Germs!!

Its been an awful week here at our house.  We've all been sick. 

It started with Patrick who generously brought it home to share from school.  He was sneezing all over the place and hacking at night - I knew it wouldn't be long before we all had it.  Kathryn was hacking shortly after and then I got it.  Ugh... body ache, sneezing, coughing, sore throat.  I figured it was a blessing in disguise that I got it first - at least I would be able to pass antibodies along to William so he wouldn't get it so badly if he did get it.

Last Friday I spent most of the day cleaning - changing beds, cleaning bathrooms and doing laundry in an attempt to squelch the spread.  It didn't work.    William actually started getting ill last Friday.  His nights were awful and his breathing was raspy due to the excessive phleghm in his throat.  He was pretty miserable.  His fever spiked to 102.7 but after switching to a 3-hour regimine of meds (advil alternating with tylenol) we were able to keep it under 100.  He was still having happy moments.  He was still nursing OK (hard to nurse when your nose is clogged!) and eating so-so.  It was rough but we just thought it was all par for the illness.  Until Monday night, that is.  I had made an appointment for him to be checked on Tuesday (she wasn't working Monday) just to be sure his ears, throat, chest, etc was OK.  But Monday night his fever spiked up again despite the meds and he just wasn't acting well.  He was lethargic and his breathing was going down hill.  We decided after supper to take him to Emerg.

I am not a fan of going to emerg.  I would prefer to go to my primary care provider.  Subjecting the kids to MORE germs at emerg scares me, but I didn't feel we had a choice.  The thought of another very long, very sad night with worsening symptoms just wasn't an option.  I took him in just after 6 pm.  The place was PACKED.  I overheard that the wait was about 5 hours.  I was not happy, but it was serious enough in my mind that we would stick it out. 

We were first evaluated about 1/2 hour after arriving.  William was immediately sent to triage after I explained his symptoms and, instead of going back to the waiting area, we immediately got a room!  There is something to be said for being short, sweet and very sick - you get attended to quickly.  It was wonderful to have a place to put him down as he wasn't happy to  be held or sit in his car seat anymore.  He was happy to stretch out on the stretcher and play with his toys.  Eventually he was cranky and fell asleep on my shoulder which was about 30 seconds before the doctor came in to examine him! 

After he was examined, I was told he had a chest infection, both ears were red and likely infected as well.  He also had discharge from his left eye which was another infection.  Poor little dude :(  We got a script for Zithromax and Vigamox eye drops and headed home.  It was just after 8 at that point and way past his normal bedtime.  Shaun went out to get the meds and I changed him.  We gave him his first dose and he eagerly went off to bed.  We even had a half decent night and were only up a few times with him.

By the morning he seemed better but the infection had spread to both eyes.  We are now treating both with drops 4x daily.  I've gotten really sneeky at getting them in because he just hates the drops.

Wednesday afternoon he developed a rash on his belly that looked very much like Roseola.  Perhaps it was a reaction to the Zithromax, but it was there only for a couple of hours, disappeared and has not returned- just like Roseola!  Poor little dude probably had that too.  He sure doesn't do anything half way!

Today was the last day of antibiotic and he is 100% improved.  He's sleeping better, he's not wheezing or raspy and he's no longer congested.  He's also back to being very very happy.  Laughing and smiling and blowing raspberries and giving opened-mouthed kisses. 

Shaun also was diagnosed with a sinus infection - he took William's Tuesday afternoon appointment to get himself checked out.

We seem to be on the mend and hope the heck we're done with germs for a while!!