Sick- A Short Story by Angela Byram

Here's how it all began. 

Ivy had a little cold, that had been bugging her for a week.

We took her to the Pediatrician for her 18 month check up, and to make sure her cold was nothing to worry about. 

I take them all.  Why not, they love that place.

Dr. confirmed that she is cute as a button and her cold was nothing to worry about. 

Off we went for our fun weekend in Utah. 

 When we got back to Idaho, something about miss Ivy seemed off. 

Sunday night she fell asleep in my arms , which has never happened before. 

And the next day she screamed hysterically the whole time we were in town. 

In a desperate moment at Target, I bought her something to stop the screaming. 

But it didn't last. 

Wednesday night Vince left to go to a funeral in Nevada, and I stayed home with all the kids. 

Cut to 8:30 pm, when I hear Ivy coughing, I go in to check on her and find her covered in hot dogs.

Do the math. 

She then threw up every 20 minutes for the rest of the night. 

This is me the next morning. 

I sent it to Vince to inform him of the epic night. 

Girlfriend seemed right as rain the morning. 

 She even smiled for the camera. 

 Vince returned home, and on Friday night we took back into the Dr. because she had screamed all day, and hadn't eaten since Tuesday. 

She gets sooooo mad when the nurse tries to take her oxygen level with that little thing that goes on her finger.  She got herself all worked up, and then threw up all over the place, the nurse, and ME!

The kids were having a sleep over at Grandma Janes that night.  When we got home from the Dr. we put Ivy to bed, watched a movie and went to bed.

Cut to 1AM.

I feel really sick.  I start throwing up all night long.

 In the morning, Ivy and I were two peas in a pod.

We even became roommates. 

We spent the day in bed, throwing up, and watching Dowton Abbey.  

About 5pm on Saturday night I get a text from Vince in the family room. 

 Both kids were now home from Grandma's and throwing up. 

My worst nightmare had come true.

4/5 Byrams were throwing up, and I was one of them. 

Vince's Bro Trevor came over late Saturday night to help us give Ivy a blessing.

She screamed and squirmed the whole time. 

Saturday night, Brooke slept on the bathroom floor, and I slept in the closet next to her. 

Jack slept in the master on the floor, and Vince in the master bed.  

We went from Brooke to Jack to Ivy cleaning up throw up and diarrhea. 

All.night.long.

Sunday morning, all still puking. 

We got desperate for ways to entertain Ivy, so we brought in some toys. 

I voted for the Barbie Jeep, but Vince vetoed it. 

Ivy screamed all day Sunday. We couldn't figure out what was wrong. By now, she has been sick for close to 3 weeks, and has barely eaten or drank a thing. 

 At 3PM I decide to take her to the ER because she won't stop screaming and convulsing in pain. 

No lie, as soon as I got her coat on her, she stopped.

And she started talking again, and even giggled.

It was so weired. 

We thought we were in the clear.  Jack hadn't thrown up since morning, Brooke was feeling a little  bit better, and Ivy was smiling. Hurray!

WRONG!  

Monday came and all was not well. 

Brooke was STILL throwing up and Ivy was pooping straight acid. 

Her eyes looked soooooo bad. 

And she was starting to look REALLY thin.

 I kept Jack home from school, and tried to entertain the kids with some painting. 

On Tuesday I took Ivy back to the Pediatrician.

This is almost two weeks from her 18 month checkup. 

 She hadn't smiled, giggled or talked to me in 2 days.

I was beyond worried about her. 

This was face she would pull when I asked her to smile at the camera. 

Dr. didn't think it was from her immunizations 2 weeks before, THANK GOODNESS!!!!

He thinks she was extremely dehydrated.

She had lost almost 5lbs in those 2 weeks. 

Like any girl, she smiled when she heard that news.

 Okay, not really.  

Me and the Dr. both freaked when they weighed her. Fully clothed with a bag of treats and she still weighed a good 4lbs less than she did naked at the last visit. 

He worked his magic though, and she smiled.

And for the next few days, we all got better, and we all survived. 

And "Puke Fest 2013" finally came to an end. 

Ivy has returned to her mischievousness self. 

And I don't think I will ever complain about her craziness again. 

I dedicate this short long story to James Vincent Byram.

Who cleaned up more puke and poop than any husband ever has, in the history of all mankind.

Love that man with all my heart.