I’m going to be blunt. The last month has been horrible. The school holidays we just had have gone on record as the worst school holidays ever.
“Why?” you ask?
Because our home was overrun with germs, viruses, sicknesses, lurgies and bugs. That’s why. They stomped their way into our house, got comfortable, and have only just started to leave after hanging around for a month.
It started innocently enough. I got a cold. No big deal. I can cope with that. I had the extra boxes of tissues stocked up, cold and flu tablets in the first aid kit, and a couple of freezer meals stashed for just in case I don’t feel up to cooking. I got this.
That passed, then the kids got the cold. Still not the end of the world, but now we’re dealing with two unwell kids. Then my husband got sick. He got a raging fever and ended up in bed for three days. Not fun.
Then the rock rolling down the hill turned into a boulder that took out everything in its path.
Our toddler got croup and we ended up at the after hours GP getting steroids and making the dash to the late night chemist before it shut. His croup hung around with his nasty cold, the germs just fermenting in our house. He then got another virus and then an infection. Poor little guy is just miserable at this point, and I can’t blame him.
Our six year old got a vomiting bug and spent four nights vomiting, and the days in bed with a temperature.
My husband and I are starting to struggle about here. Sleep deprivation, clingy sick kids and we’re starting to feel not so crash hot again.
Then it happens. I get sick. The fraying edges are now torn apart.
Never before have I felt so awful. And that is even when I remember back to having glandular fever, whilst being a temporary single parent with a baby as my husband was away.
Turns out I got full-blown influenza. I lost 4kg in four days and couldn’t get out of bed. I felt like I’d been hit by a truck and was surprised there were no bruises as I ached all over. My husband was still recovering from being sick himself. So he’s at home looking after me and the kids, whilst trying to rest too. The massive food shop I’d done before getting sick was rapidly diminishing. We were too sick to go and do a normal grocery shop. We were having random things for dinner. Whatever we could stomach. Cereal? Sure thing. Crackers and a few pieces of mandarin? No problem. The kids ate porridge and yoghurt every. single. day. At least they were eating something.
We were also experiencing what the weather man was referring to as the “Antarctic vortex”, an insanely freezing cold front that Australia’s east coast was being buffeted by. We could see snow from our back deck. It took me five days to be able to walk outside to see it, but it was there.
We were like sick, semi-hibernating bears, curled up inside with the heater on, sad looking tracksuits covered in snot, plague signs hanging from our front porch – warning neighbours and friends to keep their distance. Our vaporiser was bubbling away like a cauldron, the scent of eucalyptus permeating throughout the house. Although none of us could smell it as our noses were so stuffed up…
The school holiday activities I’d so carefully tried to plan went out the window. There were no playdates. No trip to the zoo. No going ten pin bowling. Not even a baking day. We did have a lot of tv time, did paint with water activity books (a God send), and the roll of Ikea paper was rolled out across the floor and stuck down and the kids went nuts on it with crayons, pencils and stickers. They had hours of fun with that!
The fog of germs is slowly lifting from our house, and this is when my OCD tendencies go into overdrive.
The washing has been done. The sheets have been changed. Windows have been thrown open and rooms aired out. Its only 6 degrees outside, but the windows and doors are being opened to flush the sick air out and fill the house with clean, fresh air. Surfaces have been scrubbed and sprayed. Our weekly meal plan has been filled out again. The dogs have been walked.
Our routines are starting to be put back into place. My brain is actually feeling like it is at about 70% performance level now and I can kind of get some writing done. I can text my friends back and start replying to emails. I can read blogs and be able to make sense of the words on the screen!
I’ve realised I don’t cope well with being unwell. I can handle others being sick and looking after them, but I hate being sick myself.
So now I’m back, I’m kicking life in the pants and getting things back on track. Those few weeks were a complete write-off and I’ve got some catching up to do 🙂
Have you been sick this winter? What are your tips for staying healthy?
Did you have snow near you during the crazy Antarctic vortex?
Make sure you’re following Life, kids and a glass of red on Facebook for more giggles and snippets of silliness!
