Sick of Sickness

Warning: Based on how I'm feeling, this one might be whiny & you may want to skip it!
I've been running a fever since Thursday, and I NEVER run fevers. My normal is 97.1. Tonight I'm 101. I spent all weekend of my "Fall Break" resting & pushing fluids & couldn't beat it. So, I went to the doctor yesterday. He looked at my throat (old-fashioned, no culture) & pronounced strep throat.

Well, Andrew & Ben have been sick too. It's mostly a headache & nasty cough, no fever (so I started that ahead of Thursday). I took them both in for cultures this morning, but they were negative. They did get antibiotics for sinus & ear infections. The pharmacy was FAST (Wow!) & filled them while I waited. First dose by 10:00. Mom is watching Ben, so I head to bed for a nap. I wake to Andrew who has just thrown up. I ask for BG & ketones. He pulls out Dex & reports it says he is LOW! Panic wakes me completely - must get sugar in a vomiting child NOW! He seems okay with juice & I hope that it's just coughing induced. He seems to feel better, so I give him some sherbet. He is supposed to have a complex carb for lows.... I don't bolus until I see him eat it all & seem okay. So I give insulin to cover the carbs, and then ... it isn't okay any more. Now I have a vomiting child with insulin on board! He started out with BG 66 & negative ketones. I was able to keep his BG around 99, but he started quickly getting dehydrated. I gave zofran for nausea. No luck. I called Vanderbilt to see if I could give another. They mentioned they'd had a lot of sickness today. They must have because I gave up & gave another zofran before they called back. Still no luck. Ketones are rising. 2:00 .6 3:00 1.0 (moderate) I finally hear from Vandy & get the ultimatum. He starts keeping liquids down this hour or goes to the ER for IV fluids. He fell asleep & it finally stopped. Vandy & ped agree no more antibiotic tonight. Sure hope he doesn't need it! The nausea is now gone, the ketones cleared, I almost breathe a sigh of relief & here comes the fever! The one I've had since Thursday! He can't handle a fever that long! So, congratulations! If you've read this far, you are a trooper & a true friend! Please say a prayer for Andrew & his family tonight!