About a week ago Aidan went
to a friends’ house to play. When I picked him up his friends’ sister was
laying on the couch wrapped up under covers looking…. Sick. Aidan got his stuff
together. I chatted with his friend’s mother. I am an admitted germaphobe so
the sight of this other child looking not so well was setting off all kinds of
alarms and sending me into panic mode already. Then Aidan came down the stairs
and we left. We walked up the block and Aidan realized he forgot his Xbox
controller. He insisted he needed it right then so we walked back to get it. I
rang the bell and when the door swung open I could see the child that was
laying on the couch minutes before was visibly ill. OH MY
GOD! NOT THE STOMACH VIRUS! PLEASE NOT THE STOMACH VIRUS! WE CAN NOT GET THE
STOMACH VIRUS AGAIN! I WILL DIE IF WE GET THE STOMACH VIRUS AGAIN! These
are the thoughts that were circling my brain. My mouth just politely asked for
the Xbox controller.
On the walk home I told Aidan
as soon as you walk in the door wash your hands. Don’t touch anything. Go
straight in the bathroom and wash your hands. When we got home I wiped his game
controller down with Lysol and had him scrub his hands like he was a surgeon
headed into an operating room. Knowing already these precautions were most
likely in vain. That stomach virus leaves no stone unturned and it was just a
matter of time until Aidan got sick. Usually they say 24-48 hours from the time
of being exposed is when you will start to show symptoms if you have also
caught it. I felt like I held my breath the rest of the week end. Every single
time Aidan made even a strange face I was grilling him about how he felt. The
48 hours passed and nothing. Could we really be that lucky and escape it this
time? Of course the answer is no. I swear it was the 49th hour which
also happened to be 4 am when I heard it. That awful noise that every mother
dreads. SPLAT followed by MOM IM SICK. Oh no, no, no, no, no, no,
no… unfortunately oh yes. Oh yes there was puke all over the bed. The bed that Seark
was also sleeping in. I spent the rest of the night cleaning. And by cleaning I
mean throwing out anything that had been anywhere near the sight of the
incident. I threw out all of the bed stuff and pajamas. Aidan took a shower and
went back to sleep on the couch and seemed to make a miraculous recovery by the
morning.
Now we just wait for Seark to
get sick. I’m not even sure what is worse, when they actually get sick or the
week of anticipation waiting for it to happen. Seark complained for days that
his belly was “hot”. He had a fever and was exhausted but didn’t get physically
ill. Just when I thought Seark was in the clear…. SPLAT. Another 4am puke-fest. When Aidan was a baby the first time
he got the stomach virus I was a rookie. I held him while he threw up. Didn’t
care what he got on me as long as I was able to comfort him was all that
mattered. I caught that virus from him. I learned from that experience. And so
Seark has never been afforded the same luxury. There are no mommy snuggles and
hugs while anyone has the potential of throwing up on mommy. If there was a
yard stick that could measure how close they were allowed to come to me I would
for sure use it. I love these boys with all my heart and more but the thought
of contracting this bug does something to me. Something that makes me want to
run from them and shower them in Lysol.
Again I spent the night
avoiding the children and throwing out pajamas and sheets and comforters. This
virus was starting to get expensive. I didn’t care what we had to buy brand new
if it meant I might be spared. Spared I was not. I too got bit by the stomach
bug for the second time in the three months. I used to say there is nothing
worse when it comes to winter illnesses than the stomach flu but it turns out
there is. Breastfeeding a baby while you have the stomach flu is way worse! So
after surviving the week of germ warfare I am only certain of one thing. If one
of the kids even look like they may get ill or I know they have been in contact
with anyone that recently had it… I am sending them to my mother’s for the
week. Not really. But it is a nice thought.
Today I am all better, back
to blogging, and wishing everyone a happy germ free week.
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