You know how when people get the flu they always say they feel like they've been hit by a truck?
Well this particular truck didn't just flatten me as it came around a corner, it was more like I was just lying there waiting while the inevitable happened. Like I was listening to the little alarm that beeps when a big truck backs up, and I was powerless to move out of the way. So it back over me and stayed parked there all day yesterday.
God is so good! Tim called from Albama and said that he had tried to get a flight out on Thursday night, but the weather was really bad and there weren't any. He had a call in to a doctor who was working on the same project and who was going out at 2:30 am. Tim was going to try to hitch a ride to the airport with him. His flight would be at 7:00 a.m. He was concerned though because the weather was looking really bad here and he was concerned that he wouldn't get home in time.
He got out just before they cancelled thousands of flights all up and down the east coast! We had a really nasty ice storm.
A MIRACLE!!
And by the time he got home at 10:00 a.m. , I was flat on my back firmly planted under the very large truck with "Influenza A" printed on the side. I went to bed and didn't get up for most of the rest of the day. When I did I was so dizzy and weak that I had to sit back down right away.
It's really not as bad as everyone predicts though.
I read on the internet to expect it to be around 5-7 days. Paul got it the worst of all and he only really had it for three days. I have had it for three at most but the worst of it was yesterday. Today I just feel wiped out.
John and Brendan have a touch, fevers and stuffiness but not the way Paul did.
We won't make it to Mass this weekend. We could probably all get there but with all the sneezing and coughing that we are doing, it would be really unChristian to spread this to the whole parish.
We just have to watch for nasty secondary infections. Other than that, I'd say we came out considerably better than the predictions of the docs and the internet. Good thing too, Tim has to leave again tomorrow morning. I am really praying he doesn't get sick!
Well, our health is certainly better that that of the dryer...
but I'll leave that for another post.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Thursday, March 15, 2007
It's the waiting...
Today we are kind of in a holding pattern.
Paul had a really miserable night. He cried off and on all night. When I would ask him what was wrong he would just say that he didn't feel well. He didn't have a very high fever and he had stopped throwing up, so I just sat with him and tried to make him feel better. He slept in and when he woke up started crying again. I decided that if he didn't stop by late morning I would take him back in to the doc. I think he just feels lousy. I got him up and dressed and now he is watching Looney Toons. I have put most of school on hold because John woke up with a 103 fever and Brendan is coughing and has a headache.
I feel kind of yucky but I think it may just be from the total lack of sleep! I am trying to get all the laundry and cleaning caught up so that if I do get sick, I don't have much to do. Of course the dryer is on the verge of dying completely and of course we have more laundry right now than ever.
Oh well, in the scheme of things I guess it's really not a big deal. Just have to be sure we have lots of 7-up and Tylenol in the house.
Paul ate a little last night, but I am really trying to keep it as much of a BRAT diet as possible because he is having stomach pain.
So the boys are going to have a great education this week! They all know what a normal temp is, how you get the flu, all about hydration, and treatment of common flu symptoms. Pretty good health class I'd say. Now if I get sick they'll have the chance to apply it!
I really hope Tim can fly home tonight. I am actually doing OK with the physical aspects of all of this but I really need the moral support and a good hug!
So, I guess if I don't post anything in the next couple of days, there will be a good reason.
I am not having a lot of luck with Dante these days but I'm hoping that I'm going to get to it this afternoon. I don't know, meditating on hell is just a little more than I'm up for right now.
Paul had a really miserable night. He cried off and on all night. When I would ask him what was wrong he would just say that he didn't feel well. He didn't have a very high fever and he had stopped throwing up, so I just sat with him and tried to make him feel better. He slept in and when he woke up started crying again. I decided that if he didn't stop by late morning I would take him back in to the doc. I think he just feels lousy. I got him up and dressed and now he is watching Looney Toons. I have put most of school on hold because John woke up with a 103 fever and Brendan is coughing and has a headache.
I feel kind of yucky but I think it may just be from the total lack of sleep! I am trying to get all the laundry and cleaning caught up so that if I do get sick, I don't have much to do. Of course the dryer is on the verge of dying completely and of course we have more laundry right now than ever.
