It has been quite a week for us. Elijah has struggled through one of the toughest sicknesses he has had yet in his life. Dan has stayed home all week with a sick, crabby, steroid-filled baby. I have been sick myself and I also worked all week. YUCK.
Elijah finally seems to be turning a corner. He isn't coughing through the whole night anymore, and he isn't working quite as hard to breathe. He took his last dose of steroids today (yesss!) and will continue with antibiotics for another couple days. I think maybe I'm turning a corner finally, too (hoping so, anyway). Elijah and I were on the same course until Wednesday night when my sickness took a bad turn and his thankfully didn't follow. I'm pretty sure I got some form of the flu on top of the cold I already had. So far Elijah doesn't seem to have gotten that leg of it and hopefully he won't.
As I was lying in bed on Wednesday night, feeling like death was near, I had a very bad feeling in my gut. Since Elijah's and my cold symptoms up to that point had mimicked each other, I thought for sure he was going be feeling as badly as I was at that point. I laid there knowing that if he had to go through that part of it, he would be going through it in the hospital. For sure. I knew his little body wouldn't be able to handle it without medical intervention.
I am pretty sure that I caught the flu and Elijah didn't. Dan and I have not gotten our flu shots yet. Elijah thankfully has. After seeing my little boy struggle with every breath he took this week, I am more convinced than ever that catching the flu (or worse, RSV) would be a very very bad thing for him. His heart just would not be able to handle it. Young children who have heart disease are at an increased risk for serious and potentially life-threatening complications from the flu. FLU SHOTS ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
The events of this week are making me rethink our situation. Is daycare best for our son? Is it worth it to willingly put him into an environment that is likely going to be full of germs throughout the winter, when he is still so young and susceptible to sickness? What about money? We definitely need another income, but what is more important? I hate it. I don't know what to do. All I know is that seeing my baby struggle that hard over a simple cold was startling. I cannot fathom what anything more serious could do to him since his little body already works so hard even when he is "healthy."