When it rains, it pours!

On the whole I would have to say that our family is a pretty healthy bunch, no major illnesses to speak off (touching wood) but of course, readers of my blog will know that some weeks ago now I was diagnosed with whooping cough, which was not fun by any stretch of the imagination. I think I am about 8-10 weeks in now and although I am much better than I was, I still do not feel well at all. I am still coughing like a crazy when going from hot to cold climates, if I raise my voice at the children *ahem* or if I exert myself too much. Within weeks of me catching the whooping cough, Hubby also caught it and then Beanie Boy too. We were all treated with antibiotics and had hoped that would be the end of it but if you have seen my posts on Facebook or Twitter this weekend you will see that was not the end of it. Hubby has spent the weekend in hospital rigged up to an IV drip being treated for Acute Pneumonia, although the jury is still out on whether it is viral or bacterial.

It all happened so quickly, obviously Hubby has been poorly for a few weeks now but he wouldn’t listen when I told him to stay at home and rest. He is having a stressful time at work at the moment and so has still been a slave to the grindstone and wearing himself out. So far this year he has taken all of 7 days holiday and has been showing the signs of being run down. On Friday last week he finally decided for himself to go to the Doctors in an attempt to get himself sorted. The Doctor was not at all happy with him and sent him to the local hospital for a chest X-ray for suspected pneumonia. Within an hour he had been admitted and they were running tests for pneumonia.

For the average person, they would be given IV Penicillin to combat the infection but Hubby is allergic so they tried a different antibiotic called Vancomycin. Within 15 minutes of starting the IV everything went a little haywire, his head, neck and chest turned beetroot red, his heart rate and blood pressure plummeted and he began clawing at his head saying he felt like he had ants running in his head. It turns out he’d had an allergic reaction known as Red Man Syndrome. They quickly stopped his IV and gave him a large dose of antihistamine to combat the reaction which promptly knocked him out whilst they decided on the next course of action.

He was given a different IV antibiotic some time later but this one felt like acid was being injected up his arm and he was in a lot of pain with it. They said they needed to give him a rare type of antibiotic but it turns out it was so rare they couldn’t actually get their hands on it so he had to suffer the pain of the burning in his arm until he could stand it no longer and they transferred the canula to his other arm until that one got too sore too. X-rays have shown that he has suffered damage to his right lung but today they are talking of perhaps sending him home later today on oral medication. Hubby of course, it talking of going back to work within a couple of days, even though he can barely keep his eyes open for more than an hour and gets out of breath walking from his hospital bed to his en-suite toilet!!! We are now trying to ascertain whether there is any threat of risk to me with Jelly Bean and to Curly, Little Bean and Beanie Boy but it’s all very grey. Some Doctors have said that there is a risk of pre-term labour and stillbirth, some have said there is no risk at all. I have spoken to the Maternity Helpline who have suggested that I book myself in for the Flu Vaccine and Whooping Cough vaccine just to be sure but for today that will have to wait as my surgery is having a training day!

In the meantime I have been inundated with messages of support and offers of help from my amazing family and friends. My Mum has spent the weekend with me to help with the children and keep the house in order, whilst at the same time caring for me as I am still feeling rotten too. Little Bean has completely stepped up to the plate and has been my perfect little helper these last couple of days and I am so proud of her. She has become Mother Hen to both Beanie Boy and myself. Yesterday she even tidied an extremely messy playroom, ALL BY HERSELF – WITHOUT BEING ASKED!!!!! She said that she needed to help me because Daddy wasn’t here and Mummy is poorly and Baby Bump needs to rest! She has been holding Beanie Boy’s hand wherever they go, talking to him in her high-pitched squeaky ‘mothering’ tone (I swear I don’t talk like that?!?!).

I took Little Bean to see Daddy in Hospital yesterday afternoon and although she was pleased to see him she was seriously impressed that he had a TV which hung over his bed and it EVEN had CBeebies!!! She was a little unsure about the tubes which Daddy had coming out of his arms and seemed a little shy, preferring to sit on Mummy’s knee or in the big arm chair.

I have said it before though, and I will say it again. I have serious respect for single parent families and those families who have longterm issues like Making Waves for Alex and Multiple Mummy. I have only had two nights without Hubby and like I said, I have had great support but for some people this is now the norm and it must be so hard for them. I realise over time they learn to adjust but I really do think myself very lucky!!

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