Monday Memory: AJ's worst illness
Baby E and I both have some kind of upper respiratory thing going on. Only time will tell whether it's allergies (I'm allergic to something in BIL/SIL's house and always get stuffy and sneezy when we stay there) or an actual cold.
Meanwhile, I'll share a Monday Memory about the scariest illness I've experienced with one of my children.
Did I ever tell you about THE TIME AJ WAS REALLY SICK?
AJ was a week shy of a year old when I weaned her. I was nearing the third trimester of pregnancy with MM by that point, and it was difficult nursing and being pregnant at the same time. I'd planned to wean AJ by her first birthday, but she weaned herself faster than I'd planned to wean her. She liked drinking out of a bottle or sippy cup a lot.
As is common after weaning from nursing, AJ got sick a LOT over the next few weeks. Right around her first birthday, she had a cold and an intestinal virus both at the same time. She was all stuffed up and feverish, with severe vomiting and diarrhea.
We couldn't get her to keep anything down. I even tried getting her to nurse again, with no success. I felt so helpless watching as she got sicker and sicker. She got severely dehydrated and became completely lethargic. She cried weakly for a while, then got too weak even to care. My baby was limp and listless, barely moving even when she vomited.
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Finally DH and I took her to the emergency room. We had to wait a long time, taking turns holding our limp and unresponsive child. We were both scared at that point. We were first-time parents and had never seen a child this sick. When we finally saw a doctor they gave her a suppository to help the nausea and diarrhea.
My most clear memory is of the nurse giving her the suppository while she laid limp on her tummy across the table. She didn't even twitch. The nurse gushed about "what a good baby" she was, saying she'd never seen a child take a suppository so calmly.
I wanted to punch the nurse. A child that doesn't have enough energy to flinch when medicine is shoved up her rear end is not good--that is a very sick baby, not a "good baby."
They sent us home, telling us to wait until she hadn't vomited for an hour before trying to give her anything, and then to give her one teaspoonful of clear liquids (unflavored pedialyte) and then wait two minutes before giving her another teaspoon. By taking turns giving her a teaspoon of fluids every two minutes all night, by morning she was starting to get a little bit of tone and color back.
The next night my friend JT (a fellow journalism student from college, married to another computer guy) called to see how we were doing. I told her how sick AJ had been and that the night it was worst DH and I were both afraid we might lose her. I was so glad she was doing better. She was still requiring attention around the clock, but was improving.
JT asked if she could do anything to help me while DH was away at work, and I thanked her but declined. I didn't want to risk getting her sick.
The next day, the doorbell rang and when I went to answer it there was JT. She said, "I knew if I called you'd tell me not to come, so I just came anyway. Here I am; what can I do to help?" She suggested that she could take care of AJ for a while, clean my house, or go grocery shopping for me.
I couldn't believe it. It was so helpful just to have someone care that much and be there for me, not to mention the practical help.
I don't remember exactly what JT did to help. I do remember that she was flabbergasted when she looked at my usually interactive and energetic AJ lying limply on the floor staring vacantly at the TV and said, "This is what she looks like when she's doing much better? Wow, she must have been really sick. How scary! Poor thing."
I think maybe she watched AJ while I took a much-needed shower, and then went grocery shopping for me. I don't remember the specifics. I just know that I felt incredibly loved and cared for by my friend.
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Click here for Shelli's blog
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Meanwhile, I'll share a Monday Memory about the scariest illness I've experienced with one of my children.
Did I ever tell you about THE TIME AJ WAS REALLY SICK?AJ was a week shy of a year old when I weaned her. I was nearing the third trimester of pregnancy with MM by that point, and it was difficult nursing and being pregnant at the same time. I'd planned to wean AJ by her first birthday, but she weaned herself faster than I'd planned to wean her. She liked drinking out of a bottle or sippy cup a lot.
As is common after weaning from nursing, AJ got sick a LOT over the next few weeks. Right around her first birthday, she had a cold and an intestinal virus both at the same time. She was all stuffed up and feverish, with severe vomiting and diarrhea.
We couldn't get her to keep anything down. I even tried getting her to nurse again, with no success. I felt so helpless watching as she got sicker and sicker. She got severely dehydrated and became completely lethargic. She cried weakly for a while, then got too weak even to care. My baby was limp and listless, barely moving even when she vomited.
################
Finally DH and I took her to the emergency room. We had to wait a long time, taking turns holding our limp and unresponsive child. We were both scared at that point. We were first-time parents and had never seen a child this sick. When we finally saw a doctor they gave her a suppository to help the nausea and diarrhea.
My most clear memory is of the nurse giving her the suppository while she laid limp on her tummy across the table. She didn't even twitch. The nurse gushed about "what a good baby" she was, saying she'd never seen a child take a suppository so calmly.
I wanted to punch the nurse. A child that doesn't have enough energy to flinch when medicine is shoved up her rear end is not good--that is a very sick baby, not a "good baby."
They sent us home, telling us to wait until she hadn't vomited for an hour before trying to give her anything, and then to give her one teaspoonful of clear liquids (unflavored pedialyte) and then wait two minutes before giving her another teaspoon. By taking turns giving her a teaspoon of fluids every two minutes all night, by morning she was starting to get a little bit of tone and color back.
The next night my friend JT (a fellow journalism student from college, married to another computer guy) called to see how we were doing. I told her how sick AJ had been and that the night it was worst DH and I were both afraid we might lose her. I was so glad she was doing better. She was still requiring attention around the clock, but was improving.
JT asked if she could do anything to help me while DH was away at work, and I thanked her but declined. I didn't want to risk getting her sick.
The next day, the doorbell rang and when I went to answer it there was JT. She said, "I knew if I called you'd tell me not to come, so I just came anyway. Here I am; what can I do to help?" She suggested that she could take care of AJ for a while, clean my house, or go grocery shopping for me.
I couldn't believe it. It was so helpful just to have someone care that much and be there for me, not to mention the practical help.
I don't remember exactly what JT did to help. I do remember that she was flabbergasted when she looked at my usually interactive and energetic AJ lying limply on the floor staring vacantly at the TV and said, "This is what she looks like when she's doing much better? Wow, she must have been really sick. How scary! Poor thing."
I think maybe she watched AJ while I took a much-needed shower, and then went grocery shopping for me. I don't remember the specifics. I just know that I felt incredibly loved and cared for by my friend.
Links to other Monday Memories
Click here for Shelli's blog
Trackbacks, pings, and comment links are accepted and encouraged!
View More Monday Memories Participants
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Posted by purple_kangaroo at 3:32 PM[Permanent link]
4 Comments:
How very scary! I cannot imagine how difficult this must have been for you; especially so pregnant.
JT sounds like a wonderful friend.
ccw said exactly what I was going to say.
Big, big hugs.
I can't even begin to imagine...
We've had scares with pneumonia and an unknown ingestion of adult tylenol (potential liver failure)with our two, but both were quickly discovered and resolved. Thankfully, other than those times, my kids have been very healthy - and I do not take it for granted, especially after reading accounts like this.
My MM is up
Not to be a Jesus-freak or anything, but seriously: PRAISE THE LORD! I am thankful for every healthy day my little one has, and I am relieved to hear your precious girl is well.
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