house again.  It was a very odd feeling to have kids so under the weather for such a long time.  It sort of felt like I had babies again.  There were many sweet cuddles, but I was so thankful to have been back at school.  I have never been quite sick while trying to care for sick children before.  That was incredibly taxing!  I kept wishing I could just meet my own needs... well such is life as a mom.  No sick days!   The beautiful thing about being sick is the amazingly wonderful appreciation for good health when it returns.