Living with children who have serious chronic illness is a little like living with a live grenade. You never know when it is going to go off, so you watch it, warily, waiting for the explosion which inevitably happens. Sometimes you forget that the grenade is there, lurking in the corner, and you go about your merry business, but there is always the click of the pin as it is pulled out, the metallic ping as the handle releases that brings you back to watchful awareness.
Last week, Birdie had a fever for four days. It was high, it required constant monitoring because of her propensity to febrile seizures, and it was unrelenting. It was perhaps a blessing in disguise, as she was home from school from Wednesday on. On Friday, I found out that a student at her preschool ended up in the ER with flu and that the serious enterovirus has hit Delaware, one state away from us. Many people commute between here and there, so I give it a week maybe two to hit our city. The EV-D68 hits kids with respiratory conditions particularly hard, and it is hard to diagnose at first because it presents like a cold or the flu. A lot of them end up hospitalized, some on ventilators. That means my airway malacia kids are particularly vulnerable right now.
We were hoping to wait on the flu vaccine until October, when the flumist would be in our doctor's office, but we don't have the luxury any longer. I've got a last minute vaccine appointment for the three older kids on Monday to get them flu vaccines, and we will hope and pray that the EV-D68 stays away for now. Because these are the things you do when you live with a live grenade. You look for ways to soften the impact, to shore up defenses, to remain constantly vigilant.
Our sick season starts at the beginning of August and ends sometime in mid-June.
Miles to go before we sleep. Miles to go...
Praying for good health for all of you!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteOh my dear friend; much prayers and candles lit. Remember that you can always PM/email even a 1 line email for prayer. Holding you to Christ.
ReplyDeleteHave you looked into essential oils to help with prevention? I am all for flu shots and meds, but am also dabbling in EOs this year, hoping to prevent illness from the start!
ReplyDeleteNot really--I confess that I don't really know what to make of them. I don't dare use them on myself because of all my allergies, and while my kids don't have any current allergies, given all the other stuff they have going on, I'm reluctant to try something like that. But perhaps I'll check into it. Thanks!
Deletecheck out DoTerra oils on amazon, they list all of the ingredients and what they are used for. I've been enjoying getting into using oils for more things
DeleteMy husband and kids have all had this enterovirus. We just finished day 4 of sickness here. It is harsh on those who are healthy, praying for your little ones.
ReplyDelete