“last night was the best sleep Em and I have had in about 5 days, so here's to hoping that her antibiotic is finally starting to work. at least her fevers hovering near 104 are gone :)”
A year ago today that was my facebook status. I could hardly believe it when I read it myself. Last fall and winter was brutal. My sweet girl was sick constantly from the end of July to about April. If it wasn’t an ear infection, it was a sinus infection. And if it wasn’t that it was unexplainable HIGH fevers. That was the hardest part. The not knowing. I could understand the progression from a virus to a full blown infection; in fact, it didn’t even surprise me. But the high fevers and constant vomiting and losing precious ounces were incredibly stressful.
We didn’t feel like we had many choices. Emery only went to daycare 2 days a week. It was hard to fathom two days a week wreaking havoc on her system. But where else could she be getting it from? The kids in her room were definitely the goopiest, greenest snot drippers I have ever run across, but I tried to believe things were being handled appropriately at daycare. So my little lady only went two days a week, and she often spent the rest of the week recovering from said illness. She almost never had to miss a day. It was just a constant crummy feeling for her.
In October we decided to pull her from private therapy. I was bummed initially; however, Emery was almost always miserably sick the day following a session. I loved the place she went. Her OT was exceptional, and Emery always worked so hard. Maybe that was the problem? Maybe she was working too hard? So, we pulled her. It was a tough decision, but we thought exposing her to less potential germs was probably beneficial. Plus, private therapy isn’t cheap and neither is paying a pediatric copay every 5 to 7 days, followed by lab, radiology, and pharmaceutical bills. Yikes.
I worked so much of last year on very little sleep. A few hours here or there. Many nights holding a crying baby or a sweaty baby. There was rocking, swaying, singing, cool rags, and breathing treatments galore! It wasn’t easy—emotionally or physically. All of this on top of working full time and practically being a full time graduate student (2 classes a semester). Needless to say much of the fall and winter is a blur. I couldn’t wait for it to be over.
It’s fall again. I have to admit I’ve been a bit anxious about it. I love fall; it has always been my favorite season. So far, Emery is doing great. One day of fevers, this past weekend. The best part—it didn’t grow into something more. It was just a snuggly, lazy Saturday with a low-grade temperature. We survived that day.
When we pulled Emery from the daycare in April, I was feeling very overwhelmed. The pressure to make the best decision for your child is exhausting. I don’t know how many times I would go over my pro/con list. In the end, I felt that the one thing I knew for sure was that I would not regret having my entire summer at home with her instead of sharing her with daycare “teachers” who quite possibly just didn’t love (or even get) my kid. It was the right choice. Easily. I trusted my instinct. I had faith and leapt. It took almost no time before Emery was totally well. She hasn’t seen the doctor since mid-April for a sick visit, which was before her last day at the center. Her breathing treatments, which were at one time 5x a day, are totally gone. No antibiotics, no asthma medication. Even her reflux seems fine. You know what else I did? I gave Emery a summer break from early intervention “therapy.” She hasn’t had any sessions, visits, or special appointments all summer. It’s been amazing, kind of like having a “normal” kid. I know the pendulum can swing again. I’m ready for it this time. It won’t catch me by surprise. It won’t rip my heart out to work on homework as my feverish angel sleeps in my lap. Nope. This fall, I get to be just mom in the evenings. Sure I still have to work, but this is why I busted my tail. At 2 my daughter will never remember last fall’s many nights where I had to juggle school and home. At 2 my daughter has a mommy who can focus on her from the time she picks her up at her new daycare until the time she crawls onto her pillow and drifts to sleep in her room. I don’t have to worry about the nasty things the center’s employees will say about my daughter. About how her behaviors. Funny how they thought she was the problem. Clearly, they got it all backwards.
Yep, this fall Emery is going to accomplish even more great things, and I’m going to be there every single step of the way!
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