The flu found us this week. I knew it was only a matter of time, I was just hoping it wasn't at the same time that I was running a temperature and feeling like a truck hit me! We had to cancel Emily's birthday party last week because she spiked a fever, and she has had a terrible cough and stuffy nose with aches and stomach pain all week. It always seems harder when Rob is gone. He is my rock and my soother.
I have been very worried about Ellie getting it, due to her asthma and the difficulty she always with her breathing when she picks up a virus. She gets pneumonia several times a year, and we have been taking so many precautionary steps to try to avoid the flu, but it's here and we are coping. Ellie was just in to her allergist last week with a flair-up and ear infection. She has been doing her breathing treatment several times a day, between her steroid and the rescue. Amongst all this, we ran out of her steroid (Pulmicort), and when we went to fill it we found out that they don't carry the generic brand anymore so it would be $370- which would only last about 6 weeks! The allergist prescribed an oral steroid to take while we tried to figure out the insurance thing. No budging from the insurance end, so we made an appointment with the allergist again, to consider options for a steroid inhaler.
She has gotten better, just a lingering cough (at night, especially).
Friday I picked her up from school and her cheeks were fire-red and she said her throat and stomach hurt. Tylenol brought it down (you can't give asthmatics Ibuprofen, it can trigger the asthma). And she did well through the night, except for her stomach.
Rob and I decided we need to take them both to the Dr. because Emily's fever spiked out of nowhere as well. She had more symptoms then Ellie at this point, but knew we needed to get Ellie in within the 48 hour time period with her fever. Emily tested negative to strep and mono, so they were assuming she had the flu and she was still dealing with it. Ellie tested positive for the flu, so she was put on Tamiflu, to help reduce the symptoms as they come. The D. was mainly concerned when the flu settles in her chest, and her cough starts up, which won't be for another 3 days or so. All we can do is stay consistent with her breathing treatments, and let her get plenty of rest. And pray.
(Sometimes when I write, i love writing to share things for my family to relish in as they read it. Other times like this, I ramble and write things because I know I will forget and I will someday want to say, "Oh yeah, I remember that!" So I'm sorry for my lengthy one tonight. I know I should keep a journal by my bed for times like this, but I've been saying that for ten years, and I have yet to start one. Besides, this is so much easier. Thanks for bearing with me on this one. And say a little prayer for Ellie.)
I had plans. Big plans. At the fabric store, buying fabric, Erika sewing Em's costume, Ellie's face looking at the hand-me-down choices, the girls adding bling and curls... and I missed it. Oh, to to be back to my normal self and feeling healthy! Erika took over the mommy role (not hard), and the girls transformed themselves into their Halloween fun! Although it was chilly, they had lots of fun (somehow they lost daddy at some cooler on the other street!) and they collected lots of candy, having fun exchanging it at our after-halloween party at our neighbor's house. As I blog, too tired to take a picture of our living room floor with hundreds of pieces of candy scattered ready to swap tomorrow amongst sisters, i pray they fall into a blissfull sweet sleep of another blesssed night.
