Worst Month Ever - Part II

Thanks for the supportive emails/comments on the last post. A lot of you are parents too, and it helps to know that other people have been through situations like these and survived with (most of) their sanity intact!

WORST WEEK EVER (cont.)
Wednesday: When we last tuned in, our heroes (ok, me and Zachary) were on their way to the Children's Hospital ER. I find it without any trouble but the parking is confusing and let's face it, I'm probably not thinking that clearly. There's a sign for ER Valet parking, but no valet. I circle around several times trying to figure out what I'm supposed to do. Am I going to have to park in the very distant visitor lot and carry my husky boy the whole way? Thankfully, someone leaves one of the 12 (12?!) non-valet ER parking spots and I snag it.

The pediatrician has called ahead so the ER is expecting us and we have to wait only a few minutes before being taken to an exam room. Zak is examined by a nurse, another nurse, and the resident doc. I've brought a bottle and a jar of baby food but I don't want to set Zak on the floor (it's a nice hospital but still.. ick) so I perform a balancing act worthy of a circus performer while preparing his food and holding him simultaneously. He is really grouchy - he's sick and has been poked and prodded by at least 4 different people so far. My arms are killing me; this kid is heavy! A nurse comes back in and sucks out his nose with a wacky vacuum device, and now Zak is even grouchier. Then he gets a chest x-ray. The results come back pretty quickly. Good news, it's not pneumonia, just a bad case of bronchialitis. The head doctor comes in and examines him. She says that I can take him home but I need to buy a nebulizer and give him periodic breathing treatments until he improves.

After four hours in the ER, we're finally back home. Zak screams through his first nebulizer treatment and then conks out. We are both drained. Thankfully reinforcements arrive - Kyle's parents drive in from Cleveland! They are a huge help. Later that night, Kyle gets home early from his business trip. It's great to have everyone there.

Thursday: I go back to work as I'm still new at my job and have already taken several days off. Kyle takes Zak to the pediatrician. She asks him if his wife is doing ok - I must have seemed pretty panicky the day before! Zak's breathing sounds a little better

Friday: Kyle takes Zak to the ENT (Ear, Nose, & Throat) specialist. The doctor says that he would put tubes in that day if he could. Zak's ears are still infected! But because the procedure requires anaesthesia, his bronichialitis must clear up, and then the ENT will wait an additional 4-6 weeks before they will put the tubes in. This is disappointing, we really want this done sooner so Zak can start feeling better.

Saturday: Zak is feeling better. He and Isabel are playing in the dining room while Kyle and I clean up the kitchen. Suddenly we hear a loud THUMP THUMP THUMP. Zak has just fallen down the entire flight of stairs! Unbeknownst to us, he climbed all the way up and then fell down the whole way. Luckily he is not hurt, just scared. 30 minutes later, he tries to climb up the stairs again.

Sunday: Kyle buys a gate for the stairs.

WEEK 3
Zak is doing so much better! We want to make sure he fully recovers, so since Kyle is travelling again and I need to work, Kyle's dad volunteers to come down to Columbus *again* to watch Zak during the day. The week begins smoothly enough. I'm a little stressed because I'm trying to get everything ready for Isabel's birthday party that Saturday. I notice that Isabel has a few red bumps on her hip and back. She says they don't hurt or itch. I think maybe it's an allergic reaction. She has her 4 year checkup with the pediatrician next week, and since it isn't bothering her it can wait until then.

Friday I'm out to lunch with a friend when I get a phone call from the daycare. Remember those harmless little bumps? The daycare staff thinks it might be chicken pox. What? She's had the vaccine! I pick her up and examine her... it doesn't look like chicken pox, does it? And she never had a fever. And her birthday party is tomorrow. It can't be chicken pox!

It is chicken pox. The doctor confirms it Saturday morning. We call all the would-be guests and tell them the party is cancelled. Then we have to break the news to Isabel. Poor kid! She cries but takes it better than expected. We still have a small party, just me, Kyle, Zak, and the spotty birthday girl. We get her a Razor scooter and it's even warm enough for her to ride it outside. That night we have cake and ice cream, but my stomach has been hurting all day so I don't eat any.

Saturday night, my stomach hurts more. Uh oh, feels like a stomach flu. Kyle starts feeling it in the middle of the night. Sunday we both feel terrible. It is tough taking care of kids when both parents are sick! Kyle's dad comes down *yet again* to help us out. Even though Isabel's chicken pox is so mild because she'd been vaccinated, she is still contagious and can't go to school. Oh well, at least she feels ok!

Around 2AM Monday morning, I hear Isabel calling, "Mama! Mama!". I walk into her bedroom to find her standing in the middle of her bed. I ask, "What's wrong"? She responds by barfing all over the bed. Oh no, she got chicken pox AND a stomach flu for her birthday! We change her sheets and clean her up. She throws up all over the bed again. We change the sheets again and this time bring a bowl for her to puke in. Kyle spends the night in her room to watch over her. He still feels sick that morning so he delays his business trip and he, his dad, and Isabel stay home while Zak and I go to school/work.

WEEK 4 - TODAY
As of this minute, everyone is healthy... although January's not over yet! Kyle is back in town and we've finally let his dad return home to Cleveland. Kyle's mom and dad have been lifesavers; thank you so much, we wouldn't have made it without you! To all my friends who have or plan to have children, I have this piece of advice: MOVE CLOSER TO YOUR PARENTS. It is so hard not to have help close by. We are lucky that Kyle's parents are only 2.5 hours away but it would be so much easier to have relatives in town. (Both my mom and dad demanded that I move to NC or Chicago respectively after this whole adventure!). It has been a tough month for everyone; I'm surprised my hair did not turn completely gray because I feel like I've aged 15 years.

Looking forward to February!!!