After spending the last four days holding a 3-year-old body that feels like it's on fire, I found out that Sam has pneumonia.
She's been miserable, and I can't blame her. 101-103 fever. Thick nasty snot in her nose. Coughing 'til she chokes or, on one poorly timed occasion while sleeping in my bed, throws up. Green goop coming out her left eye.
Just looking at her during the times when her ibuprofen's worn off makes me feel miserable, too.
At least she can tell me what hurts. I hated it when she was a baby and got sick because it always felt like I was forced to play some twisted game: "Guess what's hurting your baby today! Is she teething? Does her tummy hurt? Could it be her ears?"
Then again, her verbal skills have also made me want to cry. Twice today, she apologized for being sick.
Sam: "I'm sorry I don't feel good, Mommy."
Me: "Aww, Sam, it's not your fault. I just wish you would feel better now."
Sam: "But you and Daddy aren't happy with me. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get sick."
I'm not above using guilt trips when necessary (like when she's a teenager), but this is certainly something I don't want her to feel guilty about. Maybe if she had run directly into a steaming pile of pneumonia germs as I was yelling at her to stop, I might be able to cough up an "I told you not to do that," but I doubt it.
I just feel helpless.
I'm trying everything I can to take care of her: giving her medicine to keep her fever down, rubbing her back or her tummy when she wants, feeding her special fruit ice pops to keep her hydrated since she doesn't want to eat or drink, keeping her dressed lightly with warm blankets nearby for when she suddenly gets chilled.
But I'm helpless.
When she falls down or gets a cut, I've got specific steps to take to help her heal, including that all-important kiss to make it better. If she's struggling to climb up onto a jungle-gym set, I can give her a boost. If another kid yanks a toy from her hand, I can help her explain her feelings and ask for the toy back.
But I can't make her well. Even her doctor admitted the antibiotic he gave her might not work if the pneumonia is caused by a virus, not bacteria.
This is the most sick Sam's ever been. How do you handle it when your kids are ill? Do you have any special tactics or traditions to help them feel better as they wait out colds and flus?
I subscribe to my mom's philosophy (guaranteed to keep you from "faking sick") of - if you can't go to school, you stay on the couch. When I was in middle school, of course, I thought this kind of lame, but when I was little, it was neat. My daughter is in first grade and she had her first "couch day" this week. She (smartly) built herself a blanket fort, got to watch all her favorite TV shows and got maid service. But by the end of it, she was weaseling excuses to get up, so I could tell she was feeling better. KNOCK ON WOOD, she's never been very sick. She's actually an amazingly healthy little girl. Let's hope that keeps up, and tell Sam we hope she feels better soon!