The week before I left for Texas Bug had been sick. It had been over two weeks and she just seemed to be getting worse and worse. I took her to the doctor Monday and she was diagnosed with a sinus infection with possible strep and given amoxicillin. That Thursday, the day before I left, T and I talked about how she was not getting any better and he offered to take her in again the next day. So while Noni and I were winging our way south Bug was getting diagnosed with Mono. :{ And apparently Mono really doesn't like amoxicillin so she ended up with a horrible rash of hives that lasted for over a week. On top of feeling sick and miserable she was covered in itchy red bumps. She set up camp on this little couch and hardly left it for weeks.
Boo, Peanut, Peaches, and Daddy all got the terrible cold part but thankfully not the Mono.
I took these pictures when I got home the following Monday.
Her back and stomach were more rash than skin. :{
Her face was swollen including her lips. Because of the sinus infection she couldn't breathe through her nose for nearly a week.
She couldn't do anything but miserably lay on the couch. She did get some homework done, but it was hard for her to concentrate. On top of everything she couldn't sleep which I'm sure slowed down her healing time. She would literally get a couple of hours sleep every night and then be so tired, but wide awake and jittery. Thankfully her teachers were all super supportive and sent as little homework as possible so she was able to rest more. She slept better during the day and would take long naps.
Wednesday she was having trouble breathing because her throat was so swollen that her tonsils were touching her uvula on both sides. They were also solid white so it looked like she had two golf balls in the back of her throat. They had us bring her into the ER, not because it was an emergency, but so she could have better access to testing and the facilities.
The best thing they did for her was give her a bag of fluids. Her throat had stabbing pain any time she tried to swallow so she was trying hard but could hardly get any water or food down. I felt like the bag of fluids was the turning point that helped her start improving instead of getting worse. The did a CAT scan on her throat to make sure there were no abscesses and thankfully there weren't. They also did blood work and put her on a different steroid for the hives and swelling. Her liver enzymes were high and her spleen was swollen, but didn't need any intervention. I felt so bad for her. She was so miserable.
It was also amazing how much her strength was sapped. Just getting up to go to the bathroom was difficult and she couldn't stand up in the shower so she did baths and I would wash her hair in the kitchen sink while she laid on the counter because she didn't have the stamina to do it herself.
Thankfully after that ER trip we did see slow improvement each day and she was only home another week after that. She ended up being sick for just over a month and missed two and half weeks of school. We heard so many stories of people who had it way worse though...months long...so we were happy that wasn't the case for her!
In the midst of all this one of the days before I left for Texas Peaches started crying and said a little spot by her mouth hurt. She ended up wrapping a scarf around her face saying that her lip was stinging and it was the only way she could do her schoolwork.
By the time I got back from Texas she looked like this.
We took her when we went to Bug's follow up the day after the ER and she was diagnosed with Impetigo or "School Sores" which are kind of like cold sores and very contagious. She also had the bad cold and spent a few miserable days on the couch getting ointment spread all around her lips three times a day. Miraculously none of the rest of us caught them!
She was so miserable with the cold. It hurt to look at her poor little face. She literally went through two and half boxes of tissues in one day. Her nose and eyes were like drippy faucets. :(
We had a lot of family movie nights and hanging out in the living room aka: sick bay, for a couple of weeks.
Bug's teachers sent her a present with a fluffy pillow, a pretty journal, and a sweet card that was signed by all the staff. She was feeling much better by that point as long as she stayed on the couch. Anytime she tried to do anything she was quickly wiped out again.
So sweet!
She started school slowly, only making it through two classes the first day, three the next, and finally worked her way up to a full day. It took several weeks for her to feel "normal" again, but I am happy to report she is much MUCH better now! She is taking vitamins, eating healthy, and getting plenty of sleep and is still not pushing herself too hard. We are praying her immune system can get back on track before she heads to Africa in a few months! Thank you so much to those who prayed for her during her illness!! We are grateful!
