Buying Gatorade

Some days are better off forgotten, but it's important to document real life.

Over the weekend Dan did the very unfun prep for a colonoscopy early Monday morning. I was at the grocery store on Saturday buying him the food/liquids that he was allowed to eat, which was basically chicken broth and Gatorade.   On Sunday he was allowed clear liquids and was up all night "prepping" for the test. Dan, Aubrey, and I left at 6 a.m., dropping Aubrey at the church for Seminary, and then I drove Dan across town to the clinic where he would have the procedure. As soon as he was checked in I drove 25 minutes back home to get Joseph ready for school and out the door for his first day of safety patrol before school. I said hello to Aubrey who had been dropped off after seminary, and the plan was for her get herself ready before being picked up for school by a friend.

I dropped off Joseph at the school, drove 25 minutes back to the clinic and was able to see Dan as he was coming out of anesthesia. When he got the all-clear to go home I texted Aubrey to make sure she was ready to be picked up. She said that she felt like she was going to throw up. What?  We stopped at the grocery store to buy her Gatorade, soda, and crackers.

When we arrived home she opened the door for us after just having thrown up in the bathroom. She was a little weak and woozy and slept for a few hours before going to school because there was no way she could miss certain classes. Besides, she felt lots better and we figured it must be a fluke or something she had eaten.

As soon as Joseph came home from school he (like always) wanted to invite two friends to play.  One of the friends could only come if the younger 6-year-old brother could come too. We had some misgivings about this because of past history, but picked up both friends and the brother.  Within a short time the little brother was upset, the older brother was upset, both were refusing to play, and the other friend was annoyed at all of them. Joseph tearfully tried to play peacemaker.

They all went home about the time Aubrey came home from school, mighty mad that she had just learned that she had a huge presentation due the next day. She grumbled and mumbled, sometimes quietly and sometimes not. 

Meanwhile, Joseph poked at his dinner and kept leaving the table to rest on the couch. Not a good sign! At 7:30 he went into the bathroom and was explosively and violently sick in two different ways. It was horrible for him. He was so exhausted that he fell into bed, but was awakened every 20-40 minutes all night long with more violent spasms. We eventually made him a bed on the floor of our room so we could more easily help him. Midway through the night I sent Dan, who had gotten almost no sleep the night before and who had to be up to teach seminary at 4:40 am., to the other room to sleep for a few hours. 

It feels so helpless to have kids really sick, but it's also a chance to be humbled and remember our need to ask for healing and for strength.  At one point Joseph was moaning on the toilet and I was spread out on the bed, exhausted. I heard his sweet voice say "Mom, if you want to pray for me, that would be really good. And don't forget to pray that I can get sleep."  You're right, Joseph, that's exactly what I needed to do. I dropped to my knees and prayed that my boy would be able to get better and get the rest he badly needed.

Finally at about 4 a.m. Joseph's violent illness subsided and he has been sleeping on a sickbed on the couch for the last few hours. While he was sleeping I ran to the grocery store again to get MORE Gatorade, soda, and saltine crackers. I had to send texts to the parents of the friends who played at our house yesterday and were unknowingly exposed to illness. Then I crawled onto the other couch and slept for 3 hours. Now that I'm up I really need to address not only my long to-do list, but also the piles of very soiled sickness laundry piled round the house from our misadventures during the night.

Oh, and I ate a delicious oatmeal fudge bar to console myself. And I really don't want to throw it up!