The Lurgy

[ailbhe]

Also, we've all been ill. I've had a cold on and off since before Christmas, but Emer came down with a Super Cold this past week and shared it around for all of us, including Lucy. She woke screaming in the night form the pain in her throat a few times, and my throat pain kept me awake. Emer's, of course, went straight to her chest and turned into a cough, as all colds do for Emer, and mine is sitting in my sinuses. Rob's is a manageable but uncomfortable sore throat and stuffy nose. Linnea's basically well; she had a cough and a sniffle for a day or so.

Unlike previous illnesses, Emer agreed to take things to make her feel better this time; she drank warm milk and honey, and licked the honey spoon, which she has never actually done before. This made her much more comfortable, because honey is good for sore throats and coughs.

But we spent four nights, I think, or maybe it was five, in a row, with Emer up for periods of three to five hours. One night I didn't get to sleep at all until after six in the morning. Rob slept one night on the floor of the living room while Emer played around him. I don't remember the others; much sitting up and rocking and soothing.

Emer had one night of nightmares and crying in her sleep.

Emer says telly makes her better. Actually, she said telly would "bake be betta," because she had a cold. I was fine with that, because nothing I could do was helping. She won't take much by mouth, so apart from paracetamol suppositories there's very little we can do. And although I wanted to reduce her fever to make me feel better (it's worrying, a slight fever, even when I know it's a good thing) I didn't actually do it, because a fever helps combat illness and she wasn't uncomfortable because of the temperature, only because of the cough. She doesn't like coughing; it wakes her up and makes her cry. "I'm really sad!" she wails. "I can't get happy!"

I've been telling a lot of interminable incoherent stories about Mrs Large the Elephant in the middle of the night. And being corrected when I get the plot or dialogue wrong.

In the middle of it all, Linnea was able (as the noncontagious one) to go play with some well friends, and some of my well friends brought me emergency deliveries of honey and lemon, so that was lovely. Rob arrived home from work with treats every day; one day lemons, another Strepsils and Karvol vaporisers, another day soluble paracetamol.

I've been complaining about my inability to take masses of drugs and wishing homeopathy worked. And having baths. I got some quality sleep in a warm bath in a steamed-up bathroom, one morning.

We're getting better today. We've dried three duvets hanging indoors, and Emer said, when I asked how she was, "I'd fide, Bubby!"

You can tell a household is ill when ordinarily there's enough bedding for a visiting family of four as well as the household but suddenly they have to dig out the emergency backup bedding from storage. It's lurid pink and electric blue and my auntie gave it to me when I was 14. From kindness.

Comments

[serene]

Oh, how adorable Emer is!

[ailbhe]

Isn't she just?! and this is when she's ILL!

[taimatsu]

Poor all-of-you! I have just got a very slightly tender throat with occasional cough, a little husk to my voice, and a mild bunged-up nose. I have stocked up on Olbas oil, painkillers, cold&flu capsules and orange juice and am going to throw medication at it as often as possible. I'm not good at toughing these things out. I think it might get a bit worse before it gets better but hopefully I won't be full-on ill.

I'm assuming any Monday-night outings for Rob won't happen till everyone is a bit better - let me know when you think you'll want me, or if I can do anything else for you in the meantime.

[ailbhe]

We're getting definitely better, but yes, still off-limits for visiting or much in the way of going out. I'm hoping to go out in daylight tomorrow (got keys) and if that goes well we'll see...

[cabbagemedley.livejournal.com]

"I'm really sad!" she wails. "I can't get happy!"

Poor eloquent sausage! That's just how I felt today too.

[ailbhe]

She is the most startlingly verbal about her emotions! And she's fast, too - and her base assumptions don't match mine or Linnea's. It's fascinating, in its way. She says "I am sad, I don't want to read a book until I am HAPPY." So even when she is sad, and crying, she understands that happiness is there in the future, always. Linnea (and I remember myself doing it) lives in the emotion of the moment, and can't really grasp that even if the external factors are the same (no telly, still raining, whatever) her own mood will change *anyway*.

[sidheag.livejournal.com]

Probably mostly too late, but I finally managed to post the netipot just now - sorry for the long delay but it was caused by my own lurgy: I've been dragging myself through the days and latterly through work with difficulty, and it doesn't help that they've shut our closest post offices... still, hopefully in time for you to try in the next lurgy, which I hope will be a long time off.

[ailbhe]

Given that pregnancy sinus yick has not yet been cured, I fully expect to be using it until July! Thank you!

[ailbhe]

It's HEEEEERE. I am too tired to wash it today but have plans for tomorrow. Thank you! (It looks bloody odd, doesn't it?)

[sidheag.livejournal.com]

It does! I didn't get on with it, but maybe you will... I'm afraid as you see it had literally been gathering dust - it has been through the dishwasher since it was last actually used, but then I was in too much of a hurry to wash and dry it before actually sending it, or rather, if I'd done that it'd have been yet another day before I sent it, so I just sent it!

[ailbhe]

Oh, it looks clean and unused, but I'd wash it anyway. My sinuses are not in any mood to meet harmless postal-service bugs. I'm considering boiling them.

[radegund.livejournal.com]

Oh, poor all of you! When I have a cold my habit is to dose myself silly with vitamin C, zinc, echinacea (don't know best practice on taking those in pregnancy).

And homeopathy may not work, but I can't take antihistamine, so I take Nelsons Pollenna in hayfever season, and my symptoms ease. For what it's worth. Placebo effect is still an effect, after all :-)

Enway, as the Oyster says. Hope you're all on the mend.

[ailbhe]

Oh, we take Nelsons Travella, too. Knowing it's bunk doesn't seem to stop it from working. Especially on other people, like Linnea.

I am all in favour of placebos, I think they are a very valuable addition to the medical arsenal.