Kristi
While on a quick trip to Massachusetts to break up some deployment monotony, my poor baby, Jack, came down with the stomach flu. This was the first time he’d ever been sick and there were tears, heart palpitations, nausea, cold sweats, and anxiety and that was just on my end! Of course he would decide to get sick while we were miles away from his pediatrician and his daddy isn’t around to help! Why didn’t I see this coming?
After a couple hours in the emergency room, he was diagnosed with the stomach flu and we were on the next flight home with nothing but a prescription for TLC, hydration and infant Tylenol—not exactly the miracle cure I was hoping for. I’ll save the nasty details for later in this story, so I’ll just say that flying with a 10 month old baby who has a stomach virus is neither clean nor pleasant smelling.
Two days after returning home I was still playing mommy and bedside nurse on both the day and night shifts. I was hardly sleeping, cleaning up the aftermath of my poor baby’s flu had completely killed my appetite and I was surrounded by flu germs. Can you guess what happened next? Yep! I got the stomach flu, too. Just when I thought I’d seen ugly, things got uglier at an alarming rate.
I spent the next two days at the mercy of my sick body while still trying to cater to my son’s every need. I remember believing during one distinct moment that I must be at the lowest point in my life. I actually felt my face run cold and pale and I knew I’d hit rock bottom.
I didn’t know it until this moment, but I now make it a practice never to think things are at their worst because it seems to challenge the universe to find its second wind and deliver a surprise blow to the gut. So, there I sat, heaving and miserable and all of a sudden my son, who had been surprising quiet up until now, started wailing in pitiful, sick agony which wasn’t quite the soothing soundtrack I was hoping for. He pushed the bathroom door open, crawled into the bathroom and began pawing at my legs like a hungry cat because he was just as sick and miserable as I was and he wanted his mommy who, unfortunately, was currently whining for her own mommy.
Maybe it was the fever, but I don’t remember how either one of us survived that day. The only other thing I do recall is crawling over to my crying son a few hours later because I was too dizzy to stand. Regardless of how, we survived and after a few more miserable days, the worst case of diaper rash on record (Jack, not me) and a week-long sterilization project to rid the house of lingering smells we were back to business as usual!
I wish I could say this was the only catastrophe of the deployment, but it wasn’t the first and probably won’t be the last. But through all of the misery something miraculous happened. The entire month of October, which begin in Massachusetts and ended with the sterilization of bed sheets was over! I’d spent so many consecutive days trying to just survive until the next that I’d somehow survived an entire month of the deployment without realizing it! I would equate this to finding a $10.00 bill in my coat pocket from last winter. While not a game changer—it’s not like I found a $100 dollar bill—it was a very pleasant surprise and I was happy to accept it.
So, now that you know far too much about my immune system, I’ll leave you with three very important tips.
1. The recipe for my miracle treatment for the world’s worst diaper rash is (in order of application)
- Baby powder
- Maalox (Yes, Maalox. Use a cotton ball to dab it on.
- Preparation H (Yes, Preparation H. Apply a thin coat on affected areas.)
- A thick layer of diaper rash cream (I was told to imagine I was frosting a cake. You shouldn’t see any baby booty when you’re done.)
Obviously, I’m not a doctor; these are the recommendations I received and they worked for my son. Definitely check with your child’s pediatrician before trying any remedy on the Internet.
2. If you’re ever in a sticky situation, ask for help! I would’ve several times over if my son and I weren’t contagious and the epitome of disgusting. Military families are always willing to help a spouse in need because we’re all in this together. Don’t be a hero; call for back up.
3. Staring at three, six, nine, or even twelve months of a deployment can be intimidating and overwhelming. Focus on one day at a time and find little ways to distract yourself; I recommend almost anything other than squaring off against a viral infection. Tackling one day at a time is more manageable and, before you know it, you’ve survived an entire deployment! Go you!
Tags: Deployment, deployment tips, parenting
