the baby? the 4 year old? one can't be too sure with familial epidemiology. But I got it, and if Baby E had it before me it must have morphed into something bigger and uglier special for me.
My harrowing Halloween tale of fever dreams and delirium started Friday afternoon, mild fall day, Miss Monkey in her costume walking her baby, Leia, and I wearing the infant exploring our small new community. Then the goosebumps started, flashes of chills, my skin began to hurt, I finally said, "I think I need to go back inside and lie down." By the time The Man arrived home from work I had given up on being vertical at all, called in Dr. Sparkle (who by the way is very good if you've need of a pint-sized pretend physician), and was lying on the bed covered head to toe with jammie-pants, hoodie, and blanket. He said he could feel me baking underneath it all...I was just soooo coooold. 103.7 F read the thermometer, and as Dr. Sparkle took notes, The Man decided he'd head to the grocery to get additional supplies.
Saturday was spent feeling as if I'd been run over several times, then was being pulled in multiple directions by the other members of the family, I was eventually ordered (and partly retreated) to the bed where Baby E chewed on a toy while I dozed. After an afternoon nap whilst The Man whisked Miss Purple Princess Monkey away to Boo at the Zoo, I felt somewhat better popped more pain reliever and allowed myself to be talked into going to the family Halloween costume party we had planned on attending. He aided me tying a green blanket toga 'round myself, I called myself a stem wearing a flower-baby. I was warm at least, and somewhat coherent for a couple of hours. We carved pumpkins Sunday, 4 now, and mostly hung around...again I'm dozing in and out of feverish sleep. BUT is that ALL? is that then END? You say, surely you must feel better now, right? At least according to my schedule I should've shaken this by Sunday evening.
No, instead I'm sitting right now, ridiculous early, sans voice, with a terrible cough, and ears I swear if I'd an icepick I'd relieve the pressure horror movie style. Voiceless, I went to bed super early to awaken at midnight or so with my head so filled with gook I thought I'd gotten water trapped in my ears somehow, and so engorged I had to come downstairs to pump. Every turn of the head was painful, and the fever was back up again, took another Tylenol and waited for it to work. Few hours later, somehow Baby E has slept all the way through the night, I'm awake again with sweats and painfully engorged breasts. I bided my time 'til 4am, and decided I'd just get up. Too uncomfortable to sleep, the Tylenol helps a lot, but doesn't make it go away. And what are the friggin' odds that The Baby sleeps all the way through the night? sheesh. Breastfeeding while ill is hard on me 'cause I feel as if I'm being drained of more than milk.
So, here I am, praying for it to be over already, and praying that the little ones don't get it from me--at least not the version I'm fighting. Pictures of our Halloween soon to follow (minus the illin' mama).
No comments:
Post a Comment