The 'Heat' is on!

1-4/02/07

The last time that Kyle fell so ill was in Aug/Sept 2005 when his cough developed into broncholitis. I had 'almost' forgotten how stressful times like this can be especially when Meryl also caught the bug. Apparently he had caught the bug from school as I found out that some kids were down as early as 2 weeks ago. As for Meryl, her teacher also reported sick for 2 days and some of her classmates were also visibly absent from school.

It was trying with Kyle's temperature fluctuating up and down between 38.5 and 39.5 and sometimes rising to 40 degree celsius as well as a bad cough and runny nose. Meryl's condition was much better with runny nose and very slight temperature. The nights were for me a state between mind being awake and the body asleep. I had to moniter Kyle's temperature and sponge him when the heat is up. And it was up, for both of us!

Below is a list of new routines set during this period of time and may it be far few and in between in future:

1. Waking up in the middle of the night to give baths.
2. Patting the back each time a cough surface.
3. Checking on the temperature every half and hour (Btw, the batteries are already running low)
4. Mentol rubs on chest and back EVERY night before they sleep.
5. Request for tummy massage with oil EVERY nightbefore bedtime as miraculously their tummy will be painful.
6. Return of Tub baths with all their toys in it
7. Porridge with pork floss
8. Macaroni with soup
9. Apple juice in the morning and more apples in the course of the day.
10. Putting Karvol on their stuff toys to help ease their breathing.
11. Watching Kipper and Strawberry Shortcake ( And Soccer!)
12. Playing Boowa and Kwala on the computer
13. Reading Curious George and more Curious George (Poor me!)
14. Wearing socks at home
15. Using Kleenex 4-ply toilet roll to clean their noses (cheaper and softer than tissues!)
16. Diluted milk
17. Catching 'Prison Break' during whatever free time I had
18. Deciding to give Brufen or Panadol each time the fever goes up, silomat or promethazine for cough and chlormine or actified for their runny nose (Tough job being Dr Quacked )
19. Digging out dried mucus with cotton buds! (Yucks, but the kids loved it!)

It was like on a battle field combating against the unseen enemies. It is most unfortunate that their father was also in a battle field while on reservist, leaving me with Josephina to hold the fort. Talk about bad timing!