Oh well, in the scheme of things I guess it's really not a big deal. Just have to be sure we have lots of 7-up and Tylenol in the house.
Paul ate a little last night, but I am really trying to keep it as much of a BRAT diet as possible because he is having stomach pain.
So the boys are going to have a great education this week! They all know what a normal temp is, how you get the flu, all about hydration, and treatment of common flu symptoms. Pretty good health class I'd say. Now if I get sick they'll have the chance to apply it!
I really hope Tim can fly home tonight. I am actually doing OK with the physical aspects of all of this but I really need the moral support and a good hug!
So, I guess if I don't post anything in the next couple of days, there will be a good reason.
I am not having a lot of luck with Dante these days but I'm hoping that I'm going to get to it this afternoon. I don't know, meditating on hell is just a little more than I'm up for right now.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Flushing money down the toilet...And other medical misadventures
So I really did intend to post pictures. However the last couple of days have not been pretty, so I haven't gotten to it.
Tuesday morning at 1:30, the flu caught Paul.
He woke up with a terrible fever and body aches. At first I was more worried about pneumonia because he had said earlier the his chest hurt when he coughed and his armpit hurt. I was really worried and probably would have taken him to the hospital that very night but Tim is out of town and there was no one to watch the other two.
So I dosed him with Motrin and Tylenol and took him to bed with me and we passed a very fitful night.
Yesterday morning he seemed much better and had no fever and said his chest no longer hurt. I was suspicious though because he had no appetite. Awhile later he said "uh-oh, it hurts again!" Then he just went downhill and the fever came back like gang-busters.
Tylenol wasn't even touching it and Motrin was making him sick! So I took him to the doc at 3:45 and he was tested and sure enough has a rip-roaring case of Influenza A! Nice to have a letter to attach to tha
t.
So the good Doctor suggested that the other boys have a flu shot, which they were less than enthusiastic about but took very bravely. John looked up at the word "shot" and said "Paul needs a shot?" and I looked at him and said, "not Paul". It took a minute to sink in.
I am rather less than confidant that there was much point in the vaccines. They have already been exposed and the theory is that if they have the vaccine their bodies will start arming themselves with antibodies and the course of the flu will be shortened. That's the theory. Of course the disclaimer is that the vaccine doesn't take a effect for a couple of weeks and the incubation period for the flu is somewhat shorter. Oh well. I did ask pointedly about preservatives in the vaccine and was informed that it is preservative free.
So the next issue was how to make Paul feel better and recover quickly. Time was, we were told to take them home and give them plenty of fluids and Tylenol and make sure they got lots of rest. Well now we have a new weapon in the arsenal: TAMIFLU. It's like the best thing since the stinger missile, only more expensive.
So Doctor Ebreo says that I should go get this med and give it to Paul twice a day and it will shorten the course of the virus. In theory. Not a word about rest and fluids, but I assumed that he probably figured I already knew that.
So off we go, toting little sick Paul along to the pharmacy. Not much chance to rest there eh? We get there and the poor little guy is sitting in a chair crying "I can't take any more of this". It was so sad. Even the pharmacist felt awful for him but there was nothing to do for it because I couldn't very well ask anyone to watch him while I went.
So I got the Stinger Missile of meds and grabbed one of those nifty new Temporal Scan Thermometers, since he has had an awful fever and it seems so much easier to just press something to his forehead. I asked the pharmacist which one she recommended, the cheaper one or the more expensive, name brand. She said "Oh, get the cheaper one." The Tamiflu was 105.00 before insurance. Our cut was 35.00. the Thermometer was 35.00 as well and I also bought some pedialyte to help him stay hydrated. We used to use flat 7-up, about 75% cheaper, that.
So armed with the latest in Flu-fighting weaponry, we took our sick little puppy home. He did actually get sick outside the Pharmacy, and I just felt horrible for having to take him there at all.
I gave him some pedialyte. That stayed down and then he wanted a little bit of granola bar, so he had half of one and then I thought we'd better get started on the Tamiflu so I gave him the first dose since he had just had something to eat. It stayed down about half an hour, then it came up along with all that precious fluid and his Tylenol, which he needed. I didn't dare give him anymore so he just had to have Motrin, which doesn't work as well.
