It started out rather slowly. The Tuesday before Thanksgiving, Christopher finished eating his dinner and started coughing. He then proceeded to throw up his dinner. I assumed he got choked and didn't think much else of it. He took his night time bottle and then went to bed.
The next morning, he started coughing again & threw up after his morning bottle. By mid morning, he had thrown up 2 more times. We called the pediatricians office and started the pedialyte for 12 hours. He slept most of the day and was listless but kept the pedialyte down.
During the night, he spiked a 103 fever and was up most of the night. We made an appt and went to the ped the next morning. Christopher acted happy and was all smiles for his doctor. She said it was probably viral and would run it's course. I asked about the flu and she said, "Oh, he doesn't have the flu, he is too happy for the flu. But we will swab him if you would like."
Well, guess what? He had the FLU and tested positive for both strains A & B. The office was impressed, they had not seen that yet this season. We were house bound on Thanksgiving and by that point I was not feeling too well. Our Thanksgiving dinner, consisted of chocolate chip cookies and vanilla ice cream.
By Friday, Christopher had spiked another 103.5 temp during the night and was getting Tylenol and Advil every 3 hours to keep the temp down. He was absolutely miserable and the coughing/throwing up episodes were happening at least twice a day and once during the night. He could not be laid down flat or he would start coughing which would result in throwing up in a matter of seconds. It didn't matter if he was awake or asleep. The throwing up was the worst, I cannot tell you how many times I had him practically upside down, trying to help him get it up and watching him gasp for air and turn blue. He scared me so many times.
Saturday, he woke up and his breathing had changed. He was wheezing pretty good and the throwing up continued. Thankfully, our ped is open half days on Saturday. He got a respiratory treatment in the office and then we got admitted to the hospital.
We spent Saturday and most of Sunday on the pediatric unit, where he got IV fluids and fought fluctuating 103.7 temp for 12 hours. Once we would get it down it would then shoot back up. Christopher hates any medicine. So, between taking meds every 3 hours, throwing up every couple of hours, resp treatments every 4 hours, vitals every 4 hours, lab draws, general crying and listlessness, there was no sleep - in a nutshell it was horrible and terrifying. There truely is nothing worse than a sick baby.
In the hospital, he still managed to find some play time after the fever was down.
Sick as a dog but still playing.
We changed our follow-up ped/hospital admission appt from Wed to Tues. due to another night of 103 + temps and a bout of bronchospasms that lasted about 20 mins the night before. Finally we got on an antibiotic and had our first night of 4 hours of sleep that night. They were afraid that after 7 days of fever that something else was starting to brew.
10 days later and finally life is getting somewhat back to normal. Christopher lost about 3 lbs during his illness but is almost back to eating the amt. he was before.
His 8th tooth also broke through during the whole flu fiasco and I never even noticed. I am sure it only made the fever worse.
Our new playtime activity, respiratory treatments.
We finally have our tree up and somewhat have the house decorated. I have done most of my shopping over the internet during the last week, and I hope to be done soon. Christopher is doing so much better and I hope that this is it for awhile. He has fought one infection after another since August and we are all so ready for a healthy baby.
Christmas photos up next!!!
My friends turned the Christmas party into a mini surprise baby shower for Christopher. So he got double the gifts.
My friends turned the Christmas party into a mini surprise baby shower for Christopher. So he got double the gifts.
