Oh the drama! husband is home sick.

[gcvmom]

I shouldn't make fun of him, because I know he truly is miserable, but why does the whole world come to a stop when husband is sick? Ugh. I mean, sheesh, the KIDS aren't even this much effort when they've been sick!

He started with extreme fatigue at work on Wednesday. Then yesterday morning he got chills (no fever then) and started hurting all over. Then an hour or so later, the fever hit. Not very high at 100.6, but made him feel worse. Said his chest hurt, too, but his cough is dry.

The tylenol I've given him doesn't really seem to do much. Doesn't change the fever and doesn't noticeably improve the body aches. Plus, last night he said he had about 3 seizures (his are NOT the convulsive type) which was upsetting for him, and he understandably did not sleep well.

So he asked me to take him to his GP this morning. Naturally, they had no openings! So I'm taking him to the group where I take the kids and have gone myself. They always manage to find someone to see people who call same day. Turns out he'll see the same PA difficult child 1 saw last week for his infected ear.

I feel bad for him, but he is just so whiny and demanding when he's sick. I just hope he starts to feel better soon. At least I'm getting some exercise going up and down the stairs to fetch and carry for him

 

[DammitJanet]

I take it there is no downstairs couch or bed he could lay on and be comfy? Or would that just be worse with the kids? Probably worse.

I am so sorry he feels badly. Hope it passes quickly. I am a real wuss when I get sick on top of everything else...lol.

 

[gcvmom]

No, he's better off staying away from everyone else.

It's strange how much his muscles and joints hurt. It's like his pain receptors are extra sensitive. Maybe that's just how he's wired. I remember when he got his foot stitched up they had to numb him much deeper than is typical for most people -- even the ER doctor was shocked how much it took. And now that I think about it, after his brain surgery he eventually required dilaudid because nothing else they gave him touched his pain, and I had a helluva time getting that through to the nursing staff.

 

[1905]

Oh the drama of a sick husband! At least he can stay upstairs and just be sick. Imagine when we get sick though, I know I still have to do my chores, laundry, dinner....I still do everything sick. When my husband is sick, I'm just glad he stays in bed. I'm getting very cynical in my old age.

 

[Star*]

gcv,

you HAVE MY UTMOST SYMPATHIES.....AND I MEAN THAT IN THE ABSOLUTE FINITE SINCEREST NTH POWERFUL WAY.

I feel sorry for you? Also - just a thought - The fever and pain he describes sounds like what I had last year when I got lock jaw (tetanus) hasn't poked himself recently has he? I know for the two days I had it? I had high fever and my muscles and joints were killing me and I don't complain easy I just knew I hurt really bad. But I also had menengitis, mono and strep with it. Walking black death I was.....ask him about the poking himself or cutting because tetanus isn't somethign they test for on a regular basis. Hope it's back to normal in the coop real soon.

 

[gcvmom]

Thanks, ladies

No Star, I'm not aware of any cuts in him lately... And he's not sensitive to bright light, and his neck isn't stiff. He just hurts alllll over. The fever is finally up now in the 102 range. They gave him tylenol 3 with-codiene. Doesn't seem to do a whole lot for him. Pharmacist said I could give him 2, and that still really didn't impress. Trying to keep track of his dosing so we don't go over the 24 hour limit of 4g of the tylenol portion.

He really seems to have nerves that are easy to irritate and tough to deaden. Unfortunately, I think he's going to feel worse before he feels better, since this is really only day 2 with full-fledged symptoms.

My hands are already getting raw from washing them every time I leave his room, but I am really not interested in catching this bug or having one of the kids get it.

 

[Hound dog]

Well you may be on to something about his nerves being more sensitive post surgery.

Travis literally can burn his hand to a 3rd degree burn.......AND run a large knife through it and not even flinch. I swear.

Let him stub a toe and you'd think someone beat him to death.

Due to his brain injury, and I've noticed post stroke too, some areas of his body doesn't receive the pain signal properly enough to register that he should be having pain, while others are hypersensitive to the slightest bump.

But some "bugs" out there can really give you the body aches from hades too.

I hear ya though. husband is a huge baby when sick. Although expecting the whole world to revolve around him due to it stopped a long time ago. Too much faking sick because he liked all the attention.

I hope he feels better soon, for your sake and his.

Hugs

 

[gcvmom]

Thanks, HD.

He's still miserable today. I called the nurses help line this morning and basically was told that although I'm pretty much doing everything I should be, he just has to tough it out another day at least. Body aches are about a 6.5-7 even with the two tylenol with-codeine, and headache is a constant 7. Cough is worsening and hurts, but no wheezing or shortness of breath. No stiff neck. Sigh. I offered to take him to the walk-in clinic for different pain medications, but he hasn't taken the offer. I switched back to the regular tylenol and gave him two of those, which is more tylenol than the 2 with-cod. So maybe that will help a little.

Ironically, his company is giving out flu shots... next WEDNESDAY.

 

[ctmom05]

How's husband doing now? .. .. .. I hope a lot better

 

[gcvmom]

Thanks for asking ctmom05. He slept for a couple hours this afternoon and actually ate some food this evening. His fever has been all over the place, but for now it's down under 100 and he's not moaning in pain

Maybe today will have been the worst of it... I hear him coughing again, so it's time to go play nurse.

I sure am getting a good workout going up and down the stairs!

 

[Star*]

Just FYI - when I had tetanus? I had the stiff everyting and achey everything like to the nth degree - but NO sensitivity to light. Then again I am a sparkly vampire. ROFLM fangs off.


Hope husband is feeling some relief today Nurse Chicky!

 

[ML]

I hope no one else gets it.

 

[gcvmom]

Yeah, me too, ML! I've kept everyone downstairs away from him and I've been a hand-washing fiend that would give Star a run for her money!

He was feeling awful last night so I took him to the after-hours clinic. And basically they sent us home with instructions to just keep doing what we've been doing. One tylenol 3 with-codeine doesn't do poop for him. Two just makes him groggy and doesn't help the pain. I WAS giving him 2 500mg tylenol, and that at least allowed him to sleep a bit. But for whatever reason, it takes about an hour to work and wears off 3 hours later, but we still have to wait a total of 6 between doses or his liver gets fried. And some of the other medications they thought to give him either interact badly with his seizure medications, or they have blood thinning properties or blood pressure raising propertys, both of which he has to avoid because of his remaining vascular abnormality in his brain. And they aren't about to rx morphine or dilaudid for body and joint aches associated with the flu. I really felt bad for him -- his pain was a constant 7 yesterday and he was just whimpering like a baby saying he couldn't take it anymore. How is he so dang sensitive to pain? Why does it take so dang much to knock it down?

Today he's doing a bit better. Cough is painful and more productive. Fever still up and down. He's slept on and off. Ate a little bit. Doctor said he should probably be ok to go back to work by Wednesday, but I'm having my doubts based on his progress. This has really put him down hard.