One day at a time

I called and left a message for the on-call doctor today, asking about having titers run to try and see whether I've had the Epstein-Barr Virus in my system for a while, or whether it's a new development. I hope they'll be willing to run the tests.

If it is something new, I estimate I came down with it about 3 weeks ago. That's when I suddenly started the worse-than-usual decline in my health and started having trouble doing even the most simple, routine tasks for more than a few minutes at a time. For the last three weeks my body has demanded to spend most of the time prone or asleep. When I'm not in bed, I'm able to stretch out the time before I have to lie down again by sitting to rest every few minutes, and doing things while sitting down as much as possible.

I'm discovering that there's actually quite a bit I can do while lying or sitting down.

I'm lying on the sofa in the family room right now, with the laptop propped in front of me. AJ just finished reading to me about Iraq and discussing what she learned with me.

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Ebee keeps bringing me drinks of water, and trying to hold them up to my mouth to help me drink. E loves the water dispenser in the refrigerator. She has decided that her mission in life is to constantly bring water to everyone in the house.

It seems that every time DH or I turn around she's holding out a cup of water, saying encouragingly, "I bwought you tum watuw. Hewe, dwink it. Dis is youw watew; it's foy you. Tum on, dwink youw watew. Dwink it. Tum on, dwink it. You need tum watew. Hewe's youy tup. Dewe's watew in it; dwink it. I'w hewp you. Hewe it is; dwink it. I dot it foy you. Dwink it aww dohn. Dat's wight, dwink it aww . . . yay! You dwank aww youy watew. I'w det you tum moy."

We're all staying very well-hydrated. :)

This morning, as he's been doing most days lately, DH got up and fed the kids breakfast before he left for work. Then they watched a 30-minute video while I rested some more before school.

When it was time to start school, I had the older girls bring their books upstairs to sit on the bed with me. I helped them get started on their schoolwork and supervised them from my bed. Baby E brought me books to read to her while the older girls were working.

I got up to put some frozen chicken nuggets in the oven around lunchtime, and sat at the computer a bit while they were heating and the kids played. After lunch, I sat on the floor to sort through a few things to find a schoolbook I want to start using for AJ, and some storybooks for the girls to read during quiet time.

The kids played in the playroom for a while after lunch, with me lying down nearby as much as possible and getting up when they needed me. By the time I got the kids set up for quiet time I was exhausted and had to lie down again.

I tried to rest while the girls had quiet time, but Ebee is growing out of naps is still learning to honor quiet time. So I kept having to get up or call the kids in to separate them and have Ebee go back into the playroom, where she was supposed to be playing quietly in bed. She really wanted to be in the bedroom where AJ was reading, and kept trying to go in and take AJ's books or try to talk AJ into reading to her. I did try to get Ebee to come lie down in bed with me, but she did NOT think that was a good idea. :)

After the kids' quiet time was over, I was even more tired from getting up and down. I could barely keep my eyes open, so I let the girls watch another video. I hate to let them watch more than one video a day--ideally, I prefer not to have them watching them on a daily basis at all. But being home alone all day with 3 kids and a case of Mono calls for exceptional measures.

By the time the video was over, DH was home. He picked up our fresh batch of raw goat milk from the farm on his way home, and heated up leftovers for dinner while I kept tabs on the kids. I still don't have much of an appetite, so I drank some broth and then laid down on the couch in the family room to be near DH and the kids.

DH is now upstairs with the kids getting them ready for baths. My grandmother called a few minutes ago to say that she is going to be in town tomorrow, and wants to come by to fix lunch and feed the kids for me. She's going to make us some casseroles this week, and bring them by Friday around lunch time so she can help with lunch again. I just about cried. I'm so thankful to have the help people are offering. A couple of families from our home group are planning to come over sometime this week, too. My mom is looking into having some meals put together for us. On Wednesday I meet with my neighbor and her teenage daughter to talk about hiring the 16-year-old to help out for a few hours a week.

Today I was actually starting to feel restless with so much lying down. Until today I was getting up when I had to, but it wasn't because I wanted to be up. I don't feel too bad for the most part as long as I'm not actually on my feet (especially if I just slept for a while), and today I keep thinking that maybe I'll be fine to start resuming normal activity.

Of course, as soon as I stand up the fatigue and dizziness, etc. hits me and all I want to do is sit or lie down again as soon as I can. But I think it's at least a good sign to be feeling like I want to get up. I can even use the computer or talk on the phone while lying down without too much discomfort, at least for short periods of time.

I've been resting as much as possible, and I'm really hoping that will help me kick this virus as quickly as possible.

I'm supposed to fly out to my sister's graduation in about three weeks. Right now I'm not able to drive safely or be up and active for more than a few minutes at a time, much less travel from one coast to the other navigating layovers and carting around a heavy suitcase by myself. I heard that doctors used to automatically prescribe 4-6 weeks of bedrest when someone came down with a case of mono like this. If I came down with it when I think I did, 6 weeks will barely be over before I'm supposed to fly out. I really hope I don't have to cancel the trip.

Really, though, even though physically I'm pretty low, mentally and emotionally I'm at peace and doing well. DH has been amazing; the man is truly a hero. We're managing, God is providing day by day, and we'll get through this.