After sick days, we have snow day

The girls went back to school on Thursday but Mr. MFBA was home sick all week. Nonami's fever (cause of illness never found) broke late Friday leaving him with only a very runny nose. I'm not well but the worst of it is behind me.

I delighted in every one being back where they belong yesterday. Nonami and I went out for the first time in over a week and activities resumed. So it was only natural that we should get snow. Not a lot of snow if you live somewhere where it really snows but a lot for here. Normally this would thrill me since the lack of actual snow has bothered me since we moved here but they were all home with me last week. Now they are here today and probably will be tomorrow.

Within an hour of waking up, I was ready to go hide in the snow or beg the school to open. Would any one like to borrow at least 2 o my 3 bundles of joy?

2 better, 3 to go, and a trip to the hospital

1. Not-So-Baby H and Teen L are better and have both gone back to school. NSBH still has a cough but her cough always lingers so that is not a concern.

2. Mr. MFBA still has a fever and feels awful. He's been taking some leftover amoxicillin but it isn't helping leading me to conclude that it is indeed something viral, probably the flu.

3. I am having major sinus issues and it is moving to my chest making it burn. Last night something nasty had me up at 4 am to throw up. This morning it is coming out the other end, too. (TMI I know)

Lastly, on to Nonami who is suffering the worst.

4. Nonami has had a high fever since Sunday. I have tried every trick that had worked before to no avail. The lowest I have been able to get his temperature is 103. He's barely drinking so we've been giving him pedialyte via a syringe. Of course, that's not enough since we can only get a teaspoon down every 30 minutes or so. Without drinking he is not urinating, without food there is no other output. He's coughing, has a runny nose, and is breathing very loudly and saying it hurts.

I spoke to his pediatrician who wants to see him this morning (we go at 10:30) and he said to take him to Children's if he got any worse. By 9:30 last night I decided that he had to go, I'm glad I followed my gut because he was in serious need of fluids. Nearly an hour of IV fluids and he was good to go for the night. I did really good while they poked and prodded but it was pitiful because he kept screaming "help" and "help me".

There is no ear infection, chest is clear, it's not strep or the flu. Leaving the doctor to say that the fluids should get him through the night but he needed to see his doctor if the fever persisted and needed more tests done. Unfortunately my hopes of having a semi-well child this morning didn't come true. He's hanging out at 104.3 and this is day 5.

It rips my heart out to see him like this. He always gets sick; more than either of the girls ever did or have. I wish I knew why. I hope this is something that he will outgrow. I hope he is ok this time and there is an easy solution.

And then there were 5 sick

Not-So-Baby H appears to be on the mend but she still has a slight fever and was throwing up before bed last night so she is home again. Nonami's illness is taking the same course as NSBH's only a day behind her. I am hoping that means that tomorrow he will do something other than lie around looking so sad.

Teen L, Mr. MFBA, and I all started feeling ill yesterday. Collectively we have sore throat, slight fever, sinus pain, runny nose, stopped up nose, cough, headache, chills, yucky bowels, etc... I feel better than anyone which is probably good since the house has yet to recover from my time "out" when my leg hurt so badly.

Despite all the vaccinations this is the third time this fall/winter that all 5 of us have been sick at the same time and umpteenth time that someone has been sick. Here's to hoping that we all feel better very soon!

Building a race track and watching Johnny Weir

Not-So-Baby H and Nonami are both home sick. In between their naps, we have done two things today: build race tracks and watch Johnny Weir's "Poker Face" routine.*


*I cannot even begin to guess how many times I have now watched this performance. NSBH says it "captivates" her.

And so it begins

For months now we have had skating coaches ask about private ice skating lessons for Not-So-Baby H. For months we have put it off. NSBH loves to skate but at 5 (now 6) years of age skating once a week at her group lesson has been enough. She has only skated outside of her lesson once and while she has asked to skate more we always find a reason to say no.

After the third coach said she would like to work with NSBH we began considering the idea. We had been skeptical that it was a money thing and not a potential thing. It appears it is a potential thing; the latest coach talked about the joy she sees on NSBH's face when she is on the ice, something not seen on every student. Still we just weren't sure we were ready to spend more money*. Then NSBH did something I would have never thought she would do, she asked to quit dance** for skating.

I am under no illusions, as some of the other mothers seem to be, that NSBH is going to end up an Olympic skater turned pro but she loves it right now so we have decided to take the plunge. NSBH now has a coach. A coach to help her advance through the levels and teach her routines for shows and competitions.

Competitions! This seems crazy to me but NSBH will compete for the first time in March. She will do the compulsory portion and the music (set not free) portion. The routine will only be a minute long and on half ice so it will be far easier than the Suzy Snowflake routine but this time we will be paying a coach.***

I can't help but wonder how much 60 seconds will cost...

*We had already been told by the last coach that skating could quickly become expensive with the cost of boots, blades, costumes, ice fees, lessons, coaches, etc...

**She does want to continue next year

*** And entry fees, practice ice time, costume, so forth

Ultrasound all good!

My ultrasound went very well. The technician said that she saw absolutely nothing on my leg's deep vein. Since that was the worse case scenario for all of this I am beyond relieved. Now, I just have to wait for the official news from my doctor and ask him a bunch of questions about the superficial vein problem I am having.

I've read that it can take 2-6 weeks for this to clear up, it is definitely better than the first day (when I couldn't move) but there are still two areas of inflammation along the vein that I can feel (down from 4). The pain is mainly tolerable but medication is still a must. If I sit for too long my leg starts throbbing and if I walk too much my leg, legs, or butt start hurting.

The list of causes for superficial phlebitis is long. The only two factors I seem to have are thrombocytosis (high platelets) and hormonal birth control. My doctor was surprised that my hematologist was so dismissive of the platelet count since it was high by lab standards but borderline by hers. He did not outright criticize her but thought she might have been more thorough in the questions she asked and less dismissive of the symptoms that I did exhibit.

I wish I knew that this would/could never happen again so that I could go to sleep without the fear that I will wake up immobile. Although, I am sure it is true that once I am back to normal that fear will ease and go away. For now, I will take what I can get and that means no nasty tests, major medicines, or invasive procedures!

Almost relieved

My doctor visit went well. I love my doctor and he spent a lot of time with me talking, examining, and answering my ten million questions. The short version is that I have thrombophlebitis which is swelling of a vein(s) usually due to blood clots.* This is certainly linked to the recent discovery of my high platelet count.

The good news (probably) is that he thinks it is the superficial type of phlebitis which means that it is affecting a vein(s) close to the surface of the skin and not the deep vein(s) which is far more serious. He gave me vicodin and steroids both of which have helped a great deal. My leg still hurts and it is difficult to sit for long periods or walk for a long time. By the end of the day I am exhausted but I am no longer terrified.

I have an ultrasound tomorrow morning just to be certain that there is nothing else going on. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for good news.

*If it is the superficial phlebitis the clots should go away on their own.