This virus that Ava had was just horrific. 4 days of pure hell for my child.
The very first thing I learned when I woke up that night to find vomit covering Ava and her bed is that only an ever doting mother could calm and clean their little one, put them back to a fresh bed, and then do it all over again 30 minutes later with a smile on her face. After the second time I realized I was NOT going to be getting sleep. Reminded me of some of the blurry and drunken nights in college that involved holding someones hair and telling them between their hysteric sobs that everything would be okay; this time, though, instead of Black Eyed Peas it was Veggie Tales in the background. Over the next 36 hours I found myself cleaning various fluids from different parts of the house....carpet, couch, kitchen.... but surely enough she started to seem okay. Well Kenny and I had been invited to a free couples retreat with childcare and everything! We figured "f%*k it!" and went. Everything went okay enough until breakfast the next morning. Kenny had taken Ava out of the banquet hall because she became a bit fussy...about 5 minutes later some old woman is asking for me to come in the hallway. When I got to her she starts hurrying me towards our room and tells me that Ava was having a seizure. Did I freak out? uh, yea! I mean wouldn't you?
When we got to Kenny and Ava it was like walking into the first 5 minutes of the show House, you know where they have a dramatic scene of something medically effed up happening to some unsuspecting soul.... he was on the phone, two or maybe three cleaning ladies were standing near by whispering, another woman was checking for Ava's pulse and the whole time she was just lying there...so peacefully you would of thought she was simply taking a little nap. Lesson number two? Do not panic. You don't have time to panic. So naturally I called my mommy real quick.Within minutes the paramedics were carrying Ava out in their arms like she was a wounded puppy and we clambered into the ambulance.
Now is it just me or does anyone else ever get the urge to punch a nurse in the mouth? mmm, maybe it's just me but it tends to happen when they cheerfully let you know they will be restraining your terrified toddler so they may try and get an IV. I can think of nothing less fun than holding your kid still while strangers are sticking them over and over again. Lesson three... allow yourself 5 minutes of mental break down. Thankfully this is where Kenny stepped in and I stepped out. I couldn't watch anymore after they failed the first time and said they needed to do it again on the other arm. Before I get a bunch of hate about this bit, let me just say that I know it is their job, I know that no one wants to purposefully put a child through pain but it's like anything else... just because it is someone's job to serve you with lawsuit papers doesn't mean you are excited about the happy demeanor in which they do so. Or the sales clerk who smiles at you as they let you know you have been declined for a store credit card. These people who are lightheartedly doing their jobs while you are going through an embarrassing, terrifying, or angering situation most absolutely bring on the urge to punch in the mouth.
Eventually things evened out and their explanation for what happened was that it was a mere virus, gave us a pamphlet, then sent us on our way. A fairly anticlimactic end to an emotional day. Lesson four: doctors will NEVER give us the answers we want.
Ava stayed sick the rest of that day as well as the next. I ended up with a minor version of what she had, mostly fever with crazy bad migraine and guess who didn't give two shits? My kids. Final lesson, there is no such thing as "sick days" in motherhood.
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