The Plague

I was going to make a new post about the book series I'm reading, but the plague has apparently infected my house so I decided to write about it instead.

To begin, Jack has had some crud for at least a week. A progressively worsening cough and snot that began turning neon green. I assumed it was just a cold and it would pass.

On Wednesday evening, Spencer told me his stomach hurt. A doctor once told me that kids will often complain about stomach pain with strep throat (although I have no idea why), so I felt his noggin to find a fever of over 101.

The next day, I haul my gaggle of children to the doctor's office and we get a diagnosis of strep throat, Spencer's second round of it in as many months. My dear husband will get strep if anyone in a 10 mile radius has it, so I call him to give him warning and lo and behold he's been feeling puny all day. Awesome.

That night, Jake said that Jack was burning up and really restless. By the time Jack found me and I felt his head, he felt cool so I brushed the idea of him having a fever aside.

The same night, Fin had been quite warm to the touch and tossing and turning all night, so I had given him a wee baby sized dose of tylenol. The next day he barely even coughed. I had made both of them a doctor's appointment early in the day, but when they both seemed to improve I canceled it assuming I was overreacting.

Wrong choice.

Last night was miserable. Spencer is on the mend, thank God for small miracles, but Jack was burning with a fever and Fin was hacking and so stuffed up that he was screaming with frustration and hunger.

Did I mention Jake is away at drill?

I got us up and moving this morning and we went to the new clinic at Wal-Mart. I generally really dislike Wal-Mart, but their clinic is open late and on weekends when NO OTHER office in my whole town is. Before this clinic opened, any illness that occurred on the weekend and needed medical attention was directed to the emergency room. Talk about a waste of the ER's time.

The NP (I love NPs, BTW) looked, listened and probed the boys while Spencer, reviling in his new found post-illness energy, acted like a wild animal, and diagnosed Jack with strep and Fin with a minor ear infection and an irritated throat.

Antibiotics all around.

While I was at the pharmacy getting the medicine filled, I picked up some Vitamin C w/echinacea hoping that it will help with the boys' immune systems. I'm also dosing Jack with motrin and tylenol for the pain and everyone (including Jake, although he doesn't know it yet) is going to start taking probiotics.

I feel like a nurse.

Hopefully by tomorrow everyone will feel at least 50% better and we can go to Branson to see Santa. Spencer was so disappointed that we had to delay our trip, which was scheduled for today.

Now I'm going to go lysol my house.