The Cough

It had been Riley's only symptom for days. She'd been sleeping and eating just fine. No fever, no excessive fussing. She was otherwise herself just coughing. Maybe I raised a seriously tough cookie or maybe I'm getting wimpy in my old age. Either way her cough knocked me on my butt.

I started coughing on Tuesday, but I assumed it would be like it was for Riley. No big deal. I didn't sleep well that night and by the end of the day Wednesday I was wrecked. After some drowsy cough medicine and a good solid night of sleep I was no better.

In fact, I was worse. Mike got the kids up, dressed fed and out the door on his own. It's a rare event. Usually, I ask him to do it and stay in bed initially, but end up out of bed picking up the slack. Not today. Today, I laid in bed vaguely aware of what was happening drifting in and out of sleep. I didn't fully wake up until 9:30. Luckily for me Riley had been content to play quietly by herself and Mike hadn't needed to take any work calls. I felt awful. I took a hot shower with Riley got us dressed in some comfy clothes just in time for Mike to get on the phone and need us gone.

I took up residence on the couch and let Riley have her way with the living room. I used the wheelchair all day and managed to keep the kids fed and on their normal schedule. I assumed "taking it easy" would mean full recovery by Friday. I guess progress by inches is the most fitting description, but I feel that unit of measurement to be generous. I did manage to eat solid food by the afternoon. Previously, it had been milkshakes and cough medicine. I had pasta for lunch and then a burger for dinner.

The worst of it is the pain in my chest and back. There's stinging from the fluid in my lungs, but the soreness of the muscles and the continuous coughing is really bad. Mike's pretty annoyed by the coughing at this point too. I can't blame I was over it days ago. Oy. Anyway, when all else fails I set a goal and push. So, tomorrow morning it's out of bed, get the kids and myself ready and then we're off to a birthday lunch downtown. Don't worry I'll bring hand sanitizer and cough drops (and be feeling much better).

Sick, but Sweet

I was the former, but the day was surprisingly the later. It happened yesterday, Mike started feeling lousy. I was thinking maybe I'd escape this round in the afternoon, but when we went to visit Mike's mom that evening she commented that I sounded a little congested and I knew I was in for it. Riley went to play at Boo's house this morning, thank goodness. I needed a break. Isaac spent his last day of break plugging away at his project.

It's hard when Mike and I are both sick because there's no one to take care of me. It always makes me stiff and tight which is super annoying considering the stage of heal my hip is in. Also, with Isaac's deadline approaching and cleaning help on the way I was afraid to sleep. Once afternoon rolled around and the house was quiet I dozed a bit. My mom dropped by with the last of the presents (warm jammies!) and then Mike and I snuggled, sniffling and watched Torchwood for a while.

It was nice to lay around. I realized how busy my days are normally when I lay around for a day or two. I'm so tired, but I think on the mend.

August Absence

From Tue the 16th to Fri the 19th I was in bed with what turned out to be a kidney infection. Nasty, nasty thing. I hope it was my first and last. Poor Riley was having terrible nightmares and demanding to see me since I hadn't been out of my bed. It was a haze of fighting to stay awake long enough to give Mike a few kid related reminders, weeping while I shuffled across the hall to the bathroom and drinking cranberry juice or water like they were going out of style.

Here's the lesson, Moms, when you and the baby are sick by all means take care of your baby first, but you have to take care of yourself too. I ignored my symptoms. I took Riley to the doctor and got her medicine when she showed the beginning signs of an ear infection. When I felt like I had a bladder infection I drank cranberry juice and told myself it was getting better. I let it get into my kidney.

I was driving the kids home in the rain on Tuesday thinking I didn't feel well and then the fever hit me at home on the couch. I was done. All that time recovering from the cold that started all this and now I was a vegetable between pain, fever and fatigue. Bad times.

I'm halfway through my antibiotics as of today. Woohoo! Hopefully, feeling 100% human will come in time. Take care of yourselves, please.

Infect-er-roo-ni

Riley and went to see her doctor yesterday morning. Her body has pretty much killed the eye infection, but not before it migrated to her ear. Poor thing. No wonder she was so frustrated yesterday. Stupid old ear infection.

I'm still trying to win the battle myself so her outbursts of frustration are tough to take. Hopefully, now that we're a few doses of antibiotics in it'll be downhill...

Worst Case Senario

I had grand plans for what I thought would be my last day without kids until 5:30. I was excited and well prepared to drop the kids off and run. However, toddlers as a group do not believe in “according to plan”. Saturday night Riley woke up somewhere in the neighborhood of 8-10 times during the night. Sunday morning her nose was running. By the afternoon her eye had joined the snot festival of snot and she had a fever. There went my day without kids.

It got worse however, I was served an early dinner I could not eat. My throat started bothering me and soon I couldn't keep my eyes open. Riley and I were both sick in bed after dinner and both sound asleep by 7:45pm. Monday had gone from something to look forward to, to something to dread.

Up until now when one of the kids has been sick I'm ok or vice versa. This was the first time Riley and I had been really sick together. A whole day alone with a sick toddler, while I was sick. When I get a virus I get horrible joint pain so it's hard to move.

I had a terrible time throwing myself out of bed this morning. Riley seemed a little perkier than the night before, but insisted on a bath. I thought it was a good idea, but wished I could sleep a few more hours. After bath she was less snotty and warm, but I was crampy and nauseous. Off to a good start.

The most frustrating thing about sick toddlers is they have manic behavioral shifts. One minute they're tiny zombies, moaning and cuddling you, and the next they're playing like nothing's wrong. It's exhausting when you're not viral yourself. Also, toddlers lack the communication skills to express their frustration and pain. Riley kept throwing things, dumping things, yelling and hitting me. Which is also much easier to cope with when I'm well.

We survived the morning in a haze of Disney movies, convenience foods and multiple baths. At 11:00 I decided we were both ready for an early nap. Riley (and Mom) slept for an hour. I was able to get her back to sleep after about 10mins, thank goodness. I slept heavy and had weird dreams the rest of the nap. At about 2pm I awoke to an urgent knock. It took me a minute to realize it was Riley knocking on her own door to be let out.

In the afternoon I felt more human, but Riley seemed to be declining. By 4pm I called the dr. They're squeezing her in at 8am. Hopefully, we'll be in bed early and on the mend tomorrow. Actually, I have a video chat for my e-course at 9pm. Maybe a nap? Oy, what a day!

When Mama's Sick...

Ain't nobody sick!  What the heck??

Seriously, I nurse everyone in the house through some horrible virus, remain intact and the minute they're on their feet I'm dying. EVERY TIME!! They all get to be sick together and then I suffer while they're bounding around full of energy.

Grrr. Happy Birthday here's a virus. It's a really annoying one that comes in stages so you keep thinking you're better and then BAM new symptom. Give me a break.

I feel like Filbert. Blow your nose. Wash your hands. Eat some crackers. Wash your hands. Go to the bathroom. Wash your hands. Change the baby. Wash your hands.



I wonder if you sneeze into your arm do you wash your hands? Probably. Seems like you should wash your arm. Honestly I was signing the "Journey of a Germ" song from Sid the Science Kid in my head during all the hand washing. Which didn't seem to be shortening the length of my cold at all, but who knows?



It's also further proof that even when you're sick there's no TV for grown-ups. In fact, that's lots and lots of kiddie shows while you lay limply on the couch wondering if anyone ever died from coughing or literally blew their brains out.

Stupid immune system! You'd think having kids would give you super immunities. Maybe it will by the time they're out of the house.

How do you do it? How do other moms survive when you're sick and they're not?