Sickie

"I don't feel good"

Poor Lila is sick. She woke up yesterday with a high fever and what sounded like a case of the croup. I don't normally feel confidant at diagnosing my kids, but by now we are old hands at recognizing and treating croup. Even Lila knows the drill, when she starts coughing like that she wants the humidifier on and to go sit on the front porch, because usually you get croup in the winter months and the cold air helps them breathe through an attack. 

None of our regular treatments seemed to be helping. After a very long night which I spent mostly sleeping on the floor under the humidifier with her, she woke up sounding even worse. Every breath was a struggle and her fever was still in full force. We decided that it was time to go see the doctor. So she and I headed over to the Instacare where we were recognized as soon as we walked up to the desk. The receptionist actually said, "Oh, you're usually here with hurt kids not sick ones...." Thanks to Jake and his many broken arms I guess.

We spent a couple of hours while the doctors did tests and took x-rays and the upshot is that Lila has an infection of some sort deep in her throat. They gave her a dose of steroids to open her airways and help her breathe easier, and started her on an antibiotic. Hopefully it will be a quick recovery. 

I think I've mentioned before, but Lila gets real chatty when she's on drugs. As funny as she is normally she is even funnier on mind altering substances. 

Last night after a pretty heavy dose of ibuprofen to bring down the fever she was feeling sleepy and just wanted to be cuddled. We were watching the t.v. and something made her laugh, which triggered a coughing fit. After it had passed she made a sad little moaning sound and said. "Oh dear, I can't laugh because I am sick... that just breaks my heart."

At the doctors they had to take two sets of x-rays. While we were waiting in the hall for the second set she was sitting on my lap. I thought she was falling asleep when she suddenly said, 

"Hey Mom? You know the people that help you?"  

Me: "Help you?"

Lila: "Help you to feel better."

Me: "You mean the doctors?"

 Lila: "Yeah, them."

Me: "Yeah."

Lila: "They are pretty great."

Me: "Yes, they are."

Lila contemplated the floor for a minute and then said, "They are also really good at sweeping. This place is really clean."

But my favorite moment came after they swabbed her throat for a culture. That's never a pleasant thing to have done and unfortunately all of my children inherited my gag reflex. At least I know to ask for a basin before they begin. Lila only spit up a little, and as I quickly wiped her face and threw everything away she leaned back in the chair, heaved a very weary sigh, shook her head and said, "The things you have to do for me."

Oh my precious girl, I couldn't agree more...