Too Much Sickness....

Last Monday, Ally came home from school with a headache.  She barely ate dinner.... and even though she was dressed and ready to go to dance, she announced that she didn't think she could go.  She laid down on the couch.

I honestly didn't think much of it. I had just had a CRAP day and had brought a pile of work home.  I sat at the table and was slowly working my way through a mess better known as the insurance puzzle.  I was trying to figure some things out... Scott was making juice.... Luke was being, well Luke.... and the next thing we know, Ally is puking her guts out.

Lovely.

At least she made it to the bathroom.  Thank God for small favors.

So.... Scott and I work to get Luke down and settle in for the night we know is ahead of us.  When Ally pukes, Ally PUKES!  It is never short and sweet.... it's usually violent and lasts for at least 12 to 24 hours.

Scott takes the first shift.... and I finish my work. The first shift consists of dealing with the first puke session and then, Ally sleeps for a couple hours.  That boy got off easy.  ;-)

We put her to bed, feeling hopeful. She hasn't thrown up in a while... maybe, just maybe she will sleep and it will be past us!!!!!

(yeah - right)

I hear her throwing up almost instantly.... into a bowl. I take it, clean it and return it. This happens a couple more times only minutes apart instead of hours.  So, she and I get up and set up camp in the living room.  She needs to be distracted in between the barfing as she is just so miserable.  24 hour Disney Channel to the rescue.  All night long, until 6:30 am.... she constantly retches and throws up.... it is violent. She has issues from the other end beginning around 3:00 am. I have not seen anything like it. She has burst all the blood vessels in her eyes. She can barely stand up.  It is a bad scene.

At 6:30 she finally falls asleep and stays asleep. Scott comes out and send me to bed to get a few hours of sleep. He goes into work later. She sleeps for a bit, wakes up and drinks some Rock and Rye because she needs something with taste. It stays down for a bit... but eventually returns to the outside world.  This is the last time she will vomit.... it's violent and awful.... but she literally passes out on the couch after and sleeps until after 3 in the afternoon....

Luke is an angel all day long. He knows he needs to be and I am so thankful.  I was so out of it.  Had a headache all day and could hardly cope with the no sleep.  I thank god every day we are done with children!  OMG the sleep deprivation after a day almost killed me. I am apparently officially too old for no sleep!  ;-)

Ally is able to eat some soup and drink some gatorade later in the day... somehow, someway we survived.

Wednesday, everyone goes to school and work..... the day seems easy enough.  Then, the call from Luke comes at 4:00 am.... he has vomited all over his bed. That's the difference between a 10 and a five year old. One gets the bowl or toilet. The other, just doesn't get it at all.  Especially a kid who has only thrown up one other time in his life. Ally's an old pro. Luke, a beginner.

So, after two vomit sessions in bed... Luke and I head to the living room for another morning and day of the couch/vomit routine.  At least he let me sleep until 4!!!!!!  He never did throw up again.. but fought the fever and aches that come with the stomach virus from hell.

Scott comes home early, not feeling quite right (this is Thursday)... but although he has the aches and pains and cannot get warm... he never tosses his cookies.

Then, at 2:00 am Friday morning... it's my turn. I wake with a start and instantly know it has gotten me. I promptly walk into the hall bathroom and lose whatever I have eaten for the last 24 hours.  That will be the only time I throw up... thank god. The aches and pains however, will last the rest of the day.

Saturday, I still have no energy and I feel nauseated all day long..... we do nothing except take Ally to and from gymnastics.

Sunday, we take it easy... I do attend a little wine/bachelorette event and enjoy a couple glasses, but other than that, my appetite is limited and my wine intake low.

Monday, Ally wakes up with a headache but goes to school.  I dismiss it, thinking she is just dehydrated and needs to get out of the house and slam some water.  She comes home feeling worse... and wakes in the middle of the night with a fever and a croup-sounding cough. Sore throat. Limited voice.

Lovely.

And... by the way... WTF???  We have had enough.

But, the icing on the proverbial cake is that at 1:00 pm today Scott calls and announces he is once again on his way home with the chills, aches to the bone and takes a bowl with him to bed.  Can this really be another week from hell????

Here at the McIntosh family we don't get colds too often... we can shake the every day things... but apparently we do get the most evil of viruses..... we have the real deal flu this past November... and now this.... even though I was pretty sure I announced that we were to be illness free because of November... the illness gods did not listen!

Lordy day. Pray for all of us.  There are two evil bugs going around and we got them both.  Lucky us!!!!!!!!!!!