Oh yes, the nifty thermometer does NOT work. So Paul had to go all night with me sticking the old one under his tongue. Gee, just the way we used to.
He slept a bit better and I didn't give him much Tylenol because the OLD thermometer said 102.5 and that's probably a good temp to burn up all those bugs. Gee, God did think of a few ways to beat the local baddies didn't He? You'd think He knew more than Medical Science or something.
OK, being the good mother that I am, I thought that first thing this morning we'd better get back on track with the anti-viral: TAMIFLU.
Going to make him better today!
The sad thing is, last night when he took it, he kept telling me that he just knew he'd feel better in the morning.
So we give him something to buffer his stomach with. He didn't want anything to eat, but he ate anyway. He's such a little trooper.
Then I gave him the med and he went back to bed for awhile. Pretty soon he called me because his stomach hurt really bad. He was crying and saying he thought he was going to throw up. He was right. So that was 20% of the wonderdrug, down the toilet.
So, I put in a call to the doc, gave him some more pedialyte, told him to rest and asked Nina to go trade in my new gadget for a better one, and some 7-up.
The new gadget works like a charm, the 7-up works as well as the pedialyte, of course without the 'lytes, but heck, if you can't keep it down the electrolytes aren't doing you a bit of good.
he is just lying in bed saying that he is never going to feel better! Poor little guy. He is having the most tragic moment that he remembers.
So we will forge ahead into the week with 7-Up, rest and mommy-time. I think he's going to be surprised. He IS going to feel better. Probably about the time I start to wonder if I'M ever going to feel better!
Watch for updates. I'll post what the doc says about the wonderdrug and whether anyone else succumbs to this nasty critter.
Tuesday morning at 1:30, the flu caught Paul.
He woke up with a terrible fever and body aches. At first I was more worried about pneumonia because he had said earlier the his chest hurt when he coughed and his armpit hurt. I was really worried and probably would have taken him to the hospital that very night but Tim is out of town and there was no one to watch the other two.
So I dosed him with Motrin and Tylenol and took him to bed with me and we passed a very fitful night.
Yesterday morning he seemed much better and had no fever and said his chest no longer hurt. I was suspicious though because he had no appetite. Awhile later he said "uh-oh, it hurts again!" Then he just went downhill and the fever came back like gang-busters.
Tylenol wasn't even touching it and Motrin was making him sick! So I took him to the doc at 3:45 and he was tested and sure enough has a rip-roaring case of Influenza A! Nice to have a letter to attach to tha
t.
So the good Doctor suggested that the other boys have a flu shot, which they were less than enthusiastic about but took very bravely. John looked up at the word "shot" and said "Paul needs a shot?" and I looked at him and said, "not Paul". It took a minute to sink in.
I am rather less than confidant that there was much point in the vaccines. They have already been exposed and the theory is that if they have the vaccine their bodies will start arming themselves with antibodies and the course of the flu will be shortened. That's the theory. Of course the disclaimer is that the vaccine doesn't take a effect for a couple of weeks and the incubation period for the flu is somewhat shorter. Oh well. I did ask pointedly about preservatives in the vaccine and was informed that it is preservative free.
So the next issue was how to make Paul feel better and recover quickly. Time was, we were told to take them home and give them plenty of fluids and Tylenol and make sure they got lots of rest. Well now we have a new weapon in the arsenal: TAMIFLU. It's like the best thing since the stinger missile, only more expensive.
So Doctor Ebreo says that I should go get this med and give it to Paul twice a day and it will shorten the course of the virus. In theory. Not a word about rest and fluids, but I assumed that he probably figured I already knew that.
So off we go, toting little sick Paul along to the pharmacy. Not much chance to rest there eh? We get there and the poor little guy is sitting in a chair crying "I can't take any more of this". It was so sad. Even the pharmacist felt awful for him but there was nothing to do for it because I couldn't very well ask anyone to watch him while I went.
