The Puke Journal....purely therapeautic. Not intended for public entertainment.

On Thursday, March 3rd we took Adelyn into the doctor, because she had been coughing terribly for several days. The night before, she had puked in her car seat twice on the way back from church because she was coughing so hard. The doctor sent us to get x-rays, which were traumatic for Adelyn and for me. They had to strap her down, and she didn't like that.

Then on Thursday night, Ellie and I both started puking--first dance with the stomach virus.

Ellie and I were sick through Saturday.

Then, Adelyn started puking on Sunday....couldn't keep down her medicine for her pneumonia. Went back to doctor on Monday.

Monday, Dawson felt bad too. I was over the puking, but still felt like crap. I went to doctor and found out I had a sinus infection.

Tuesday, Caleb's cough got crazy, so he went to the doctor. He got antibiotics because he had a throat infection and bronchitis.

By then, 4 out of the 5 of us were on prescriptions, three of us on antibiotics. Our recoveries went on, as slowly our symptoms faded for almost a week. After all 5 of us had the stomach yuck, we had accumulated the hugest mountain of dirty laundry you have EVER seen. Ridiculous!

We enjoyed two or three days of good health

Then, Sunday, March 13th, while I was on the road to Lisa's wedding shower, Caleb started puking at my parents house. The next morning, Caleb and Dawson both felt terrible. Hurried back to College Station to suffer at home.

We all felt good for Wednesday and Thursday. Then, while we were camping in Fairfield, Ellie started puking AGAIN.....a lot! I had one of the craziest road trips of my life, as I tried to get Ellie back home to College Station. We had to pull over three times (twice on the side of I45) for her to puke. It was stressful.

She recovered quickly, thankfully. We actually enjoyed 8 or 9 days of relatively good health after this episode.

Then, Wednesday, March 30th, Adelyn came down with a 103+ fever. She didn't have any other symptoms, but she felt terrible. That evening, Ellie started puking AGAIN. She puked, and puked, and then puked some more. We took Ellie to the doctor because we thought 3 puking episodes in 30 days was unusual. The doctor ordered her to have x-rays done of her stomach and intestines. She suspected an intestinal obstruction. But no. The x-rays were inconclusive.

Then, by Friday night, Ellie and Adelyn traded. Adelyn started puking, and Ellie got a fever. That is how we spent Saturday.

Sunday, April 3rd, brought a whole new level of excitement. Completely out of the blue, Ellie started screaming and crying and grabbing her crotch. She said her private parts were hurting. She went on screaming and crying frantically for like 5 minutes. I called the nurse on call for our pediatrician, and she told me to take her to the ER. I did. It was crazy. God bless Holly and Tracy, without whom I wouldn't have survived (since Dawson was busy serving the Lord!). But, the doctor sucked, and they didn't find anything wrong with her. No answers. Still worried about this.

Then, on Monday, Dawson felt sick. Never puked, but couldn't eat. Felt like crud.

Now, on Tuesday, April 5th, Caleb is puking AGAIN. And the poor baby has a fever.

It's simply been ridiculous.

However, this sick season has not been without lessons. Good health is precious and fragile. We always take it for granted until we don't have it. The admiration and awe I have for parents of children who are really sick, who would love to trade me for my silly puke-a-licious life, has definitely increased exponentially. And, I have realized yet again how much we ARE NOT in control of our own lives. We aren't. And those of us, who feel like we need to feel 'in control' of our circumstances, and therefore micro-manage everything we possibly can....well, we are really just kidding ourselves. The control we feel is just a facade....because God's control is ultimate.

So, here is the summary: In the last 35 days, we have had.....
8 rounds of puke
6 fevers
5 trips to the doctor
2 sets of x-rays
1 pneumonia
1 sinus infection
1 bronchitis
1 trip to the ER

Holy Cow.

I would like to end this therapy session with the scripture that God lifted me up with this morning......God is good, and His word is the truth. I've got to remember this....even in times of puke.

Lamentations 3:19-26
"I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”

The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD. "