Never-Ending Sickness

I have not had time to sit behind the computer lately because Brooke has been extremely, extremely sick. Since my last post on Friday, things have only gotten worse and it has been quite the ordeal. She has been running a fever since Friday morning at 1:20 and it was up to 104.7 at its highest. Even though we rotate Motrin and Tylenol, her fever never breaks.. It only lowers to maybe 100.5 if we're lucky.

When this all started out I assumed that it was the virus that's been spreading like wild fire. After Brooke had a horrible night's sleep on Friday, however, I gave the doctor a call because I was deeply concerned about her high, high fever. The nurse that I spoke to said that they absolutely did NOT need to see her because it sounded like she had the flu and there's nothing they can do to fix that. I was satisfied with that because, like I said, the flu (among other bugs) has been going around. This theory was also proved more to me when I became sick on Saturday night. I had an awful headache, fever, cold-like symptoms, and a cough. Adrienne also had caught the cold part of this sickness, too:-(

Well, after bumming around on the couch for a few days, I have started to feel decent. My fever isn't continual and if it comes back, it's low-grade. Brooke, on the other hand, has continued to run at least a 103 degree fever and she has been extremely miserable, lethargic, and grumpy. She won't eat anything at all and I have to fight with her to drink. When she woke up still so sick this morning I called the doctor back. Her condition just didn't set well with me. The nurse on the phone, once again, reassured me that it was "just the flu" and that it can last sometimes for 7-10 days. I told her that I was worried that maybe it was a bacterial infection that she could be treated for like an ear infection or something. She replied, "Well, has she complained of her ear hurting?" I explained to her that she was 2 and that's not always a very accurate barometer of what's really going on with her. She kept trying to tell me that the flu would go away eventually and that I should just give her plenty of fluids and medicine. I said, "I understand that but my daughter needs to be seen. Something's wrong." She finally listened to me and she scheduled us an appointment.

Lo and behold, on top of the cold/flu/virus (they're not exactly sure which one)Brooke has, as the doctor put, a severe ear infection. She literally gasped when she looked into her ear. Then she had me look in Brooke's ear and she showed me that there was a bulging bubble of puss. MY POOR BABY! The doctor put her on an extremely aggressive dose of antibiotic and I'm thankful that I've already got a dose in her. I'm hoping that tomorrow she starts to show some improvement.

I'm filled with so many emotions right now. First all, I feel guilty. I hate that I listened to those people who told me not to bring her in. I'm also deeply saddened to think of the excruciating pain my girl must have been feeling all this time without anyone knowing. It brings tears to my eyes to think about it. It just makes me so angry how that nurse handled this. If I hadn't of put my foot down, my daughter would still be nowhere near on the road to recovery. My daughter has not moved from the couch since Friday and has been more sick than anyone ever deserves to be and I just can't get over how this could have been avoided.

I'm still under the weather myself and I'm completely exhausted and emotionally and physically zapped. Please say a prayer for us that Brooke would wake up markedly better in the morning and that I would start to regain some energy as well. Thank you so much!

Doesn't she break your heart?? :-(