Thursday, March 19, 2009

Confessions...of a mom with sick kids





My new confessions. My new self.


1. We took Naomi in to the ER to get pumped full of fluids due to dehydration. James luckily met me in the waiting room. They sent us back. They poked mercilessly into her little viens trying to stick an IV. I left. I love my child, but I couldn't handle it.
I excused myself to the waiting room. As I sat there, within five minutes, two teenage girls were brought in crying needing to see a phychatrist. I really felt woozy now. I was scared. I found a quiet bathroom and prayed for everything to be over. I don't do hospitals.
2. The ER doctor was one of our friends. James told her that he wasn't feeling well. She gave him some zofran (anti-nausea)
On Sunday, James was on call. I had to teach Sunday school and William had to give a talk in Primary. I was on my own. William woke up not feeling well and couldn't get off the couch. Stuck, I didn't know what to do. All of the sudden, INSPIRATION! I ran to the kitchen, grabbed an ice pack, popped open a can of coke, stuck a straw in and broke a zofran in half. A cocktail of champions. Within a half hour, William felt better. We were late for church, but hey, we got there.
3. Naomi threw up all over her floor in the middle of the night. I think I was delirious. I put her back in he crib and woke to find the throw up still there. I must not have cleaned it up.
4. O.K. So I wasn't delirious. It happened again the next night. I remember actually choosing not to clean up the vomit. If it didn't bother her, it didn't bother me.
5. I have my new favorite trick. There is absolutely NOTHING an ice pack and a can of coke cannot cure.
Last night, the boys were having a hard time going to sleep. I cracked their door to hear William laying in bed whining. "What's wrong, honey?"
"My head hurts, I might throw up and I think that's it's hard for me to stand up."
(I was impressed with his knowledge of sick symptoms. Way to go, Will)
Jake couldn't chime in fast enough.
"I..I...I..I I think I'm hungry."
Super Mom to the rescue.
I sped down the staircase. Ripped open the freezer. Grabbed two matching Spiderman ice packs. (thanks, Aunt Stacey). I tore open two bags of cheez-its. Unfortunantley in a controversial shape of Spongebob Squarepants. I quickly poured two opaque, dixie cups with cold (very cold) ice water. It has to be cold. If it wasn't going to be Coke (it was bedtime), it had to be cold.I returned to the room of the infirm. I lovingly placed the ice packs behind the small of their neck. I placed their ice cold plastic cups on the bed stand and in their hands, I personally lay the opened snack pack of contoversial shaped cheez-its. Their smiles melted my heart. Within minutes...minutes, they drifted off to sleep.
I am...just as my husband, a Doctor of Children. My children.

1 comment:

M & S Eagar said...

Happy Birthday Jakey...and what a rotten week you've had. Babies with IV's break my heart. The nurse made me take an oath not to pass out and/or cry while I held Ellie down at Christmas to get hers. Let's just say I made sure that only my baby saw my tears. It's such an awful experience but amazing at how quickly it makes them feel better. Is everybody better yet??? Do you need anything???