Monday, March 13, 2006

Rotavirus

Dear Isaiah,

This 13th month of your life has been a very rough one for us. First, you got sick with a really bad cold. This lasted for over a week. You were so congested you could hardly breathe. You barely ate anything. Plus you have been teething like crazy- so you haven't wanted to really eat since you turned one. You had not lost weight, but you definately lost some of your roundness. Your face got longer and your body got longer.

After you got sick, of course, I got sick with a bad cold for several days too.

Towards the end of our colds you started to walk! You looked so cute and clumsy walking every which direction! Daddy and I loved watching you and we loved being there to catch you! You were feeling so much better and you started to eat again! We were so happy- we had our boy back! We wanted to get you out of the house for some fun because we had all been holed up in quarantine from the rest of the world for so long!

We took you to Seaworld Sunday, and we all had so much fun, looking at the polar bears and watching the penguins dive into the icy water. You signed "bear" and "bird" and "fish" all day long! Then we took you to the Toddler Mat that you love so much! You were so adorable and so giddy seeing all the other kids running around. We loved watching you play.

Three days later I took you for a visit to Ama's house. This is when you got really sick. You started to vomit and diarrhea like crazy. It was awful and so scary. You couldn't keep anything down. I took you home and you vomitted in the car all over yourself and your carseat. What is unbelievable about all this is that even when you were vomitting and throwing up- a minute later you would be happy and talkative- as if nothing happened. You have the happiest, sweetest little spirit!

Your daddy and I took you to Urgent Care that Wednesday night. They told us you have the Rotavirus. It is a stomach flu that is going around right now, and it could cause severe dehydration. It is runnning rampant right now because this is the season for it. We think you got it from the toddler mat at Seaworld. Although we always make sure you wash your hands and use sanitizer, that place is visited by thousands of kids, everyday- and we should have known better than to let you play there.

Your diarrhea was nonstop, and because of it you also got a seriously bad diaper rash. Your poor little bottom was so raw and red. You screamed everytime I tried to change you. There is no "cure" for Rotavirus, it is something that just has to run its course. This could last for weeks. You were put on the BRAT diet- Bananas Rice Applesauce and Toast. But you have barely eaten anything since Wednesday and you are getting so skinny. It breaks my heart. Doctors say not to worry about eating as long as you are hydrated. We have been instructed to give you small sips of gatorade every few minutes. If we give you too much at once, you might throw it up.

The next day we took you to the doctor for a followup checkup and they told us more of the same. They said it just has to run its course. Thursday, I came down with a bad case of nausea and fever- I had gotten the Rotavirus from you. But my immune system is much stronger than yours, and I was better by Friday morning.

We have bought every type of diaper cream/rash cream that is out there. Your bottom is so much better than before because we had to let you go naked from the bottom down for a few days. We are using Triple Paste mixed with Bag Balm and Aquaphor to treat your rash and it is helping. Of course the best thing would be for the diarrhea to stop. We have been doing laundry non stop since Wednesday due to all the vomit and diarrhea.

The worst part of it all as that you have become so sad and tired all the time. You are not your usual self which can be expected since you are feeling so awful. Yesterday you just wanted to lay in my arms all day- and this is so opposite of your crazy active self. To top it all off, we think your cold came back because of your weakened immune system. You have been coughing and vommiting phlegm. We took you to Children's Hospital Emergency last night because we were so worried. They of course told us more of the same: let it run it's course. They said that your vitals looked very good and you were just weak from being sick. Let it run its course, don't worry about not eating as long as he is hydrated.

I've tried so hard to keep from crying everyday, your daddy tells me I have to be strong. But this has been the worst thing we have ever gone through together. Seeing you suffer is so heartbreaking. I would give anything just to have you better again. To have you happy and jolly. To have that sweet little round belly back and those chubby thighs. Lately you seem just skin and bones. Its so unfair that someone so sweet and innocent should go through this. We love you so much, baby- we are trying to do the best we can to make you feel better. We have been praying for you so much and others are praying for you too. We love you Isaiah.

Mama

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home