On the 4th, Dad started feeling kinda crummy but just relaxed by the fire and rested. By Saturday, he was feeling really crummy and didn't want to do anything but sleep and cough. By Sunday he was vomiting or just plain nauseous and didn't want to eat or drink anything. Plus he was still coughing. At 10 PM, I could tell he wasn't doing well and said we should head to the ER to get on some IV's and meds to stop the vomiting. He said no, he would try to make it to morning and then go see our regular doctor. At midnight, he was driving himself to the ER because I was asleep and someone has to stay with the kids. He was back by 3 AM full of fluids and scripts for some meds and a diagnosis of Influenza A.
Monday, the 7th - I still had N and C for the day but we were going to be gone most of the day and so we quarantined Dad in his room until we left so as not to expose them or us. I dropped the girls off for Girl Scouts and I headed to the dermatologist for a couple moles on my head. I took Andrew and N with me. When I was finished we headed back to Girl Scouts. When we finished up with Girl Scouts I decided to take the kids to the library and the library park because it was nice outside and it was another outing to keep us out of the house to let Dad rest. On the way to the library, Dad calls and says I need to take him to the doctor - he needs more fluids and the doctor wants him in. He had actually called the doctor on his own.
We pick him up, drop him off and head to the library and park because there was no reason for us to hang out in the office. N and C's dad gets home so I drop off all the kids at his house and go back to get Dad. The doctor says he has enough fluids in him to last until the morning but here are some additional meds to help with nausea.. We are the last people out of the office and they are closing up behind us as we leave.
Get everyone home and into bed. By 11 PM, Dad is vomiting again. Now remember he is still coughing too so he is either coughing or vomiting at this point. I know he is going to need to head back to the doctor in the morning so I set my alarm for 7 AM.
Tuesday, January 8th - The next day, I wake up and check on Dad. He looks worse, "do you need to go back to the doctor?"
"Yes"
"I will call them and let them know we will be there by 8 AM."
At 8 AM, I go back and try to get Dad out of bed - he says "give me a minute." I go back several times and he keeps saying the same thing, "give me a minute." Finally, I call the doctor, the nurse gets on the phone and tells him to get to the doctor's office. She tells me that if he doesn't get up I need to call an ambulance. I don't have to use that because he gets up. We get to the doctor by 10 AM, get him hooked back up. Everyone is telling me he is the sickest person they have seen with Influenza A. They tell us to get the flu shot for the kids and me to help lessen the severity of the flu if we come down with it. We get our shots and head home, leaving Dad at the office. They will call me when he is ready to come home.
We get home and try to get to work but the girls start running a fever - 101.9. I call the doctor and they say to keep an eye on it but it is probably the flu shot. Dad is sleeping so we leave him be. At 4:30, I call again to check on Dad. He is still vomiting and they are trying to talk him into going to the hospital. He is saying no so I go down to pick him up.
We get to the office and within the last 30 minutes he has started vomiting blood so he MUST go to the hospital - either by ambulance or by me. He picks me driving and we all head downtown to the hospital. We get him checked him and with his high fever and diagnosis he is moved to the top of the list for the next available bed in the ER. We get him handed over to the doctors and I drive the kids home - they have had no dinner and the girls are fading fast. Andrew and Skylar both fall asleep in the car but I still stop at Taco Bell to get them dinner. We get home by 10 PM, Andrew is a crying mess he is so exhausted, Skylar and Cairn won't eat because they are now running fevers of 102.5. I finally get everyone into bed.
Wednesday, January 9th - I haven't heard anything about Dad but the girls are now running fevers of 103.8. I put a call into the doctor. We are just laying down to take a nap when the doctor calls back in the afternoon and she is worried Cairn might have pneumonia so we head to the office for an x-ray. No pneumonia but the girls are definitely sick - lots of rest, fluids and keep an eye on hydration or they might end up like Dad especially if they start vomiting. We get home and are climbing into bed to take our naps because I cannot physically keep my eyes open; Andrew is crying again he is so tired and the girls are wiped out when Dad calls to come pick him up from the hospital. I ask him to call his mom or sister but I HAVE to take a nap - there is no way I can drive anywhere and I don't want to take the kids out again. He calls his sister and she goes down to pick him up. I wake up a couple hours later and he isn't home yet. I text Aunt Trish and they are still waiting. Finally, at 6:30 Dad is released from the hospital and he is home by 7 PM
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| This is a picture of Dad a few minutes before he is released from the hospital. He actually looks better then when we dropped him off. |
I have now quarantined everyone into their rooms to help contain the germs and keep Andrew and I healthy. I have pulled all the sheets, towels, blankets or anything anyone has touched and put it in the laundry and washed it with bleach. Andrew can go anywhere downstairs but he isn't allowed in anyone's room. I disinfect everything with bleach water. So all day Thursday and Friday I am either doing laundry, disinfecting or getting something for a sick person. It is an endless cycle.
I keep finding things to wash or clean. By Friday, Andrew is now running a fever of 102. He is downstairs with me because he won't stay in his room and it is easier to contain him near me then fight him.
I am now taking everyone's temperatures every 2 hours and giving meds out every 4. The kids are eating as many popsicles as they want to keep them hydrated. Grandma goes to the store for us and gets extra popsicles, soup and a couple other goodies.
Saturday - I wake up feeling crummy but I can't get sick so since Dad is feeling a little bit better and people are allowed out of their rooms with a mask on, I go to take a bath and a nap. I wake up late in the afternoon feeling much much better.
So here we are on Monday, the 14th - Cairn is on the mend but has a pretty bad cough still and not much energy. Skylar's cough has gotten worse again and she says she is feeling pretty crummy again and looks awful. Andrew's cough has moved into his chest and sounds painful and he feels crummy again too. Dad is still coughing and only has about 2 hours of energy before he is asleep again. No one is eating real well and still living on a lot of popiscles - whatever to keep them hydrated.
Tomorrow, I may be calling the doctor on Skylar and Andrew again. I am pretty concerned about Andrew because his cough sounds like pneumonia to me. Skylar's immune system is just slow anyway so she may need a few more days. We are still missing all of our classes and outings and not getting much school finished. We will make it up at some other point. I know the girl's school is not happy with us right now because there are some things due and I didn't get them turned in on time. Already had one phone call about it today.
What about mom you ask? Well, I am still hanging in there healthy - after my bath and nap on Saturday I am doing well. I am going to bed fairly early with everyone else just to get extra sleep and in case I lose some sleep at night taking care of someone. This bug has really done us in and we are slowing recovery but we still have a long way to go to get back to normal. I hope to update more frequently since I don't have quite so much to do.
