Monday, June 30, 2008

We are richly blessed with germs

I thought we were supposed to be reasonably healthy for the summer. I thought the sunshine and outdoor activities would kill all the germs before they had a chance to infect us.

I thought wrong.

Claire woke up around 1 am last night vomiting. She got sick about 10 times in about 10 hours. So many that I completely lost count. So instead of enjoying a beautiful summer day with Justine, we quarantined ourselves in the house and tried to get ahead of the mountain of laundry.

The laundry is winning.

Then BJ came down with it, too, and came home from work at noon.

So far, MG and I are ok, but that's going to last until about midnight tonight, when she'll wake up sick. I hope to have some sheets and towels clean by then, but I'm not hopeful.

Of course, BJ has a very important, unmissable meeting on Wednesday. Of course. Because that's how it always goes.

I don't get it. I use hand sanitizer. I wash the kids regularly. I was my own hands constantly. I have no freaking idea where we might have picked this bug up, and I am not at all happy about it.

Poor Claire. Poor BJ. Poor me. At least the two of them are resting comfortably (I hope) upstairs right now. I took a nap with MG, to catch up on the sleep I missed last night. I needed it. Especially if I'm going to be up all night with MG, or up all night sick, myself.

Do other families with young kids get sick this often, or is it just us? For crying out loud, we just got over croup a week and a day ago. This is ridiculous. What am I doing wrong??

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I never wash my hands. I NEVER use sanitizer. I'm completely against it. Back in the '60's, '70's and forever.... there was no sanitizer. We made our bodies work up their own antibodies. MY MOTHER WAS A NURSE for heaven sake. I've rarely gotten sick while my sister who scrubs herself silly is always sick along with her 12 yr old daughter. They say there's enough germs on a grocery cart to kill an elephant so who knows? You're not doing anything wrong other than not getting enough sleep because it's summer and it's hard to make anyone sleep when it's still light outside. Hang in there! Connie

Anonymous said...

Amy,

I am so sorry to hear of the long running bout of sicknesses with your family.
I truly don't think it's anything your doing wrong!
I know for our family, we give the kids over 1,000 mg. of vitamin C during the change in seasons for a week or so. Some people think thats too much, but if they have too much than their stools would be loose. There is something us adults take called "Triple threat" it is a combo of Pantothenic Acid, Vitamin C, and Vitamin A. We take for three days straight, then quit.
I only use that at the onset of cold symptoms or into the symptoms.
I also use assential oils, tea tree
oil
has a lot of anti-viral properties, so I use a couple drops in a spray bottle filled with water and I spray around the rooms and the kids toys.
Since implementing all of these the past few years we rarely get sick and if we do its usually from the step-kids when they come over sick. Thats how this last stomach virus got started, when Tessa was sick at her moms and came over without being free from vomiting for 24 hours.
I start the kids on a vitamin regimen and no sugar during any colds. From my understanding colds and such feed and grow on the sugar people consume, so we limit as much as we are able.
I am not trying to preach to the choir here, you seem very knowledgeable on various topics, so I assume you know all I am saying, but I thought I would share what we do here.
Lots and lots of water also!
I'll be thinking of you all, and praying for a speedy recovery.
I hate when little ones are sick!

Jenny H.