Crazy Week

We were hit really hard with a virus a week ago and I think we are finally seeing the light of day again.

L-15 and I were the first to come down with it and it was a nasty upper respiratory infection. Our heads ached, our bodies ached and we had yucky coughs. Fevers were up and down and we just felt awful!

L-15 started to feel a little better three days later and even tried to talk us into letting her go to a church dance, but then the next day she took a big dive, figuratively and literally! She came in to our room late Sun. night and said she couldn't sleep and felt sick. She started acting strange and then fell to the floor. Now, she actually is one to black out on occasion which is why we didn't rush her to the hospital. She came to immediately and was feeling better, so we decided to wait until morning. I'm not sure if that was a bad call or not. Its so hard to know if you are making the right choice sometimes.

The next morning, I was trying to get her up and dressed to go to the doctor and she couldn't stand on her own. I was also sick with the flu, remember, and dad had gone to work (very big projects were happening) and I seriously considered calling 911 because I couldn't carry her to the car and she kept blacking out. If this sounds really bad and dramatic, well, it was. Although, I had a sense of calm and uncommon clear headedness as I was trying to hold my girl up. I called W and he said not to call 911, he would be there as fast as he could (about 25 mins.). He called the doctor en route and they said to bring her in to the office and they would evaluate her to see if she needed to go to the ER.

At the doctor her blood pressure was low and would drop 20 points from lying down to sitting up. They couldn't take it at all standing because she would start to black out. Off to the ER to be treated for dehydration. Dehydration!! How could I miss that??? I am the hydration police when my kids are sick. Because she wasn't vomiting and I "thought" I saw her having liquids (she had many cups of juice and water bottles in her room but I didn't realize she wasn't actually drinking them..) dehydration never occurred to me. Oh yeah and I was sick too. And by this time my other kids were starting to come down harder with the crud.

At the ER they took lots of blood and tested for Mono and the flu and strep. Lots of invasive, painful tests. :( She had a chest x-ray that revealed she shad pneumonia. She was given iv antibiotics and sent home after 5 hours. She didn't have to be admitted but needed to come back to the doctor for a shot (!) the next day AND the next day and a blood draw the day after that!! So, four days of pokes when you feel miserable. Sad girl.

By this time, P-11 was really going down hill and he went to the doctor with L-15 and had to have a chest x-ray as well. Thankfully, no pneumonia for him!

Friday at the doctor's office went well, although her white blood cell count was still the same and very low (2 when it should be between 4 and 13) and her platelet count was a tiny bit higher but still too low. The doctor said she could start back to some activities if she took it easy because she wasn't contagious. Dad took her to rehearsal which I was a little worried about but was assured would be fine and probably seeing her friends would do way more 'good medicine" than being stuck at home another day. She came home tired but so happy to see her friends, so that was absolutely true.

We have all turned the corner on this wicked illness! I still don't feel completely fine and had an odd two days of dizziness, nausea and some hives. I am so thankful for a husband that drops everything to take care of his family even when there might be not so great consequences at work. I am so grateful for the love we were shown through meals, and many offers of help. I'm thankful for priesthood blessings and people who pick things up from the store. Whenever I get to experience service in mine or my families behalf it makes me want to get right out there and serve more than I do.

O.k., so the African violet has nothing to do with this, but I had taken the picture right before we all got sick. I am having unusally good luck with this flower. It is over a year old and thriving. I think I want to line the counter with them. :)