Noro Virus, Chicken Pox, No Sleep & A Flu

Some cursing involved...oh do I feel so grown up now!

This past month or so - has been awful.
Ready?
About a month ago - A-Man came down with a fever and for a week straight he vomited, had a fever go up and down and pretty much had Norovirus.  We thought he was done mid-week and the day-care called as soon as the last spoon of lunch was being devoured by the little ones because A-Man displayed what chewed up lunch looked like for the rest of the class...
Then it was V-Man's turn for a week...then it was my husband's turn for about 3 days...I had half a day of sickness - vomit, diarrhea, cramps galore...it wasn't fun.  M-Girl had diarrhea for a week straight...
We had half a week of calm before the chicken pox decided to visit.

A-Man thankfully had it first and didn't have a fever - but we kept him home for a week from day-care and that was alright.
Now it's V-Man's turn and I'm ready to choke someone.  I'm going out of my fucking mind right now being cooped up inside for the better part of 2 weeks. 
Yes, I've had some sneaky outings like going to get groceries and one knitting meeting (had to miss last night's) - but really - I am done.
Because guess what?  M-Girl still hasn't shown signs of chicken pox and maybe that's due to the super magical powers of breast milk (which we're not doing much of but mostly at night) or because the week is still young and she's going to be my polka-dotted baby by next week.

I realize - it can be worse.  I totally do.  I could be in school right now and missing classes and notes and such.  It could be much worse than the chicken pox.  And I'm thankful that SH and I both had it as kids and the kids are really young and having it now.

I'm bitching and exhausted because V-Man's "newest" thing is to wake me up by turning on the lights before 5:30am (I consider anything before 6am pure evil - especially on a weekend) and crawling into my bed...which already houses A-Man, M-Girl and two dogs and if I'm lucky - I'm in there clinging to the edge of the bed.
A-Man manages to sleep right through this - my grumbling and cursing of my eye lids being boiled by an early light bulb being turned on...and M-Girl is like me.  Not impressed at her beauty rest being disturbed at such a wicked hour.
The first morning this happened was at 4:30....the Momster was released pretty quickly.

I even managed to squeeze in a doctor's appointment, where I decided the doctor for my district is not for me.
I've spoken to other friends that live in the area and they've all said she's "weird and un-professional" and "doesn't know what she's talking about".
I called the doctor's switch board last Monday morning because V-Man wasn't sleeping or pooping - so it was time to face the reality of him needing to visit the doctor.
Well, I luckily got an appointment that Monday afternoon and the doctor didn't take me seriously.
I told her he hasn't been sleeping at overnight care (go to bed by 8pm, awake by 11pm and staying awake until 5am the next day), his stomach is overflowing with food and he hasn't had a crap there and he has been smacking his ears - so perhaps a tube is loose?
The nurse at overnight care had written the doctor a note in the central system and she couldn't find it for whatever reason.  So of course, I'm coming off as the "overly concerned" parent.
I got a lot of phony smiles and "mm-hmm" and the attitude was clearly she didn't take me seriously.
By this point, I'm exhausted with fighting him to stay in the room and I whip out my phone, call overnight care and ask if they can tell the doctor what they had the joy of experiencing the past three days.
As she's listening, the doctor's tone takes on a different tune.  One of concern, one of seriousness, one of a doctor that actually cares.
So after she hangs up she agrees that it sounds quite serious and we attempt to get her to check his ears.
"1 tube is loose and not in position.  The other is in place but it's red inside," she advises.
"Should we schedule another surgery and get that tube replaced?" I ask - because that makes the most sense to me and obviously the tube in the fitted ear isn't working because it sounds infected if it's red inside...
"No, we'll leave it be and just give him pain killers."
So let's leave a piece of rubber/plastic/tube roll around in my kid's ear for the better sake of saving her a request for surgery...and doping my kid up on strong pain meds is the way to go.  And hope the tube falls out on its own soon.  Right...
Yes, it's been almost a year since he had the second successful surgery - and I guess they don't last as long as I thought (2 years) but still!
The first time V-Man had the tubes surgery - it wasn't successful.  Within a month we had a check-up and she determined that the tubes didn't open up properly and had come loose and he was in a great deal of pain and immediately requested a surgery to fix this.
So, now we're supposed to wait until they fall out and at the expense of everyone in this household not getting any sleep?!
Now, regarding his constipation - she prescribed two types of laxatives.  Since he's been home, he's back to his poop streaked diapers but nothing solid.  Even on the laxatives.  We're still going through 8-12 diapers a day.
When I advised her that this isn't my first time asking about his stomach and bowels - she asked if we gave him laxatives before. 
"Yes, of course - you prescribed us to.  I don't remember the amount because it's been over a year."- me clearly confused as to why she's asking me a relatively stupid question (only because his full profile is sitting electronically in front of her).
"Well, perhaps you didn't give him the right amount."
Funny enough, we followed her instructions and this has been an ongoing issue for almost a year - if not more.  For fuck's sake...
 
I've been advised to request for another doctor.  But in fact, I think I'm going to book another appointment to confirm that he needs to see a specialist regarding his bowels and stomach.  I'm not going to budge or leave her office until my son gets an appointment regarding his ears and his stomach...
I don't think I should have to ask and complain about my son's shit stained-diapers three times or more, in order to get a specialist to check his insides out.  She knows full well that this has been an on-going issue and that we have some digestive issues in the family history (SH has crohn's disease for example).  Plus it's super common in Autistic kids that their insides are a bit on the funky side.
I also suspect that she doesn't have many autistic patients like V-Man because she didn't know a place like overnight care existed. 
Alright - I'm done venting about that hideous doctor's appointment...

Oh and my body has been so go-go-go that now it's shutting down.  I'm burnt out, I'm not getting enough sleep, I have a hard touch (more like a bitch slap worth) of a flu,  and I'm trying to eat super healthy (loads of fruit and veggies etc.) and yesterday I just crashed.  The SH stayed home and I blissfully slept all day.  I woke up for a sandwich and then crashed again until it was time for A-Man to be picked up.
I made home-made chicken and veggie soup, home-made tea (boiled lemon peel and lemon segments with massive chunks of ginger root) and felt like 150 bucks.  I can't say a million entirely because I woke up with a killer headache.

I've already cancelled day-care and taxi drives for the week - so I'm trying to tough it out as best as I can.
SH went to work today - which he should - and I'm thinking that all of the chicken pox spots are now hideous little scabs...so I'm going to try and drag out my spotless M-Girl and my scabby-polka-dotted V-Man to get some grocery shopping and other stuff done.

I have two Christmas parties to organize this week (one is tomorrow night)...so you probably won't hear from me until next week...

Wish me luck.  Loads of it.
BIMU

And there goes my laundry rack full of freshly hung clothes and dry ones folded on top....my nerves...