Week 35

Something was wrong.

I couldn't put my finger on it, but something was wrong.

I just didn't feel good at all. My appetite was gone. My energy was non-existent and I had little or no patience to offer to my littles.

Thursday got really bad. I was in pain. My right side hurt all over. I remember wondering if it was the start of contractions. No. That wasn't it. The pain was too isolated. What was it? It almost felt like a kidney infection. I had had a kidney infection before. A few months before I got pregnant with Holynd. It was horrible. I fainted because the pain was so bad.

This couldn't be a kidney infection. It didn't hurt bad enough.

That night the fever hit. I was shivering uncontrollably. Suddenly, it all made sense.

I had caught the flu.

I shivered and shook all night long. I ached everywhere. Sleep did not happen.

I got out of bed Friday morning and immediately called my doctor. I explained to the nurse what was going on. She confirmed my suspicions. It was the middle of summer and I had, somehow, caught the flu.

I was really concerned about the fever. She asked if I had been taking my temperature.
"Yes. It's always right around 99 - 100 degrees."

"That's pretty normal. Fluids and rest. Call Monday morning if you're not feeling better".

"What about a bladder infection or a kidney infection?"

"Oh. You'd have to be pretty sick to start running a fever from either one of those."

So that's what I did. I rested. Well, as much as a person can rest with three kids running around making demands. I tried my best to put on a brave face, but I was not doing well. I couldn't shake the feeling that something else was wrong. I began to wonder if this fever was going to send me right into labor. But, at that point in time, I felt like I had done all I could do. I had called my doctor and I was trying to rest.

I desperately wanted to get better before Saturday. We had a big family reunion Saturday. I had ordered a dessert from one of my favorite places for the occasion. Matt was even taking the day off to go with us.

By the time I got into bed Friday, I knew I wasn't going to be able to go. Little did I know, this was only the beginning of the downward spiral. That whole night was awful. I was forcing myself to drink as much water as I could. I kept taking Tylenol the minute I was able to take it. None of it was helping. I was getting sicker.

It was another night of no sleep. I felt like someone had beaten me with a bat. Worst of all was this horrid headache that would not go away. It made me dizzy and I had trouble staying on my feet.

I called my mom. There would be no family reunion for me. Matt knew I was in no condition to take care of kids, so he took the kids to work with him. So I laid in bed and cried. I couldn't take care of my kids. I couldn't take care of myself. I just laid there and prayed, "Let this pass. I need to be a mom. This isn't fair to my kids. Why would You let me get sick? I was already struggling as it was. If anything, let it just be me. Do not let Matt and the kids get sick".

It wouldn't pass. It would only get worse. My poor little Bennett was just along for the ride.