March Sickos

We drove down to the Castle Rock Outlets to do a little shopping (March 19). While there James threw up. It did not look like spit up but I just thought maybe it was weird spit up because of the solid food we are putting him on. He then threw up again and again. This time it was very obvious that he was throwing up (full body heaving, gagging and that horrible 'throw up' smell) and he was green. So we got all ready to leave and he started being really lethargic (he would just stare at us, no reaction, not to a toy, us or anything). So while driving home we called Mom and an on-call nurse and decided to take him to Urgent Care, to make sure he wasn't getting dehydrated. (He threw up 12 times in 3 hours)

Ben dropped us off and I went in to find it would be over an hour wait- ugh. I pulled him out of his seat and he had vomited all over his clothes, so I stripped him down to his onesy and a blanket and laid him on my chest as we waited. After about 15 minutes a nurse came out (to get another patient) and saw him, he was so lethargic and sick that she left her patient waiting and came over. They brought out some zofran to stop his nausea but as we were trying to give it to him he vomited 2-3 Tbs of lime green bile and exploded his diaper (all over me because he had no clothes on- and I mean ALL OVER). She went and found a room for us to clean up in and wait (so we didn't have to wait in the hall/waiting room).

I took him back and cleaned him and myself off (as best I could). He laid on the bed like he was dead; no movement, no fight while I stripped him down, no talking. But literally less than 15 minutes after taking the Zofran he was perked up and looking like a normal (still a little sick with low energy) kid; playing, talking, all smiles. They brought in some pedialyte (electrolytes because he hadn't eaten in 8 hrs) and the doctor came in a checked him out. He was totally healthy, no abdominal swelling or tenderness, and the doctor said there has been a bug going around and he should be fine (they gave me some zofran to take home, just in case).  That night he had an okay night; with 3 diarrhea blow outs (yuck) and a low appetite (but eating a little). He continued to have diahrea the rest of that week but was feeling better in every other way.

That night in the middle of the night Elizabeth woke up with an upset stomach and climbing into our bed, threw up everywhere.  We were able to get her and the bed cleaned up and her back in her bed just in time for her to throw up again.  So then we got her in yet another pair of pajamas and cleaned up her bed.  Ben took in a blanket and laid by her to help her if anything else happened and I cleaned up and went to bed (after being up almost 2 hours cleaning up vomit).

I stayed home with the kids from church and they both started perking up and feeling better.  That night I started feeling off and I threw up. Then I battled the queasiness and diarrhea for a day (thank heaven's I didn't throw up again).  We passed a 24 hour stomach bug around the house and Ben, thank heaven's did not get it. 

Then on Tuesday night (almost 24 hours sick free), Ben started feeling 'off'. That night it snowed like crazy and we woke up to feet of snow causing Ben to work from home.  Through the day he just kept feeling bad and even took a nap (that's a big deal for Ben).  That night he got a horrible fever and felt really bad; we finally decided that he needed to go to the doctor.  So I dug out the car (seriously, the snow was so deep) and we took him to the doctor. The doctor said it was probably the Flu but that the Flu usually had a higher fever so he just gave Ben a prescription for antibiotics and we went home. But things just kept getting worse. 

His fever continued to get higher (103 and not breaking) and he just slept constantly.  He would wake up and come out of the room and try to eat/drink something and just fall asleep while sitting up and in mid conversation. Finally after 24 hours of a high unrelenting fever we had our Home Teachers come over to give him a blessing.  The next day we were able to break his fever and he, again, slept all day straight (but without a high fever he was feeling better).  In the end we decided that he had the Flu (not a stomach flu but the actual influenza).  By Sunday (Easter) he was feeling much better and didn't go to church but went to his parents for dinner.

I have never seen Ben that sick and it was a little scary but he was super tough.  We are so grateful that the rest of us did not get that sick and that Ben was able to get well relatively quickly.