Sickness Strikes
Sacrament meeting began fifteen minutes ago. I am at home with four children. Steven alone is representing our family at church today. I hope he enjoys the peace and quiet of being able to concentrate on the talks and lessons today.
Tuesday morning Hannah woke up after a sleepless night with a headache. She didn't have a fever and she wanted to go to school, so I let her go. Twenty minutes later I got a phone call from the school; she had thrown up. So I picked her up and brought her home. She stayed home on Wednesday as well, running a fever and throwing up. Thursday she was feeling better and I brought her back to school, but I wasn't feeling very well.
As the day progressed I felt worse and worse. I wasn't throwing up. What I had was just a terrible head cold. I felt like my sinuses were stuffed and the entire front of my face hurt, even my jaw felt pressure on it. I took Ibuprofin for my headache, but two pills (200mg) did nothing for it. I dug out my 800mg Ibuprofin left over from some past pregnancy, and finally the pain subsided enough that I could tolerate it. I called the school and asked the secretary to tell my kids to walk home that day. I wan't feeling up to goin to pick them up from school.
Friday I was grateful that the kids didn't have school for some obscure reason (district inservice day). I had spent the entire night blowing my nose and struggling to breath. Hannah started coughing, and Josh was carrying around a bowl in case he needed to throw up. I spent the day in bed reading. The kids didn't get dressed and I didn't clean house or even clear breakfast off the table until 5pm.
Saturday I was feeling a little better. The mucus seemed to have left my head, but sunk down into my chest and I started coughing. I was able to get up and clean the house that morning, but by noon I was exhausted and ready to go back to my bed. Hannah was still coughing, and Josh was still skipping meals, claiming to be too sick to eat.
This morning, I still have a bit of a headache, my nose is still stuffy, and I'm still coughing. Hannah is still coughing. Peter's nose is oozing thick green snot, and when John blessed the food for breakfast this morning he sounded very congested too. I called around to find someone to lead the music in primary for me this morning and so here I am, with a housefull of coughing, stuffy, runny noses. Joshua probably could have gone to church today, but he wasn't dressed yet when Steven was ready to leave, so it seemed easier just to let him stay home with the rest of us. He probably has some bug too, it just isnt' showing up yet.
I guess I should be grateful that we were healthy all summer. The last time any of us were sick was when Hannah got the chicken pox just after Spring Break, and she didn't have a very bad case of it anyway. I'm grateful for nasal decongestants and Cold-eze. I'm grateful for tissues. I'm grateful for orange juice. I'm grateful for chapstick. I'm grateful for warm blankets. I'm grateful that bodies have the capacity to heal themselves, and to know that someday we will all be healthy again. I'm grateful for Steven and Hannah who have helped with meals for the last few days. I'm grateful I've had the chance to sit in bed and read some good books.
Tuesday morning Hannah woke up after a sleepless night with a headache. She didn't have a fever and she wanted to go to school, so I let her go. Twenty minutes later I got a phone call from the school; she had thrown up. So I picked her up and brought her home. She stayed home on Wednesday as well, running a fever and throwing up. Thursday she was feeling better and I brought her back to school, but I wasn't feeling very well.
As the day progressed I felt worse and worse. I wasn't throwing up. What I had was just a terrible head cold. I felt like my sinuses were stuffed and the entire front of my face hurt, even my jaw felt pressure on it. I took Ibuprofin for my headache, but two pills (200mg) did nothing for it. I dug out my 800mg Ibuprofin left over from some past pregnancy, and finally the pain subsided enough that I could tolerate it. I called the school and asked the secretary to tell my kids to walk home that day. I wan't feeling up to goin to pick them up from school.
Friday I was grateful that the kids didn't have school for some obscure reason (district inservice day). I had spent the entire night blowing my nose and struggling to breath. Hannah started coughing, and Josh was carrying around a bowl in case he needed to throw up. I spent the day in bed reading. The kids didn't get dressed and I didn't clean house or even clear breakfast off the table until 5pm.
Saturday I was feeling a little better. The mucus seemed to have left my head, but sunk down into my chest and I started coughing. I was able to get up and clean the house that morning, but by noon I was exhausted and ready to go back to my bed. Hannah was still coughing, and Josh was still skipping meals, claiming to be too sick to eat.
This morning, I still have a bit of a headache, my nose is still stuffy, and I'm still coughing. Hannah is still coughing. Peter's nose is oozing thick green snot, and when John blessed the food for breakfast this morning he sounded very congested too. I called around to find someone to lead the music in primary for me this morning and so here I am, with a housefull of coughing, stuffy, runny noses. Joshua probably could have gone to church today, but he wasn't dressed yet when Steven was ready to leave, so it seemed easier just to let him stay home with the rest of us. He probably has some bug too, it just isnt' showing up yet.
I guess I should be grateful that we were healthy all summer. The last time any of us were sick was when Hannah got the chicken pox just after Spring Break, and she didn't have a very bad case of it anyway. I'm grateful for nasal decongestants and Cold-eze. I'm grateful for tissues. I'm grateful for orange juice. I'm grateful for chapstick. I'm grateful for warm blankets. I'm grateful that bodies have the capacity to heal themselves, and to know that someday we will all be healthy again. I'm grateful for Steven and Hannah who have helped with meals for the last few days. I'm grateful I've had the chance to sit in bed and read some good books.
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