Trying to get better

Right after this picture was taken, both the kids fell asleep on the couch. That was a first!

This is definitely the longest we've ever been sick; we're going on nine days now--soon to be ten tomorrow. To think it all started with just a little head ache.

It was Max who first was sick last week with a small headache that followed with a fever. Once he got better, Luke also began to complain of a headache with a small temperature. But soon that was over and they both went back to school.

But then Lucy began to get sick and then Henry. She and Henry were the sickest of all, including myself. Lucy had an ongoing fever ranging from 101 to 102 almost all the time. Dennis came home early on Sunday to help out since I was also sick and he brought Henry and Lucy into Urgent Care and the doctor said they had influenza. Anyone else who was sick at the house could also consider themselves to be sick with the same influenza.

I forgot to add that on Sunday, Luke also began to get sick again, as you can see from the picture, but he wasn't yet as sick as Lucy and Henry, which is why Dennis only brought Lucy and Henry in. They came home from the Urgent Care with a nebulizer machine and 5 prescriptions between both of the kids. All of this came to a whopping $325, and that was with insurance.

So our days are usually filled with who got what medicine and how many times, and breathing treatments. Dennis is the only one who can seem to get Henry to take his nebulizer treatments without fighting him--although in this picture, Henry is crying, but that was only because he saw me and wanted me to hold him. Otherwise, Dennis holds Henry in sort of a head-lock position (which I know sounds terrible, but it works) and Henry is very calm and just lays there while he gets his neb.

This is the "head-lock" hold; it's not really a head-lock but he holds him around the head so that Henry's hands can't pull the mask off.

 

Luke loves the nebulizer treatment. I think this is something to do with Star Wars, as he thinks that wearing the mask makes him look (and breathe) like Darth Vador. I often hear Luke doing the heavy breathing like Darth Vador, which is fine, because breathing deeply makes for a better breathing treatment anyway.

"Luke, I am your father!"

Lucy seems to be doing a lot better; except for her appetite. The only thing she will eat is fruit. For the past few days, all I've been making her are fruit plates, which is okay, I guess, but it's time for some meat!

I made them drink some special tea that's supposed to help with coughing. They hated it.

Her fever, for the most part, has finally been gone today and I think tomorrow she can finally go back to school. She's been sick for six days.

Henry also seems to be doing a little better, though he continues to be coughing a lot. The doctors office called me today to check on him; they saw he was in Urgent Care again and I guess when you're in Urgent Care twice in one month, the "rule" is that you need to bring the kid in for a follow-up to make sure the respiratory stuff is over. I haven't yet told Dennis; he's not going to be happy to hear about another doctor's bill.

While I'm at it, I'm going to also bring in Luke, as he is now very sick again. I had him go to school this morning as he woke with no fever and the school nurse called me midday to tell me he had a small fever and that his cough was atrocious. She said that she thinks it sounds like bronchitis, and frankly, the nebulizer doesn't seem to be working for him as much as it does for Henry and Lucy. Tonight he also had a fever of 102.5 which is the highest it's been yet for him. However, he continued to be "Luke", which means full of mischief. He's one of those kids who barely even feels a fever.

And now, just when I think the flu is finally leaving our house, it seems that Max is getting sick again. He came home with another head-ache and a small fever. It's only gotten up to 99.5, so we'll see if it gets any worse than that.

It all started with a little headache, and now it looks like we've gone full circle right back to it.

Next year, we are all getting flu shots. Count us in.