Throwing Up

Signs of a sick child:
1. towels on the couch (so it is easier to clean the throw up)
2. barf bucket by the couch and in the bed
3. paper towels & box of tissues on the couch
4. various flavors of Gatorade on the end table
5. thermometer, Tylenol and barf cleaner on the kitchen counter
6. available array of sippy cups and cups with straws, each with different fluids
7. laundry machine going (constantly washing the towels, couch covers and clothes that got throw up on)
8. starchy food available
9. no make-up, sweats-wearing, sleepy-eyed Mommy
10. lethargic child permanently on the couch

Monday after Jack's nap, he threw up his lunch. And then continued to throw up throughout the evening. He was lethargic and just laid on the couch, throwing up. Over the night, he was up about every hour to hour and a half saying he was thirsty, but anytime he drank, it came right up -- literally within about 3 to 5 minutes.

Tuesday we called his doctor's office and got direction as to how to get him to try to drink. A few sips every few minutes. Increase it to an ounce every 10 minutes or so. Increase the quantity, space out the intervals, etc. He did okay for an hour or two and then throw up. After his nap (24 hours after it initially started), he still threw up so we set an appointment to see his doctor that night. After we made the appointment, he seemed good. He was keeping all his liquids down and 3 small bites of toast. Even at the doctors office, he drank water and kept that down. The doctor said he probably had a stomach virus and all we could do was give him Tylenol to break his low grade fever, keep him hydrated and make sure he goes tinkle every 8 hours (12 at the latest). If he didn't go tinkle, if he was still lethargic and if he was still throwing up, we were to take him to the ER the next morning.
When we got home and gave him more Gatorade, he threw up. I slept with Jack Tuesday night. His bed lined with Tylenol, thermometer, Gatorade, sippy cups, barf bucket and paper towels. He did go tinkle in the middle of the night, but he didn't drink as much as he probably should have.

Wednesday morning started with a few sips of Gatorade and water (water wasn't ideal, but it was what we had to do to get the Gatorade in him). He was good for about an hour and then he threw up. We probably should have taken him to the ER right then, but we decided to see if we could hydrate him and see if his energy level was up before we took him to the ER where all they'd do is stick an IV in him to hydrate him.

So we did small sips of Gatorade every 5 minutes and a few bites of a scone. By about 10am, his energy was coming back. He was off the couch and playing with Brooke. By lunch, he still didn't want to eat, but he was still drinking Gatorade, keeping it down and his energy level was slowing getting back to normal. By 1pm, he ate about a dozen goldfish crackers (wouldn't touch the saltine crackers even though Scott went to the store just for them) and a dozen cheerios. By nap time, everything was still down. By dinner time, he ate only a few bites but it stayed down. By bed time, he ate half an apple and kept it down. By Thursday morning, it had been 24 hours since he threw up and he went off to preschool. Hopefully this is over.

Having a sick child is just heartbreaking. Hearing the sad, pathetic voice say to you, "What is wrong with me?" is just heart-wrenching. Asking him if he needed the (throw up) bucket and hearing him say, "No thank you" was bittersweet (still in the middle of all this, he is polite). Watching Brooke pretend to throw up in Jack's puke bucket was slightly comical. Cleaning up Bixby's (the cat) puke...twice was not.