Monday, February 22, 2010

It Was Bound to Happen Sooner or Later

It was bound to happen sooner or later. We were lucky that we made it 2 1/2 years without seeing its effects.  An invisible enemy snuck into our home and made a stand that every mother has battled for ages: the stomach bug.  Ugh.  Double ugh. 

I always wondered how I would handle it when it happened.  I handled it rather well, if I do say so myself.  Take note, neither my hubby nor I were stricken so for those of you who have not been so lucky during this long winter, my heart goes out to you.

My husband heard the sounds first.  The retching.  He flew up the stairs so fast I was left wondering what calamity had befallen our oldest.  My ears didn't recognize the sounds at first-just the piercing screams that followed. By the time I had got upstairs (I was right behind the husband), he had her in the bathroom, stripped, and was running a bath.  That man is a saint.

I will spare you the details of the sight in her bedroom.  Needless to say I don't think I will ever feed her blueberries with pizza (homemade or otherwise) for lunch ever again.  I have also definitely learned the value of urging your children to chew well before swallowing. 

Our daughter was traumatized by the event.  When I ran into the bathroom, she kept screaming and her whole body was rigid.  She was starring straight ahead, not blinking.  For a two-year old child who hates having dirty hands and dirty clothes, she was horrified.  Not to mention totally unaware of what just happened and no glimmer that it was probably going to happen again. 

I had to have her face me, look at my face, repeatedly saying her name in a soothing tone before she would even begin to relax enough for me to pick her up.  Once I picked her up, she was fine within seconds. 

All of this happened within less than a minute.  Once deposited into the bathtub and her father's capable hands, I returned to her room to clean up the offending sight.  I was amazed not to feel ill myself.  I didn't even gag.  Armed with a roll of papertowels, lysol. a dishpan of soapy water, and some dish towels, I restored order within about 10 minutes.  All the while I could hear my daughter chattering happily, splashing in the tub, telling her father about the horrible hiccups she had. 


Yes, it did happen again and again but within three hours she was sound asleep.  The next morning she proclaimed it, "a bee-oo-tee-full day." 

Thank goodness for the resiliency of children.

May you all be spared fighting the battle against the stomach bug and its effects.  Blah!

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Before I had kids, I was terrified of the dreaded stomach virus - I hated it and had a 6 year streak going... then I had kids and I never blinked twice and it never grossed me out.

Thank goodness!!!!!!

You are so super lucky to have not had it in your house for so long!!!! Hope she is OK now!

Eternal Lizdom said...

I cannot handle cleaning up puke. I can take you to the toilet, hold your hair, hold the bucket my child pukes in as I rub their back... I can dump and rinse said bucket. But I can't handle the clean up of upholstery, carpet, etc. Thankfully, my husband has found that he can manage it without issue so we balance each other out.

My oldest has had a stomach bug once. My youngest has had it twice- the first time was worse than this last time.

The main ongoing effect of his last bout is that he gets very upset if you hold up a red bucket...

Hang in there!!

Lourie said...

I never thought I could do it. And then that first time it happens you just go into this mode of parent and love and care. Now a few times, I have choked a little because of the smell, but I have done it all. Buckets, back rubbing, hair holding. I am glad she is feeling better and that you and hubby seem to have missed it. we have been doing respiratory viruses. I don't care to trade.

Melissa said...

Sounds yucky... Hayden got a stomach bug about a year ago (when he was a "young 2"). It was awful! He thre up about 15 times within 2 days.

Then it was over. Neither Randy nor I got sick... and so far, we have not had any more stomach bug appearances.

I'm glad she is feeling better!

Courtney said...

The stomach bug is so bad. We had it during Christmas and passed to almost EVERYONE in my family. Not a great way to celebrate Christmas or your time off!! Get better!

Shell said...

Oh, so gross! I'm a little afraid to tell you that we haven't had to deal with it here, that I'll jinx myself.

Hope everyone is back to normal by now.

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness - your hubby IS a saint!! I think mine would be running in the opposite direction LOL

Daisygirl said...

oh poor baby!!! It is amazing though how quickly babies/toddlers and young children get through these bugs! I am thankful for the resiliency!

Anonymous said...

Hope she is ok.... I know this sounds horrible but my daughter tossed her cookies the other night and I honestly thought for the first time in my life I was going to be sick when I saw her do it...it really was gross.

amommyonadiet said...

When Ant was not even 20 months, he had the rotovirus. Vomit everywhere-especially on me. It scares them, petrifies them really. I was surpised to not get sick myself. I was holding him in the ER cubicle and it just kept coming out, projectile. It is painful to watch them because they really don't know what is going on. Glad to hear your daughter is feeling better now.

Joy@TPMG said...

I am very thankful I was not in the room when she did it. I probably would not have been able to handle it.

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