The Plague, Continued
Did you hear me rustling around in my kitchen this morning . . . at 3:48 a.m.? Did you inhale the scent of olive oil and fresh garlic and say to yourself, My, my, that Mel is one industrious Christian woman, up before dawn to prepare Italian food! Then did you notice the pajama-clad three-year old sitting on the kitchen counter weeping?
She was weeping because her ear hurt. I'd known that since midnight, the first time she woke up, crying. I think she accepted some medicine, then. I can't remember anymore. At 3:00 a.m., I'd hurried to her room again, rocked her, put her back to bed, only to be woken at 3:48 a.m. Or had I even slept? I don't think so, because by 3:48 a.m., I had formulated a Plan of Action.
My Plan of Action included a drop or two of warm olive oil dropped in her aching ear. The garlic is dunked into the oil because of its anti-bacterial properties. I haven't had an ear infection in my house in many years, but I remembered well that the garlicky oil worked on my 8-year old when he was an infant. So, 3:48 a.m. found us in the kitchen. At 4:00 a.m., I laid her on the ground, ear up, and dropped oil into it.
She screamed, a scream worthy of Drew Barrymore.
And then she slept until 6:35 a.m. When she woke, I rocked her in her room and we both dozed until 7:48 a.m., which was horrifying because I needed to wake up my son, get him off to school, shower and be prepared to meet Baby 16-Months Old at the door. By 8:30 a.m.
My daughter's ear ached off and on throughout the day. I faked her out and put some ibuprofen in a drink for her. Then her stomach hurt the rest of the day (and still does). She went to sleep early, but woke up once already. (Her 3-year old buddy showed the first symptoms of this illness this afternoon. Am I in a horrible re-run?) I don't intend to take her to the doctor at this point. She refuses to take medicine by mouth and so a seven or ten day course of antibiotics sounds like a seven or ten day cruise through hell. Plus, studies seem to indicate that eighty percent of ear infections clear up on their own in four to seven days.
But will I survive until then? For those of you keeping score at home: Since February 10--long-lasting cold, followed by sore throat. Brief hiatus, then stomach virus. Just as the stomach virus ended, this flu/virus hit. ENOUGH! Enough. Enough!
She was weeping because her ear hurt. I'd known that since midnight, the first time she woke up, crying. I think she accepted some medicine, then. I can't remember anymore. At 3:00 a.m., I'd hurried to her room again, rocked her, put her back to bed, only to be woken at 3:48 a.m. Or had I even slept? I don't think so, because by 3:48 a.m., I had formulated a Plan of Action.
My Plan of Action included a drop or two of warm olive oil dropped in her aching ear. The garlic is dunked into the oil because of its anti-bacterial properties. I haven't had an ear infection in my house in many years, but I remembered well that the garlicky oil worked on my 8-year old when he was an infant. So, 3:48 a.m. found us in the kitchen. At 4:00 a.m., I laid her on the ground, ear up, and dropped oil into it.
She screamed, a scream worthy of Drew Barrymore.
And then she slept until 6:35 a.m. When she woke, I rocked her in her room and we both dozed until 7:48 a.m., which was horrifying because I needed to wake up my son, get him off to school, shower and be prepared to meet Baby 16-Months Old at the door. By 8:30 a.m.
My daughter's ear ached off and on throughout the day. I faked her out and put some ibuprofen in a drink for her. Then her stomach hurt the rest of the day (and still does). She went to sleep early, but woke up once already. (Her 3-year old buddy showed the first symptoms of this illness this afternoon. Am I in a horrible re-run?) I don't intend to take her to the doctor at this point. She refuses to take medicine by mouth and so a seven or ten day course of antibiotics sounds like a seven or ten day cruise through hell. Plus, studies seem to indicate that eighty percent of ear infections clear up on their own in four to seven days.
But will I survive until then? For those of you keeping score at home: Since February 10--long-lasting cold, followed by sore throat. Brief hiatus, then stomach virus. Just as the stomach virus ended, this flu/virus hit. ENOUGH! Enough. Enough!
posted by Melodee at Wednesday, March 15, 2006
10 Comments:
I agree, enough!
Since none of my good thoughts sent your way are doing any good, how about some nice healthy white blood cells or something?
I think you might even be desperate enough to acccept!
After reading this, I remember my Mom dropping warm oil in my ear for earaches. I don't remember the garlic part, but we were not Italian! Hadn't thought about that in years.
Hope your little one(s) feel better soon.
Sue
Aw, Mel, hugs. Hope daughter's ear gets better soon. Have you tried giving her a hot water bottle or one of those microwave bean thingyies to rest her ear on? The warmth always helped me when I was a kid, and I had A LOT of ear infections.
Yikes. Hope things get better.
awwww poor little thing! I hope she feels better! I'll pray for you guys!
Ohhh earaches are the worst. I was plagued with them and one of my sons too. We always did the warm olive oil too. We always pray over it too. You sound exhausted and I sympathize with you. I hope you get some well deserved sleep soon and everyone is running around in happiness. BTW we have been so sick as a family since the beginning of February as well. Having a large family drags it on forever.
Oh, I feel for you. I can't imagine having to take care of a 16 month old while nursing a sick child on no sleep. I guess there are folks who manage, but I hope you all get to feeling better soon.
My 7 year old woke up feeling nauseous with a fever. Here we go.
Repeat after me: "God will not give me more than I can endure. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Where one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not easily broken. There is a time for everything, and a season for activity under heaven... a time to weep, a time to weep, a time to weep... a time to heal, a time to heal, a time to heal. Jesus wept." (I through that one in so that you would know that you're not alone in your crying... plus it's short.)
They all apply to you today. I'm praying right now that God will hear the "time to heal" part the most.
I hope you slept better last night. BUt since you have yet to post..probably not.
I am praying for you and your family too.
Hi Mel... I have found something wonderful for the beginnings of ear infections (I have to avoid certain foods--milk, citrus, wheat--in order to avoid infections). The thing I swear by are vitamin C tablets. For the past two years, they have instantly cleared up any infection which began in my ears. Daily I take 2,000 mg's, but if I feel an infection coming on (because I lived dangerously and drank some milk... heh... ) I take 3, 000 to 4,000 mg's--all spaced apart in an 18 hour period. Like I said, this always works for me(and boy, am I grateful!). Hope this helps... And like you said, enough is enough! Prayers coming your way for both you and your little girl.... Debra
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