Noël de maladie
As I mentioned earlier, this was the first year all my siblings were home for Christmas in a long time. We gathered from all over the country, a brother from Florida, a sister from Southern California and another from Maryland, and me and two other brothers who are more local. All in Mom and Dad’s house. There were 20 of us and it was crowded, but fun. We ate prime rib, sang carols, opened new pajamas, and even heard Santa’s sleigh bells. The big man came through and the girls were thrilled with their American Girl dolls. And then… The flu began claiming us one by one. Like a modern day plague it advanced through our ranks, striking indiscriminately. The young, the old, the strong, the weak - we dropped like flies. Soon the infirm covered the beds, the couches, and the floors while the able-bodied banded together to build a fortress ringed with sharpened stakes in the middle of the living room. Any diseased who ventured near were shot and left for dead. Oh wait, that’s in a movie I saw once. But the flu - I had it, Dan had it, and the girls are both sick with it now. Adam didn’t get the flu but he started coughing on Christmas Eve and a visit to the doctor revealed that he has RSV. He’s been miserable - coughing, runny nose, sore throat, vomiting up mucus, and huge, tired, red eyes. We fled for home in a whirl of germs and fear and yesterday I spent all day holding him upright so he could breathe. Today has been a tired cycle of soothing the baby, holding the girls’ hair back while they throw up, and washing load after load of yucky laundry. I’ve been sleeping in snatches and haven’t had more than an hour’s uninterrupted sleep for four nights. Hopefully we’ll get better soon. Until then, if you come over make sure to bring your biohazard suit.
2 Responses to “Noël de maladie”
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December 31st, 2007 at 1:09 pm
Ughhhhh I’m so sorry!! How miserable for you all. Sending good health vibes your way….
January 2nd, 2008 at 7:52 am
Hopefully, you are all starting to feel better! Not the happiest way to spend the holidays, but probably memorable. Let us know if you need anything!