Sick ...Again

It seems like we have been sick since November. Is that possible? It really has been off and on. But since January, we just keep catching every cold, flu bug, or virus that comes near. It's so frustrating. I've never used so much Lysol and anti-bacterial wipes in such a short amount of time before. Nor have I done so much laundry!

This past ordeal was with the Noro Virus...not pretty. I thought I was going to die. I'll spare you much of the details.

The kids first received colds after playing with their cousins. So we had three snot nosed coughers. W then brought the first signs of the disastrous virus into the home a few days after church. He threw up in bed and experienced his first blow out. Oh no...wash everything, hopefully it doesn't spread. The next day, I'm casually making dinner. Hmmm...my stomach doesn't feel so great. After dinner...my enchilada is really not sitting well with me. Seconds after A leaves for Scouting, I hit the bathroom with excessive speed. Not good...this is not good. I put E to bed almost an hour early and started to get the boys ready. It was difficult to do when every 10 minutes I'm sprinting to the bathroom.

By the time A got home, I could barely stand from the fatigue. He was shocked to see me so sick as he poured me some juice. Yum...fantastic juice...White Grape Peach juice. Too bad I couldn't keep it down. But on a positive note, we have now found a remedy to freshen the smell of vomit. Drink White Grape Peach juice! It makes a world of difference.

My sweet husband helped me upstairs and ran a bath for me. It was about midnight and as I'm soaking, E woke with fright. Yip...she threw up. Daddy put her in the bath as I washed her bed sheets. We heard coughing from the boys room and then throwing up. Our nightmare had begun.

We made a little towel bed for E on our bedroom floor. She had a special bucket just for her, which we had to teach her how to use. She was so scared to throw up and it took a lot of convincing to get her to throw up in the bucket rather than swallow it. Ewww...gross, I know.

A took the next 2 days off. His entire family was stricken with a gut bombing virus! It was a rough night to say the least. E and I were chattin' it up with the toilet and special bucket all night. So, the next day wasn't much better. O threw up two more times, but the boys mostly suffered from diarrhea...one explosion after another. Only one out of four people over here could make it to the bathroom...the washing machine was constantly going. Everyone's bed linens (kids' linens 4-5 times), every towel we own, several movie watching blankets, and 3-4 outfits from each child each day, and several outfits from us because what child can resist puking or pooping on mom and dad...yeah, a ton of laundry.

So, everyone but A was on a clear liquid diet, little sips at a time, which was so hard when your babies are crying for food. E cried as she literally begged us for eggs all day long. Poor A almost lost it. His stomach began to rumble half way through the day, so he took a break and napped. I think we all napped off and on throughout the day. It was strange. Thank goodness A never got sick.

By day 2 we thought the worst had passed, after all, the virus claims a 48 hour life alteration. We fed E bits of cracker, pretzels, and applesauce. For dinner, I thought we could handle a little bit of chicken noodle soup. We were gravely mistaken as she woke screaming. Before reaching E's door, A knew she had thrown up again as he hears her say to herself, "It's ok E, it's ok...Mommy and Daddy will come clean you up." As Daddy washed her in the bath, I scooped vomit out of the entire top half of her bed. Not only did I have to wash everything on her bed, but also about three feet of her wall which was sprayed. Not pretty...

The boys continued to have disastrous explosions out the backside and we were getting worried. O could spare a few lost pounds, but poor W was way too skinny. We knew they weren't dehydrated, but they weren't drinking much. We were working on day 3 and 4 here. We consulted a health clinic and found we were doing fine. If the boys didn't improve in a few days, we needed to take them to see the doctor. Thankfully, within a few more days they were wearing clean shorts, eating better, and playing more like themselves. E was also back to herself. They still had colds, but hey, I'd rather wipe runny noses any day! A was back at work and I was 10 pounds lighter and still doing laundry.

We took lots of baths.

A family picture was taken during our near death experience. We were all in bed. We looked rough. Here's E putting on a brave face.

Things we learned and are helpful:

1. Drink White Grape Peach juice- you will be so grateful
2. Flushable wipes are a necessity
3. Waterproof wherever a sick child sits or sleeps
4. Have plenty of movies
5. Lysol and/or Antibacterial Wipes and bleach to aid in cleaning and killing bacteria
6. A fan to help with nausea and clear unpleasant vapors quickly
7. Oxi Clean will remove any stubborn stain
8. Don't believe a 3 year old when she says she feels better

We followed this from a doctor:
Guidelines for Eating & Drinking
1. After vomiting, do not eat or drink anything for 1 to 2 hours.
2. Next 2 hours: sips every 10 minutes.
3. Next 2 hours: increase sipping.
4. Next 2 hours, drink fluids at will.
5. After above liquids are tolerated, you may progress to the following:
~Dry toast (no butter), cheerios, pretzels, saltine crackers.
~Dilute juices (1/2 water:1/2 juice)
~Plain baked potato, rice, plain pasta
~Chicken noodle soup
If vomiting recurs at any step, go back to step #1.

And this:
PROGRESSIVE BLAND DIET EXAMPLE
Day 1... of Diarrhea or Vomiting (first 24 hours)
Drink Clear Liquids at room temperature:
• Sports Drinks (i.e. Powerade/Gatorade)
• Weak Tea (decaffeinated)
• Jello
• Non-Caffeinated sodas – flat sodas are best (7-Up, Sprite, Gingerale)
Day 2 … Slowly add bland foods in SMALL amounts as you can tolerate throughout the day.
Examples:
• Oatmeal or Cream of Wheat
(instant microwavable or regular made with water, not milk)
• Dry Cereal (no milk) (i.e. cheerios, corn flakes)
• Plain Rice or Pasta (no butter, oil, or sauces)
• Crackers or Pretzels
• Gingersnaps
• Plain Toast (no butter or jelly)
• Mashed Potatoes (no skins)
• Bananas (best if ripe)
• Apple Sauce & Canned Fruits (i.e. pears, peaches)
• Chicken noodle soup
Day 3… Gradually add more variety of foods in smaller more frequent meals evenly spaced throughout the day.
Examples:
• Soft boiled eggs or scrambled eggs
• Plain Baked Potato
• Fish or Chicken (no skin) well-cooked, baked or grilled (not fried)
• Plain or Vanilla Yogurt
• Cottage cheese
• Cooked Carrots or Green beans
• Milk - consume skim or low-fat milk after diarrhea has stopped.