Liam has had a fever since Saturday.
Day four is when I head to the doctor, although if I am convinced of one of my own diagnoses earlier I will go earlier. This one threw me though. No previous cold, no sore throat, no vomiting, just a severe headache and a fever that has hovered around 101.4. Tired, yes, but improving. The severe headache on day one and two had me very worried. I was thinking about brain bleeds, encephalitis, retinal detachment and other uncommon things. I was asking the poor kid about double vision, pain scales and alleviating factors. After 8 years of being my son he is used to these weird questions and it does not phase him. He just wants to sleep next to me, or shall I say sleep laying on me with all 74 of his precious pounds.
Things were improving today when he was fever free in the morning. Then we went to the grocery store and ran into a child from his class who had strep throat. Then I received a call from his good friend who he is also in class with, he too was ill and was being treated for possible strep. So, off to the clinic. Strep negative. Fever back. So, we ran the Influenza tests and low and behold.....Influenza B. In all my life I have never had the actual test for the flu...or had my kids tested. It was almost frightening to be told that he had the real flu. Not because I thought he was in danger. He is a healthy kid and I know he will be okay, it will just take longer than anticipated. What concerns me and has freaked me out all day is the health of others and my responsibility to their health. So here it goes. I get my flu shot because I am a nurse and HAVE to at the hospital. I do it willingly knowing that the population I deal with is fragile and the idea of "do no harm" includes hand washing and getting my fly shot. But my kids...well I have always thought that the mandatory vaccines are good but that the kids need to build some of their own immunity. Kids get sick...as they get older...they get sick less. Life lesson number..what...4050. But today I felt really bad thinking about who MY SON could have exposed to the flu. There are more pregnant teachers at the school right now than I can count.....I hope they don't get it. Statistically, in a school of 1300 there must be at least one child that is immune compromised.....getting chemo...has CF. Oh, I hope we have not exposed one of these kids.
So, I called the people I knew he had contact with and let them know. Then I went to the school to inform the school (they looked at me a little strange and said "thank you" but I really do not think they will pass the information around". Then I came home and made sure my mother-in-law has had her flu shot (she has) and then I e-mailed his teachers to let them know the diagnosis and request that they make a HUGE pack of homework for him because he will be out the rest of the week. Apparently, the flu is contagious for up to five days in healthy adults. But in kids, even healthy kids, it can be contagious for 7 days or more from the first sign of symptoms. This puts Liam in a bubble until Saturday. He is thrilled...making us play board games and getting his share of the Wii. I think he will be bored soon.
I, on the other hand, am scheduled to work tomorrow and Thursday. Not the best timing, but, at least I was with Liam is his most uncomfortable days. My dedicated Mother-in-law is on for the next couple days. If I did not have her, I do not know what I would do. I have very little PTO now that I am Part-time. I guess I would take unpaid leave, that would be okay, things would be tight but we would be okay. In terms of my patients, they should be fine because I am a crazy hand washer and I wear a mask for PICC procedures and will wear one when I am working in the Infusion Center as well.
Hazel, well she is trooping along after her teeth pulling expereince last Friday. The next two extractions (pre-braces) will be at the oral surgeon. Friday was....tough. She did great...but she needs gas so I can pretend that I have the gas to make it through the procedure. Then, last night she had me up until about 11 pm helping her fininsh her 18 page report on Kazakhstan. Today she had running after school, picked her up for a quick snack and then off to take her and her friends to the pre-season soccer clinic. Once again, thank you mother-in-law for coming to stay with Liam while I carpooled the ladies around Jacksonville.
In between these exciting matters of the day I searched online for vacation properties in the Florida Keys. A trip over spring break with my college friends Denise and Kelly joining us might actually happen! I love this idea! Beach bikes, snorkels and peaceful sunsets. I am going to sleep with the windows open!
So, off to work for a couple days. Friday night I have Hazel's birthday sleep over with a total of TEN girls. I am taking them all to Cami Cakes for cup cakes in their pajamas. We are making t-shirts and then just running around like crazy I think. Wish me luck. I know Hazel will miss having her Dad's humor around while she entertains her friends. I know Lee will miss watching the girls and realizing that he has no idea what the next few years are going to be like. He is moving into uncharted territory---the teen years....
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