Overcoming the Sickness

We have finally overcome the sickness after a week! Though about half my family has gotten it now! My aunt sent me this email and I thought it was so funny and it really lets you have an inside view to what we went through! She had two kids with the virus when she wrote this and the next day her third came down with it while at camp.

Email:


For the 17 1/2 years that I have been someone's mommy, I have believed that it has been a privilege to care for my children when they are ill.

Truly....a privilege to hold buckets while throwing up, wipe noses, massage away growing pains, hold heat pack on hurting ears, ease fears in the ER or the dentist's office.  Pete and I have battled rotavirus, the swine flu, influenza A & B, strep throat, pneumonia, giaradia and every other bug that someone brought home from school, church or camp.

We have held small hands while immunizations were given and casts set...we have even carried our daughter's broken front tooth in a cup of milk to the dentist's office for re-attachment (3 times actually).

However...nothing compares to the last 36 hours!  I don't know if this bug has a name....but it wants to take us down.

In the last 36 hours, I have changed the sheets 5 times....now Olivia has declared defeat and she is sleeping on the bathroom floor. She is wrapped in my shower wrap, using pool towels for a pallet (because the bath mats got nasty-you do not want to know.).  She gave up on panties. She has discovered the joy of ice chips.

I am in the hall outside the bathroom with a pillow, magazines and a pool towel for a blanket (because all of the blankets are in the laundry room)...I have a long line of piles waiting to go into the washing machine.

In 36 hours, I have held a bucket 27 times, wiped a bottom 14 times, and washed, dried and folded 21 loads of laundry (22 is in the dryer and 23 in the wash).  I have washed  every surface in every bathroom with bleach and water at least 6 times.  I bet I have washed my hands at least 75 times.

In the last three hours, I have given a bath to a child 4 times.

As awful (and disgusting) as this has been, each daughter has said "Mommy, thank you for taking care of me."  While lying on her bed, one daughter said, "you are so pretty tonight, mommy."  Clearly, she is a little loopy because I have slept 4 hours since Saturday.

It has been 60 minutes since Olivia has thrown up or had diarrhea (really, it is the wrong name for what is coming out of her!).  I am orating foe the end.  I am praying that Pete, the boys and I will be spared.  Not counting on it.

Planned to have a witty or profound to end this email....but frankly, i'm too tired.  I am, however, content in the knowledge that our sweet children have been lived and cared for when they feel so vulnerable.