Linking up with #wineandboobs at Modern Dad Pages and #MummyMondays with The Multitasking Mummy.
hmm so it is summer here and nearly 100 degrees. But just a few months ago we had the stomach bug twice within weeks apart! It hit all of us one by one and it was awful! Glad you are getting your house back and hope the germs stay away for good this time!
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Urgh! Stomach bugs are awful! Touch wood they don’t hit our house!
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ughhhhhh so sorry. I always feel robbed when I’m sick during vacation. Glad you are feeling better. 🙂
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Yep, robbed is exactly how I feel! Will have to make it up to the kids now we’re better 🙂
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Glad you are all on the mend 🙂
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Oh gosh what a terrible run you guys have had and what bad timing with the holidays!
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Especially as I had a whole heap of recipes I wanted to try out and do some baking with the kids. At least as there was no school our eldest didn’t feel like he missed out on school stuff 🙂
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What a horrible holiday you all had! I haven’t been sick but have been in hospital the past month with placenta previa. At home, though, we got about 15cm of snow!!! It was amazing!! My hubby and daughter had a lot of fun playing together.
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15cm of snow! That would have been awesome! Everywhere else seemed to get snow (including Queensland!), except us! I guess though we see snow every winter from where we are, just would have been nice to get some here 🙂
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That’s terrible. Hope you’ve had your dose for a while!
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I hope that’s all we’re going to get for a while too!
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WOW! Sorry that you all went through that but I am glad everything seems to be getting better. I really hope you and your family are able to enjoy the rest of your holiday!
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Thanks! Will have to try and make it up to the kids now 🙂
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I can never wait to sanitize after everyone’s been sick. New toothbrushes, scrub anything that gets touched, open windows (even in 6 degree weather like you did). Glad to hear everyone is on the mend! The end is near 😀
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Agree! Antibacterial wipes have been used on everything, eucalyptus spray, surfaces scrubbed- makes me feel like I’m back in control 🙂 Will go and get new toothbrushes today now too!
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Oh yes! However sadly we were overseas when the worst of it hit. Whooping Cough for me and raging middle ear infections for the kids…anyway finally all back at school and work today so hopefully that is the end of it! Wishing you good health…x
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Being sick when you’re overseas sucks. Particularly when you just want to crawl in to your own bed. Hope you’re all better now too!
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So sorry y’all have been sick!!! That’s awful, when the Mama goes down, so does the ship:( Glad to hear things are getting better, blessings friend!
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We’ve had it here too, hope they are on the mend. I love your blog title.
I am so over the cacophony of coughing. Sounds like you need a bit of boot camp – i’ve got a app for that (e-course comp)
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Glad you like the name of my blog 🙂 I love boot camp and normally go twice a week, but am missing it while I’ve been sick! Can’t wait to get back to it.
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PS – I want to eat at your house.
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Winter holidays are the pits! Glad you’re on the mend now though. Hydrolyte Lucy poles for the gastro germs and vitamin c chewable tabs for the boggers always seem to help the recovery times here at Chaos HQ. Jac @ Common Chaos Chronicle oxo
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I hear you! Hydrolyte sachets have been well utilised and our medicine cabinet has been restocked in case the bugs strike again! Fingers crossed we won’t be sick again for a while.
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That sounds horrid! You poor thing! We had a run of sickness like that too, but nowhere near as bad! Glad you’re on the mend!
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I wouldn’t wish it on anyone!
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Sorry you had such a horrible time but I’m glad you’re all better or on the mend now. I love the meal planning blackboard!
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Thanks! Got to love a Kmart bargain 🙂
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That’s so hard I’m sorry hope you all get well. #wineandboobs
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Oh no, that’s the pits! Nothing worse than being sick and still needing to take care of other people. You just want to curl up and die. I hope you’re all feeling much more human now xxx
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oh not a good school holidays at all….I didn’t get sick but Hubby and our boys did – Lots and LOTS of Chicken Ginger Soup was cooked, and we also had the windows open.
Now its starting to warm up more we try and get out in the sun for a bit of TLC.
Hope your week is better and everyone gets back on track, its hard when the Mum of the house comes down with it….sending healing love xxx
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OH wow!! That would have been hell. One big reason I HATE WINTER! All the germs suck. You sound like me once you recover though…..clean, clean, clean! Glad to hear you are feeling better. x
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