So I got the Stinger Missile of meds and grabbed one of those nifty new Temporal Scan Thermometers, since he has had an awful fever and it seems so much easier to just press something to his forehead. I asked the pharmacist which one she recommended, the cheaper one or the more expensive, name brand. She said "Oh, get the cheaper one." The Tamiflu was 105.00 before insurance. Our cut was 35.00. the Thermometer was 35.00 as well and I also bought some pedialyte to help him stay hydrated. We used to use flat 7-up, about 75% cheaper, that.
So armed with the latest in Flu-fighting weaponry, we took our sick little puppy home. He did actually get sick outside the Pharmacy, and I just felt horrible for having to take him there at all.
I gave him some pedialyte. That stayed down and then he wanted a little bit of granola bar, so he had half of one and then I thought we'd better get started on the Tamiflu so I gave him the first dose since he had just had something to eat. It stayed down about half an hour, then it came up along with all that precious fluid and his Tylenol, which he needed. I didn't dare give him anymore so he just had to have Motrin, which doesn't work as well.
Oh yes, the nifty thermometer does NOT work. So Paul had to go all night with me sticking the old one under his tongue. Gee, just the way we used to.
He slept a bit better and I didn't give him much Tylenol because the OLD thermometer said 102.5 and that's probably a good temp to burn up all those bugs. Gee, God did think of a few ways to beat the local baddies didn't He? You'd think He knew more than Medical Science or something.
OK, being the good mother that I am, I thought that first thing this morning we'd better get back on track with the anti-viral: TAMIFLU.
Going to make him better today!
The sad thing is, last night when he took it, he kept telling me that he just knew he'd feel better in the morning.
So we give him something to buffer his stomach with. He didn't want anything to eat, but he ate anyway. He's such a little trooper.
Then I gave him the med and he went back to bed for awhile. Pretty soon he called me because his stomach hurt really bad. He was crying and saying he thought he was going to throw up. He was right. So that was 20% of the wonderdrug, down the toilet.
So, I put in a call to the doc, gave him some more pedialyte, told him to rest and asked Nina to go trade in my new gadget for a better one, and some 7-up.
The new gadget works like a charm, the 7-up works as well as the pedialyte, of course without the 'lytes, but heck, if you can't keep it down the electrolytes aren't doing you a bit of good.
he is just lying in bed saying that he is never going to feel better! Poor little guy. He is having the most tragic moment that he remembers.
So we will forge ahead into the week with 7-Up, rest and mommy-time. I think he's going to be surprised. He IS going to feel better. Probably about the time I start to wonder if I'M ever going to feel better!
Watch for updates. I'll post what the doc says about the wonderdrug and whether anyone else succumbs to this nasty critter.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Where have I been?
We have been to Virginia and back!
What a week this has been!
We took our long-awaited trip to the Great Wolf Lodge, and the boys had so much fun! Wow! That is a really great place for three active boys. We have been all over the place and stayed in lots of hotels, but this one was really something!
It has a full-sized water park. The boys love to swim and are very comfortable in the water so I was really able to relax and enjoy all the fun they were having.
We had a bit of an issue upon check-in, but that was resloved when they upgraded us to a suite that would have otherwise been WAY out of our price range.
Laura had come with us and it was nice for everyone to have his/her own bed.
We also went to Jamestown/Yorktown for one day and took advantage of the wondeful homeschool programs.
I am still recovering and it's been a week!
We came home on Tuesday evening and it was a pretty easy drive. Between the computer setup in the car and the Dramamine (which IS actually necessary for our family), we had a very nice ride down and back.
I was supposed to teach our Co-op K-1 the next morning, but it was cancelled due to SNOW! I only have one more class to teach this year.
So then it was time to prepare for Lucy's baby shower.
I wanted to get the quilts at least started. Well, when I got going, I just couldn't stop! School was pretty much on hold because of the vacation so I wasn't trying to get too much done in that dept.
Well, the first one was a panel. It wasn't supposed to be that tough, but The satin binding proved to be a bit of a challenge!
