Stomach Flu

Date: 29 November 2010
by Mommypixie

Last Sunday, while mommypixie and the Daddy were having dinner, Isla.X decided to go sleep! Which is pretty unusual as she loves eating with us. Mommypixie then realised that she is feverish and so brought her to bed.

But Isla.X then decided to fuss and insisted on going back to the living room, whichmommypixie obliged. Somehow Isla.X ended up in Daddy's arms and ...oh, she wanted milk so was transferred to Daddy's arms while Mommypixie made milk...and then it happened, she vomitted. All the milk that she took in the last hour was out and more, covering a huge area.

Then the mood turned sombre and Mommypixie went to put her to sleep without milk and the Daddy cleaned up the mess. (Thanks Daddy. You are so sweet.)

By midnite, she began having a high grade fever and was fed Tylenol and Mommypixiehad to convince her that she needed no more milk. In the early Monday morning, shevomitted again.

I was waiting for the ayi to come in on Monday morning to clean up the mess made over the nite but received a sms from her saying that she was not well. So I braced myself for a day without help and a feverish vomitting toddler.

Anyhow, I monitored her fever, kept her temperature under control, brought her to see the PD, and survived the day. By nite, Isla.X was so lifeless and weak that when the Daddy came back, she could only sit on the sofa and smile to the Daddy, instead of running towards him. The Daddy's heart broke at that instant.

On Tues, her fever subsided and she started having loose stools, but the situation was still manageable. Then, when I was alone with Isla.X again (ayi returned home at 5.30pm and the Daddy was not back from work yet), she started having very very bad diarrhoea! Within an hour and a half, from 6.30pm to 8pm, she had had seven diaper changes!! Whatever little amount of rehydration salt solution that I fed her was exploded out a few minutes after! And I was close to tears. I didn't want my toddler to be dehydrated!

The Daddy came back and immediately calmed me down and told me to call our friend, J, a very experienced mother. Following her advise, we left Isla.X alone and gave her only a teaspoon of the rehydration salt in 20 minutes interval. That got her diarrhea under control and she only explode every one hour. (at nite while asleep, the diarrhea was stretched to a four hour interval).

With not much food in her stomach and the diarrhea, Isla.X became very weak and could only wobble around.

By Wed evening, Isla.X was so dehydrated that the PD wanted me to get her to down 712ml of rehydration salt solution in the next 4 hours, which was so tough!! Cos Isla.X simply hated the stuff. While I was dashing around Beijing CBD getting zinc supplement,Pocari and ribena, the ayi was at home feeding Isla.X with the salt solution.

I took over the solution feeding at around 5pm and continued feeding till 8pm, but only managed to get her to take a total of 320ml. But, that was enough, according to the PD. Ideally 712ml but 320ml is good enough. Her diarrhea is now on a 2 or 3 hour interval.

Just before she slept, she let out a really loud explosive bang, expelling some specks of green veg and I felt that that is the last of it. And it really was.

Thursday, she was much better and Friday, no more diarrhea. And was busy aggressively asking for food.

And she can once again walk, run and dance to the music. And playing and teasing us.

After 5 restless nites, many cancelled appointments and chapped hands from washing her buttocks and cleaning up, Mommypixie am glad it was finally over.

And Isla.X was 0.5kg lighter.

I want to thank all the friends for helping me and making my life easier during this time when Isla.X was down with stomach flu:

- M for generously sending her car and driver for me to use at my disposal, which was very thoughtful of her as she felt that the wind was too strong that day.

- J for giving us advise, offering her driver, and the Ribena, which she had brought from Singapore for her family's use as her kids love Ribena.

- E for calling and suggesting Ribena and Pocari.

- S for advise and concern.

- Ju for her concern.

- my ladies group for the prayers.

Me, Isla.X and the Daddy are so blessed!