Sick again? or sick still? it's really hard to tell!

Has anyone noticed that this year has been the worst for viruses?  Well, in our house we have definately noticed!  Our most recent virus landed Duckling in the hospital for a 4 day stay and she was released with the threat of being readmitted.  Convinced that something in our house is making us sick, I've asked every Dr. that has treated my kids if something in our house could be making us sick.  In all, I may have asked 7 different doctors and they all said the same thing....."NO"! 

Why would we be to the point where I believe that something in our house is making us sick?  Well, because we have had illness after illness since January, and I am not exagerating.  I looked back on my facebook posts and took note on who was sick and when, so that I would be armed with it at our next dr. visit.  It was eyeopening to look at the actual dates because while we have felt like illness has been constant, it was amazing to see exactly how often we really were. 

At least one person, sometimes 2 or 3 were sick with diarrhea and/or vomitting on each of these dates:
Jan 29, Jan 31.
Feb. 3, 4, 6, 21, 24, 25, 27th
March 2, 7, 16, 18, 20, 27, 28
April 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

Last Tuesday another round of illness started it's way. Striking Macaw and Emu the first day, Cardinal the second, Duckling and Eagle the third, Falcon the fourth and Hawk the fifth, then revisiting Emu the sixth!  Duckling was violently ill, so I called her pediatrician and she was refered to the ER and I was advised that she would likely be admitted.  As we left for the ER, she began vomitting blood.  She was not only admitted, but was not released until that following Sunday.  They had a very difficult time keeping her hydrated, even with her being on an IV.  She refused to eat or drink, then on Saturday she began vomitting and had diarrhea again.  As if this wasn't stressful enough, I called to check on the kids at home to find out that Hawk was violently vomitting and Carndinal appeared to be dehydrated...so again, a call to the pediatrician and now 2 kids being referred to the ER. 

This was a very difficult thing to coordinate, as I needed someone to stay with my 3 small kids and someone to stay in the hospital with Duckling because I was the only one who could take Cardinal and Hawk to the ER, unless I could get a power of attorney for someone else to be authorized to consent to treatment for them.  It was extremely stressful, but it all worked out!  My ER'ers were both released and went home with a friend and I was able to return back to my little Duckling.  By the end of her stay, she was able to walk with her IV pole all by herself, and a hat was no longer something you wore on your head, but yet something that attaches to the toilet for you to pee in.  She was released on Sunday, despite my being uncomfortable with the fact that she was going home refusing to drink more than 4 oz in a 24 hour time frame.  They sent her home with medication to treat her vomitting and of course, on Monday, our morning was greeted by her vomitting.  A visit to the pediatrician didn't go too bad, but she did say that we would be lucky if we were able to keep Duckling from being admitted again due to the fact that she has no reserve to make up for her lack of fluid intake.  Thank God for Momma's Milk because apparently she is actually getting enough to keep her hydrated and out of the hospital because that is just about the only thing she will drink!

I've about had enough of the hospital and we are getting to know the Dr.'s and nurses there like they are family.  It's pretty bad when you walk in the ER and they just about know you by name.  I am starting to feel like we need to fill out a change of address card with the post office because lately we spend so much time at that hospital! 

Movies in bed

Feeling good enough to play with Mommy's phone

A poor attempt at eating

Sick again, waiting to be moved to a new room while Cardinal and Hawk are on their way to the ER

Sick Hawk in the ER

Learning to walk by myself with my IV pole

A doggie visitor

We are glad to be sleeping in our own beds tonight...there is no place like home!

Dropping like flies but still flying the friendly skies!

We've had a sickly year...as if Type A flu, ear infections and upper respiratory infections and possible pneumonia a few weeks ago wasn't enough....we are sick again around here.  This time it's a lovely stomach flu. 

Duckling was the first and she was so very sick and unable to hold anything down for an entire day.  At least by the end of the day she was able to hold down some momma's milk.  That was a few days ago and she still isn't 100%...just laying around more than usual and not eating or drinking a lot (but that seems to be a problem lately anyways).  Macaw was complaining of being nauseous that night.  She carried the "bucket" around and finally fell fast asleep on the couch with her poor little face in the puke pan. 

She never threw up.

That night I camped in the family room with the little ones in fear that one of them would be sick through the night...I don't deal well on this type of clean up duty, so I wanted to be near them to avoid as much clean up as possible.  No one slept well and with that and the dogs, I was up most of the night, but at least no one got sick.

Eagle woke up with it on Friday and he was miserable all the way up until midnight, then he woke up Saturday morning feeling like a new person. 

We had a day of Basketball games on Saturday and somehow everyone was well, so we went.  Emu surely wasn't himself, he was much too still and I was so worried that he was going to get sick.  He complained and whined of his belly hurting most of the afternoon and evening, but he never got sick.  Hawk has complained off and on about not feeling well, but he's never gotten sick either.  Cardinal must have an immune system built of steel because I've heard not one work out of her.

Today, the weather here was quite nice.  We decided to take advantage of the beautiful day and we headed out to fly kites.

 

What fun is flying a kite, if it doesn't get stuck in a tree!



All of our flights were not successful, we got tangled up a time or two...and what would a kite flying adventure be, if at least one kite wasn't landed in a tree?

Emu did not have a good time.  He is still complaining of a belly ache, though he has not gotten sick at all.  He wanted to be carried the entire time, even when the kids played at the playground, he did not want to participate.  He begged nearly the entire time to go home.  This is definately not my Emu!



Macaw, proudly flying her kite





 Macaw had a wonderful time, she was so proud of flying her kite so high.  She also like trampling around in the mud, often acting like stepping in a big sloshy puddle was an accident, lol.

Duckling stayed under Cardnal's wing the entire day.  Hawk wasn't with us this afternoon, he was playing video games with his friends.

Even still tonight, poor Emu is STILL complaining of his belly.  He often just throws himself on the floor and lays down where ever he happens to be.  I hate when I start wondering if "something" could be wrong.  Of course when he points to where it hurts, he points exactly where his abdominal surgery was a few years ago.  That spot never seemed to heal the way they said it would.



She was so thrilled with how high her kite was

Cardinal keeping Duckling under her wing

Emu wanting to be picked up...AGAIN!

Poor Duckling, still not feeling well

Still under Carndnal's wing



So, we must bid farewell to our sickly weekend, but we are so glad we were able to enjoy some of it anyways.  We don't get very much family time, so it was really nice to get out and play...even though I had housework that very much needed to be done.

We have an exciting school week ahead.  We should be caught back up on all our studies and we are participating in a "Flat Traveler" project and we are so very excited about it!  We are looking forward to some fun outings over the next few weeks.

We should be getting Emu's Hormone Study Test Results back this week.  I am so anxious about it...the waiting is so terrible, I'm so nervous for the phone to ring.  I know when I see that it's them calling, my heart is going to sink to my feet.  I don't know what to hope for and I'm sure no matter what, I won't be happy with whatever the results are.  As always, I try to take it day by day...today, was a good day.  Who knows what tomorrow will bring.