Blanket Fort

 I love my family, but I desperately need a break. Yesterday Timmy stepped on my laptop, cracking the screen. I surveyed the damage and locked myself in the bathroom to cry. The computer still works- sort of- but the touch screen feature is gone. I am investigating getting the screen replaced, but in the meantime I am going to have to make it work. I'm so tired of always making things work!

At this point I'm ready to call time of death on this entire week. If I didn't have children and responsibilities, I would be keen on building a blanket fort over my bed and hibernating from the world. I would curl up with my laptop, a mug of hot chocolate and a box of Girl Scout cookies. Nobody would bother me, and I would be able to binge watch Netflix in peace. Right now that sounds like the perfect vacation!

But I do have kids, and I am a realist.  I won't be able to hide because they would construe my attempt as a game of hide-and-seek with my blanket fort as a challenge. My fort would be dismantled quickly, with no care for the effort I invested building up my fortress. The blankets would be gleefully thrown, probably knocking over the lamp. Inevitably my hot chocolate would spill all over my computer and my clean pajamas. As I frantically try to save my computer, my cookies would be stolen. I would find the empty box with my little Timmy's crumb covered face grinning from ear to ear.

Alas, hiding is not in the cards.  Instead I will settle for a long bubble bath as soon as they all go to bed. Maybe I'll put Timmy's rubber ducks and plastic fish into the tub with me so I can pretend that I'm in the Caribbean ocean instead of my bathtub.  A girl can dream, right?

Technology

Robby is doing better, but now Timmy's symptoms seem to be worsening. It seems that my little guy is tagging behind his big brother, who also took a dip in his recovery a few days ago. If Robby's progression is any indication, Timmy should be feeling better by tomorrow. Hopefully by the weekend both boys will be fever free and feeling stronger. I miss my happy and healthy family!

Scott and I are both dragging, but so far neither of us has come down with the flu. I'm amazed that neither of us has succumbed considering the level of exposure we have both experienced. Knock on wood, our parent immunity will keep us unscathed so that we can continue to care for the kids.  

The past week has been difficult for me. I am becoming depressed from being housebound. I guess I'm not as much of an introvert as I believed because I really miss people. I feel bad for Scott because I feel like I pounce on him as soon as he comes home from work. I'm starved for adult interactions while he just wants to decompress and be quiet for awhile. Thank goodness for technology which has been keeping me grounded and sane during our quarantine. 

Stir Crazy

Over the past seven days I have been tethered to the house by two sick kiddos. Last night I realized that I have only left the house twice, and both occasions involved going to a doctor's office or a hospital. Between chauffeuring Robby to and from activities and taking Timmy to various play opportunities, I usually spend a lot of time running around the community. I'm not used to being home for long periods of time. I'm starting to feel both antsy and depressed being so far removed from my normal routine.

Robby and Timmy are slowly improving, but their recovery isn't as quick as any of us would prefer. Both boys still have fevers and coughing fits, although the severity of both are decreasing daily. Until they are fever-free, which we don't expect to happen for another few days, we will remain quarantined. I wish I could use the time for fun activities, but I find that I am still in comfort instead of entertaining mode. 

Looking for the silver lining in an otherwise gloomy situation, I am happy to report that my limb is feeling better. I had been dealing with some minor skin irritation which was becoming uncomfortable and nagging. With my activities slowed down, my leg has begun to heal. Yesterday I realized that I hadn't cursed my prosthesis all day, which is a vast improvement over my situation a week ago. 

I knew when the sore began to manifest that I should temper my activities so that it would heal. But Timmy had recently discovered riding his balance bike and was thoroughly enjoying every moment in the unseasonably warm weather.  I refused to allow my leg to impede on his newfound happiness, so I did what parents do all the time. I sucked it up, took some Ibuprofen and pushed through the pain. I knew that it would be better for me to take off my leg and rest, but I didn't have it in me to pull Timmy away from something that he loved because of my limb issues. 

With the boys quieted by the flu, I have been able to rest my leg more than normal. At this rate, by the time the boys are recovered, my skin issues should be completely healed and we'll be ready for another family adventure. After the past week, I think we are all ready for some fun again!

Paging Nurse Momom

I was relieved that Scott was able to stay home on Friday to help care for the boys. Having him home over the weekend was extremely helpful because we were able to divide our time between sitting with Robby and Timmy. Even though the boys were still sick I knew that Scott needed to return to work. Despite my nerves about being alone with the plague and Scott's apprehensions about leaving, everything went as well as we could have hoped. 

I don't want to jinx anything, but I think Timmy might be starting to recover. His fever is steady at 101, and his energy levels are starting to return. Over the weekend he was lethargic and showed little interest in playing. While he certainly wasn't his typical bundle of energy, yesterday afternoon he began to quietly play with his trains and his cars. His fever is no longer spiking and he just seems to be more comfortable. I'm hoping that we turned the corner and that he will continue to be on the mend.

Unfortunately Robby's recovery seems to have derailed. His fever has returned, and his energy is depleted. He spent much of the day in bed, sleeping and nursing a fever that was higher than it was for the previous 24 hours. I'm not sure why his symptoms are starting to return, but I'll probably take him back to the doctor today if he doesn't show signs of improvement.  

Somehow Scott and I have both remained unscathed by the flu. With the invasive exposure, I'm not quite sure how we managed to remain healthy but I am certainly grateful! Hopefully we will remain uninfected so that we can continue to take care of the boys.

Sick Ward

Despite all of our efforts and worry, over the weekend the flu claimed a second casualty in our house. Saturday morning I began to fret when Timmy didn't wake me up at our usual time. While I would typically enjoy the gift of sleeping in, I suspected that something more sinister was at play. With Robby dealing with the triple whammy of the flu, ear infections and strep throat, I worried that it was just a matter of time before Timmy was infected.  Unfortunately I was right. When I checked on him I discovered a hot and lethargic little boy.  

I packed him up to head to the doctor when he began to cough and gasp in his car seat. Hearing him wheeze and struggling to breath scared me, so I immediately changed course and headed for the Emergency Room. As soon as I walked through the doors carrying my limp and gasping little bundle we were ushered into the exam rooms. It didn't take long for the diagnosis of the flu to be confirmed. 

With Timmy's compromised immune system, the diagnosis of the flu put us into a full blown panic. We were told to monitor him at all times and to return to the emergency room if his color changed or his breathing became labored. Hearing the discharge information was anything but reassuring! 

Scott spent Saturday afternoon driving from pharmacy to pharmacy in the quest to fill Timmy's prescription. With the flu at epidemic proportions in our area, we felt like we hit the lottery when we finally located the Tamiflu liquid. To his credit, I had no doubts that Scott would have driven across the country to locate the medication if he thought it would help. 
  
With the medication secured, we spent the weekend alternating our attention between the kids. He sat with Robby while I held Timmy and then we switched. We opted to turn our living room into a makeshift hospital room for Timmy. We set up his inflatable toddler bed and blew up the air mattress for me so that I could stay close. (We decided to stay in the living room because I thought it would be easier to transition onto the sofa if Timmy needed to be upright during the night.)

It is hard having a sick child. It is doubly difficult when you are trying to nurse two back to health. Scott and I are both feeling worn down but so far neither of us have come down with the flu. Hopefully we will emerged unscathed from the flu plague. 

I want to extend a heart felt thank you to the staff at Prince William Hospital in Haymarket and to Children's Hospital in Fairfax, VA. The doctors and nurses have been attentive, kind and extremely caring throughout our ordeal.