The Flu....

This has been a most miserable week for me.  I started feeling really worn down and tired on Monday night.  I thought it was because we had a really fun and busy weekend with some friends and I just needed to catch up on my sleep.

On Tuesday night, the second night in a row that I was ready to head to bed at 8:30, I started to feel a little differently, I said to Brad, "I think my body is trying to fight something."

By Wednesday morning, I felt horrible! I woke up with a low-grade fever but felt sore, had a cough, and was extremely fatigued.  Brad encouraged me to go to the doctor to get checked out.  I didn't really want to go but I knew it was my only chance to go because he decided to stay at home to watch the girls for me.

So I went to the emergency clinic, half hoping it was something really minor and the other half hoping that I wasn't acting like a complete wimp! Well, my second hope came true. I was diagnosed with the flu.

I did not feel well at all on Wednesday but I was functioning okay. Brad took the girls to Chuck E Cheese's to play games and to Chick Fil- A for lunch to have a daddy day with them, while I just rested.  So far, so good.   What's the big hype about the flu?

Well, the big hype IS that night I fell to pieces.  My fever rose to 104 and even after taking medicine it only went down to 101.5! I had the chills, sweats, uncontrollable hacking/ dry cough and felt completely drained.

Thursday, I was really sad that Brad had to go back to work, and he felt really bad leaving me behind. He said very sweetly, "You are truly beautiful, but you look horrible.  Take it easy.  Don't exhaust yourself." :-) Faith with her great compassion would gently stroke my arm and say, "you're sick, mama."

For the majority of the day, I rested on the couch, watching my girls play together.  I still had the regular duties of changing poopy diapers, helping wipe a toddler's bottom, feeding the kids lunch, nursing Anna, putting my baby to sleep, refereeing when there was a toy in dispute, throwing something in the crockpot for dinner (the chicken smell however made me nauseated) but overall it was a decent day.  It certainly made me thankful for the sweet little girls I have!

Another thing I was thankful for was that Brad is able to do some of his work from home now.  So instead of his normal schedule of leaving at 7:30AM and getting home at 5:00 PM, he left the house at 9:15 AM and got home at 3:30 PM.  After the girls were asleep, Brad made up the three hours that he missed of work on the home computer.

Thursday night I got even sicker with the chills and sweats. And the next morning, on Friday, when I woke up, I could barely lift my head, I felt the very worst I have felt in over 10 years! I WAS SO SAD!!!  Every day, Jillian had been saying to me, "Mommy I hope you feel better, maybe tomorrow you will feel better!" :-) And Friday was not to be that day.

Friday became a "movie day".  The girls watched two hours of educational television.  Then later in the day, Jillian and Faith spent a little extra time playing in their room.  Little Anna also spent a little extra time in her crib that day (which she seemed completely content to do).  And I just rested, I could barely even walk straight! I talked to my dear friend Julie on the phone and she encouraged me by telling me that when her husband, Jon had the flu he just stayed in bed for THREE days straight.  And he is no wimp :-)!!! In fact, he is one of the most resilient people I know.

Julie also graciously offered to bring us a meal and I took her up on it.  I did not want to have to smell any food cooking in my house and I knew Brad was wearing down from the days at work and then helping so much at home too.  So it was a real blessing when Julie brought over some of her yummy Chicken Supreme, green beans and cupcakes too.

Today, I woke up and for the first time I had a fever of only 99.4!!! The girls were so excited I was feeling a little better today, together they exclaimed, "YAY!" :-) I am still not feeling 100% but am feeling spectacular compared to how I have been feeling for the last few days.  Brad took the girls to Lowe's today to make a heart music box for the Build and Grow workshop, Anna is napping, and I have cut coupons in preparation for next week super doubles at Harris Teeter, and am now writing on the blog.  Its a good day! Woohoo!

I now understand why there is a vaccine for the flu.  I do not think I will be forgetting to take my flu shot next year.