So for some reason this year, my family was hit hard, really hard by the stomach flu. When it first showed up 4 weeks ago, we thought it was just a 24 hour strain. Boy oh boy! Were we mistaken. *A heads up about post, slightly graphic descriptions of vomit and diarrhea. If you don’t have a strong stomach stop reading now!*
It all began with our daughter(a Thursday night 4 weeks ago). She vomited once and was just upset. The next day, was our son. He vomited a few times and was uncomfortable. Then it hit me, for a literal 24 hours and then my husband. We were happy it had run its course thru us all and we were on our way back to normal life. Then the following Saturday, it started all over again with my son.
This time there was more vomit and it was like poltergeist projectile. My husband and I had never seen puke like that before. This was a two day, I could totally tell my son was sick. We did everything to keep our daughter in the clear, but to no avail, she got it a few days later. However, she was a one vomit and fussy for a day then better. Luckily, it passed my husband and I this time.
My son woke up for the next few days complaining of stomach pain. My first thought is immediately appendicitis(strong family history on bit sides)… So we went to the docs. Felt like I wasted my $25 co-pay to hear the doc say the same thing I’ve been doing, but it helped my son(he loves Doc Mcstuffins and he knows docs make you feel better). He was fine after this.
He did not like wearing “sick” mask at dr.s office
Seemed to feel better after visit.
Three days after that doctor visit, we were back I there with our daughter, because she was inconsolable. I could tell her stomach hurt. She was so uncomfortable. Just crying and crying. Not nursing, I felt terrible.
This was only way comfortable. Around 3 AM
So we were back at the doctors office with her a few days later. Her inconsolable self lasted 3 days. On third day we went to docs. They gave her some Zantac to calm her stomach and it seemed to work.
Then about a week later, my son began to act sick. Sluggish, sleepy, not active, just not himself. I was thinking he was just playing it up since he was getting a little spoiled while sick. I mean really, my husband and I felt bad for the kid. He wasn’t himself. He just laid around all day (no fever). We went to bed at our normal time and then at 3:30AM, I am a woken to a blood curtailing scream from my son. I walk into his room and he is covered in vomit. He puked in the middle of the night, and slept in it, then woke up when he couldn’t open his eye because it was dry. It looked like war paint. I almost threw up just from the sight.
So at 3:35AM there I was giving my son a shower, getting him dressed and then snuggling him in bed with us. I did not have the patience to clean his bed up at the moment. Luckily, my husband went in and stripped it. My son took a little while to fall back to sleep, but when he did he slept in a bit which was nice. Amazingly enough, somehow our daughter slept thru all this!
When everyone woke up, it seemed like a regular morning. We were eating breakfast, my son was eating a bowl of cereal. I got up from the table and my son screamed I turned around and he said in a whiny screammy cry voice, “it coming out of my butt!” I picked him up and ran him to the bathroom. At first I was upset? Thinking how could you poop your pants, but then I thought about his morning could tell he had no control over this at all. He definitely just sharted. So I changed him and told him next time you feel that you have to go tell mommy. He shook his head and went back to eating, he even apologized! I told him it’s ok, accidents happen! Not even 10 minutes later, the same scream. He did it again! So we started over. Then again10-20 minutes later!
Thank goodness I had some extra disposable training pants. We just went thru 4 outfits in less than an hour. I put in his training pants, and explained to him that he needed tot ell me when he had to go. He proceeded to poo his pants 4-5 more times. Then that afternoon, my daughters poo changed from solid to mush and both of them lost their appetite. This was not a good day…
I called the doctor and explained what was going on. They recommended probiotics and pedialyte. They said this seems like the tail end of the stomach flu and there really isn’t much more to do. Within 24-36 hours there seemed to be a calm in our house! FINALLY! This was this past Wednesday.
Then on Friday, I woke up, not feeling well. I felt dizzy and nauseous. This is hard to handle when I have to take care of my children. I did the best that I could…. And thankfully it was the time of day when my hubby came home. He let me go take a nap. I napped hard almost two hours. Saturday morning, I woke up feeling better, not 100% but better. We went about our day and had fun! Went and took our Easter Bunny photo! We even went to a hockey game at night! It was a great day!
Sunday morning, we wake up, I still feel good, but not 100%, we go to church. When we come home and eat brunch! After I ate, I didn’t feel good. It was nap time for the kids, so it was nap time for me too! A good two hour nap! It may have been good, but I woke up not feeling good. Not at all!
That was the end of me. It hit me and it hit me hard. I was so angry! What have I or my family done to deserve a month of the stomach bug?!
I took the advice for the kids from the pediatrician and had my hubby go get probiotics and electrolyte water and Gatorade.
Thankfully, my husband was able to stay home from work and take care of me and more importantly the kids. While he was home he was able to clean and sanitize things. Once I’m in the clear, I plan on sanitizing everything.
I thought I was doing a good job. I was washing hands untilmraw(from washing so much), using paper towels to dry, changing the kids sheets, had them sleep in seperate rooms, Clorox wipe everything, using bath towels once, Lysoling everything, airing out the house, diffusing cleansing essential oils…etc.
Hopefully, the weather here is finally going to balance out and I can open all the windows and bleach everything!
Anyone have any other advice? I would love to hear it.
Till next time!
*i am not associated with Zantac, Clorox, Lysol, Gatorade, or any other brand mentioned. Just a mom trying to get a clean home and healthy again!
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