Welcome Home

We went for a Christmas holiday trip to Washington State and places around and in between.  But I am not blogging about our wonderful time and adventures today.

As soon as we got home...we got sick.  Hard sick.  Some sort of respiratory flu.  I fell the afternoon after our arrival and Dimple fell the next day.  Chirpee waited a good four or five days before succumbing. 

Can you relate to the post travel illness?  The one where you get real sick a few days and begin to unpack after a couple days?

Well...this one lasted in an acute phase for about seven days.  It took seven days before unpacking and laundry even got tackled.  I think I was around day nine before I could say my travel laundry was finished and of course, by that time, you have about five more to run of regular wash :)

Now that laundry doesn't include the bedding from three sick beds, either.  On the otherhand, I just got around to my bedding yesterday and Dimple and Chirpee's bedding is still gross.  Icky, booger, fever gross.  Currently I'm washing the living room blankets that Chipee has cuddled under for the past six days.

After six days of high fever, I finally broke down and took Chirpee to the doctor.  I have a lot of mixed feelings on it because my gut says he is fighting things and will get better on his own.  His lungs were clear, his mental state stable and he was tolerating the misery.  The other part of me says just because I was a nurse doesn't mean I know everything and the recommendation is to bring an older child in to the doctor after three days of uncontrolled fevers.

In the end he prescribed an antibiotic for a double ear infection since it was six days of fevers without much let up.  He said they looked terrible and he was surprised Chirpee wasn't complaining about his ears.

Am I still conflicted?  Yes, of course I am.  Otherwise I wouldn't be Jaime.  He hasn't ever had antibiotics and I would be fine with him never needing them.  I am skeptical that he doesn't need them as many ear infections are caused by a virus.  On the other hand...the doctor wasn't sure if he hadn't perforated his right ear drum.

I gave his first dose of antibiotics so I guess we are committed :)  Now to find a way to give him healthy bugs!