Afternoon update.

[rivka]

Alex has kept fluids down for almost 12 hours now. *crossing fingers* As a measure of how sick she was, her first sips of Pedialyte actually tasted good to her. I figured that her electrolytes were coming back into balance when she started to complain about the taste. Once she finished eight ounces (a teaspoon at a time), I let her switch to diluted apple juice and sip it through a straw at her own pace instead of having it measured out every three minutes by me. She's not working through it very quickly, but I figure she knows her own limits.

I offered her four Ritz crackers for lunch. In the time it took me to make my lunch and Colin's and for both of us to eat, she managed to nibble away half of one cracker. That was enough for her. I've got some Jell-O cooling in the fridge - hopefully that will go down more easily.

I checked in with her a little while ago as she lay on the couch watching Mary Poppins. Her tummy still felt bad, she reported. Not like she was going to throw up. Sore and achy. (I bet, after throwing up nine times!) I touched it gently, and it was hot. I looked at her face: pale, but with two rosy circles in her cheeks. Took her temperature: 99.9.

Her pediatrician's office says there's a stomach virus going around, that we can expect the vomiting stage to be followed by a diarrhea and fever stage, and that she may continue to have some symptoms for up to a week.

I went in to check on her again just now and told her that Michael would be bringing home some popsicles for her. She brightened. "I never had a popsicle before, except one time at the pool."

"Well, Dad's bringing home a whole box just for you, as a special treat," I told her.

"You can have one too, as a special treat," she said at once. "I'll share them with you. You can have one that's your favorite color."

Man. Where does she find the energy to be sweet right now?

Comments

[acceberskoorb.livejournal.com]

awww...♥

I hope the storm is over soon!

[eeyorerin]

Awww.

[nex0s.livejournal.com]

Awww. Poor baby :( I hope everything improves soon!

N.

[ckd]

She finds that energy because it's so central to her nature.

Healing wishes to Alex, and wishing you some rest and recovery for yourself.

[kcobweb.livejournal.com]

Yay for popsicles! They can solve everything!

[ailbhe]

Oh, so sad. So sweet. It's heartbreaking when they are so strong.

[ratphooey.livejournal.com]

The sweet kids? Are always sweet, I find.

[aloha-moira.livejournal.com]

Aw, poor kid. Glad she's feeling well enough to think about sharing.

Also, may have to make CJ pick me up some popsicles on his way home today - thanks for the idea. :)

[vom-marlowe.livejournal.com]

I hope she feels better!!

I can always tell my body's electrolites are out of whack when Gatorade tastes good. That stuff is naaaaaaaaasty. Except when I need it. Then it's nummy.

[lerryn.livejournal.com]

Yep, the only time I drink that junk is when I've been exercising a lot.

[lynsaurus.livejournal.com]

My sympathies to all of you. *HUG*

[pameladean]

I suspect that being sweet is her default state and it's all those other moods she needs the energy for.

P.

[curmudgn]

Yep, betcha it's the same one I started on Thursday afternoon and was largely done with by Saturday night. I think the pediatrician's office is being unduly gloomy with "symptoms for up to a week."

[micheinnz.livejournal.com]

The sweetness is inborn, I'm afraid.

I hope she feels better soon.

[bosssio.livejournal.com]

well, I have potentially bad and good news.

the bad news is that 99% of what is "flu" right now is swine flu.

The good news is that most little kids recover very very quickly. Both Liam and Ant had high fevers, throwing up, no appetite. It passed within 48-72 hours.

It is older kids, young adults and pregnant women who seem to be hit hardest by swineflu.

Also, there is a theory that people in their mid 30s are not getting swineflu b/c of "russian flu" that kids got in the mid-late 70s that is similar enough to swineflu to pass on immunity. Neither Andy nor I got what Liam and Ant got, and I definitely got the russian flu back in the day - I vividly remember being sick for an entire week with a bad flu.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H1N1#Russian_flu

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Supposedly she had swine flu a few weeks ago. Who knows? She does seem to be feeling better today, at least.

I am holding tight to the russian flu theory, because it might mean that (a) I won't get the flu, and (b) Colin won't get it either because he gets my antibodies.