Just Say No... To Germs

In the past week, plus some, we have been living in a germ factory.  At least that's how it feels to me.  Schools all over the area have been closed due to illness.  H1N1 seems to be running rampant amongst our youth, as well as a "respiratory illness" that is accompanied by fevers.  However, our local schools have not had enough kids out sick to warrant closure.  Yes, this all began when I was without the normal use of my vocal chords. 

Just over a week ago, my oldest son started coughing, gagging, and choking.  The next day was the beginning of yet another school week, so I decided to keep him home.  It turns out, it was a wise choice.  He was complaining of his head hurting, and grabbing his forehead, so I called the doctor to set up an appointment.  I feared he was getting a sinus infection, as he suffered from one this past Spring.  In the late afternoon, after my husband had returned home, my O man "tossed his noodles."  Calling the doctor a wise choice?  Yeah, I think so.

The following morning we received a phone call from the doctor's office to let us know that our family doctor was out sick.  Thankfully, one of his fellow professional partners was able to fit us in.  By this time, the dreaded fever had hit and the "I feel miserable & exhausted" look was in my son's eyes.  The good news, my son does not have H1N1.  The bad news, my son has a "respiratory illness" and "may need to be out of school for the rest of the week."  We were told to give him Children's Mucinex, run the vaporizer, and to call if the symptoms changed or got worse.

Over the past week, my son's temperature was a roller coaster.  Just when we assumed he was on the mend, his temp went back up.  It's a trend we were hoping would be broken by the weekend, but of course that was too good to be true.  It only gets better from here.  My youngest, M, awoke Friday morning with a fever as well. 

The television and some rented movies were a constant part of our lives over the past week.  A repetitious menu of plain waffles, dry cereal, and soup was the staple in my children's diets.  Our weekend was not full of trick-or-treating, but an overuse of the Braun ear thermometer.  My sweet boys went from their beds, to the couch, and back again, all week and weekend long.  School is back in session tomorrow, but my sons will be enjoying at least another day of  boredom & sickness.  Let's hope it doesn't last much longer!

Just say no to germs!