Then I had the pieced one to try to finish. I went surprisingly smoothly. I love my sewing machine! I finished it yesterday morning, a couple of hours before the shower. I just have the hand stitching left on the binding. I am waiting for a picture of the frog quilt from Laura and then I will post them.
The Shower was wonderful. So many neat people and Laura and Andrew are now buried in Pink! We just had a great time. It was so neat to visit with friends that Laura and Andrew have made over the years. And family of course.
One of the activities was a video greeting to Lucy from each of the guests. Someday she will hear from some of the people who loved her before she was born!
So today it's back to school and life as usual. It was so nice having Laura around for the week. I think she is probably enjoying being home in her own little place again though.
I have been trying to keep up on Dante and the Inferno. It is such an interesting piece. I can't imagine the personality that you would have to have to imagine such a thing. I'll bet he had a hard time at parties. Just not the lighthearted type.
I'm amazed at the way he pegs the historical and Literary figures of his time.
There are people in this story that many people would never picture in hell.
Hmmm.
Quite a Lenten meditation.
Guess I'll be back later with some pictures. Have to put them in the 'puter.
What a week this has been!
We took our long-awaited trip to the Great Wolf Lodge, and the boys had so much fun! Wow! That is a really great place for three active boys. We have been all over the place and stayed in lots of hotels, but this one was really something!
It has a full-sized water park. The boys love to swim and are very comfortable in the water so I was really able to relax and enjoy all the fun they were having.
We had a bit of an issue upon check-in, but that was resloved when they upgraded us to a suite that would have otherwise been WAY out of our price range.
Laura had come with us and it was nice for everyone to have his/her own bed.
We also went to Jamestown/Yorktown for one day and took advantage of the wondeful homeschool programs.
I am still recovering and it's been a week!
We came home on Tuesday evening and it was a pretty easy drive. Between the computer setup in the car and the Dramamine (which IS actually necessary for our family), we had a very nice ride down and back.
I was supposed to teach our Co-op K-1 the next morning, but it was cancelled due to SNOW! I only have one more class to teach this year.
So then it was time to prepare for Lucy's baby shower.
I wanted to get the quilts at least started. Well, when I got going, I just couldn't stop! School was pretty much on hold because of the vacation so I wasn't trying to get too much done in that dept.
Well, the first one was a panel. It wasn't supposed to be that tough, but The satin binding proved to be a bit of a challenge!
Then I had the pieced one to try to finish. I went surprisingly smoothly. I love my sewing machine! I finished it yesterday morning, a couple of hours before the shower. I just have the hand stitching left on the binding. I am waiting for a picture of the frog quilt from Laura and then I will post them.
The Shower was wonderful. So many neat people and Laura and Andrew are now buried in Pink! We just had a great time. It was so neat to visit with friends that Laura and Andrew have made over the years. And family of course.
One of the activities was a video greeting to Lucy from each of the guests. Someday she will hear from some of the people who loved her before she was born!
So today it's back to school and life as usual. It was so nice having Laura around for the week. I think she is probably enjoying being home in her own little place again though.
I have been trying to keep up on Dante and the Inferno. It is such an interesting piece. I can't imagine the personality that you would have to have to imagine such a thing. I'll bet he had a hard time at parties. Just not the lighthearted type.
I'm amazed at the way he pegs the historical and Literary figures of his time.
There are people in this story that many people would never picture in hell.
Hmmm.
Quite a Lenten meditation.
Guess I'll be back later with some pictures. Have to put them in the 'puter.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Just a note about Crusher...
That new German Shepherd we got sure does put a damper on our entertaining!
Nobody wants to come near the house or the kids because he just has NO sense of humor!
We really had to apologize to the oil company because this is the busy season and now they are going to have to find a new deliveryman. Well, we're going to get Crusher some sensitivity training and maybe when his military training wears off a bit he'll simmer down.
Nobody wants to come near the house or the kids because he just has NO sense of humor!
We really had to apologize to the oil company because this is the busy season and now they are going to have to find a new deliveryman. Well, we're going to get Crusher some sensitivity training and maybe when his military training wears off a bit he'll simmer down.
Inexplicable...
I don't understand why some days are just so much easier than others. I mean somedays I just get up with the attitude that everything is right, just so good. Other days, in exactly the same circumstances, it seems like every element of the day is just harder.
Today is just a day when I feel like everything is just working right, in every aspect. Which is so funny because nothing in life has changed, still the same house, family, school, finances, apostolate, etc. Yesterday just seemed LONG and I felt like I was up against so much! Today, all the same jobs, issues, people and life in general, just feel totally positive. It's like today I LOVE the challenge, yesterday it seemed like an uphill hike! Funny. Maybe it's that hormone thing "they" say is going to catch up with me. It's not like I really do anything different, I just feel different about the things I do!
I love where God has put me, but maybe He is putting a little more adversity in my daily life for the good of my soul. There are days when I have to really offer up a lot of my grumblings, and not grumble. That is quite an exercise for a person who has to verbalize EVERYTHING!
Yesterday it seemed like the house was just driving me nuts! Everywhere I looked it seemed like there was a job that I hadn't gotten to and like there is so much I want to CHANGE about it!
Today, I have that warm, contented feeling of HOME. like the jobs are all still there, the house is in the same condition, but I am just so grateful that we have it. That we live the way we do! I have such a sense of well-being.
School-same kids, same subjects, same place in the books. Today they are cooperative, productive. Today I feel like I am an effective teacher and we are accomplishing what we set out to do. They are really becoming well educated!
Maybe it's the sunshine. Maybe it's that it's March and NOT February.
Tim says that when we get back from VA he should have the new room ready to paint.
We still have to decide wht to call that room. I call it the sitting room. The boys call it the War room! They say we will be playing lots of games there. The Family Room just doesn't quite fit, but maybe it will after there is more of a ""room" atmosphere and less of a "garage".
Oh, I had to post this little story.
Paul had all these guys up on the windowsill in the living room. I asked him to put his toys away and he said "shh...they don't know they are Playmobile guys. They think they are standing on a cliff!" They stood there for two days.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Inferno Update...Where are we?
I haven't made as much progress with Dante as I had hoped. We are still in the middle of the forest and Virgil is explaining the reason for his being sent to Dante. I take it there are three ladies in Heaven that have a soft spot for Dante, they asked, and Virgil accepted, being in a rather purgatorial position and able to wander around below.
Virgil reminds me of Jacob Marley. He's not quite the tormented soul, but he has the same mission. Just an observation.
I am starting to get very interested in the story. I can't wait to get the actual book, but it's working out well with the pages I printed out because there is lots of space to to write out the questions that I want to ask the group. I will be very interested to see who is on the group and what they are thinking as they read.
I'd like to be a little more contemplative about it. Maybe that will come as the story progresses.
So back to the business of 2nd grade Math and Geography. John doesn't want to write out the assignment so I will have to convince him!
Paul...is still in his room contemplating his clothing choices. He really takes a long time to get going in the morning! Next year is going to be a rude awakening.
He is a free little spirit right now. He woke up this morning as I was combing my hair and he noticed that I had not made my bed yet. So he laid down on it and Tim asked if he wanted the covers up. He nodded and snuggled in and before I knew it he was fast asleep. He got another hour in! Well that's how it should be when you're four!
Off I go to motivate!
Virgil reminds me of Jacob Marley. He's not quite the tormented soul, but he has the same mission. Just an observation.
I am starting to get very interested in the story. I can't wait to get the actual book, but it's working out well with the pages I printed out because there is lots of space to to write out the questions that I want to ask the group. I will be very interested to see who is on the group and what they are thinking as they read.
I'd like to be a little more contemplative about it. Maybe that will come as the story progresses.
So back to the business of 2nd grade Math and Geography. John doesn't want to write out the assignment so I will have to convince him!
Paul...is still in his room contemplating his clothing choices. He really takes a long time to get going in the morning! Next year is going to be a rude awakening.
He is a free little spirit right now. He woke up this morning as I was combing my hair and he noticed that I had not made my bed yet. So he laid down on it and Tim asked if he wanted the covers up. He nodded and snuggled in and before I knew it he was fast asleep. He got another hour in! Well that's how it should be when you're four!
Off I go to motivate!
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