TUMMY TROUBLE

I HAVE MISSED WRITING, AS I HAVE HAD A MISERABLE CASE OF WHAT I THINK IS FOOD POISONING. I AM ABLE TO SIT UP TODAY, AND SO I AM BACK AT THE KEYBOARD. THIS REMINDS ME OF AN INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED MANY YEARS AGO WHEN THE CHILDREN WERE SMALL. ONE EASTER SUNDAY, WE ALL WENT TO MARTIN'S AND LOLA'S HOUSE FOR EASTER DINNER. AS USUAL, THERE WAS WONDERFUL BAR-B-QUE AND LOTS OF SIDES, ICE COLD LEMONADE, YUMMY PIES, ROLLS AND EASTER CANDY. WE GATHERED AROUND THE TABLE, AND SAID GRACE. I FIXED PLATES FOR THE CHILDREN, BUT AS I DID, I NOTICED THAT THE CHICKEN DID NOT LOOK LIKE IT WAS DONE. I TOLD THEM NOT TO EAT THE CHICKEN, BUT NOT TO HURT GRAMPA'S FEELINGS. I WENT ON TO ENJOY THE DAY, NOT THINKING THAT THE CHILDREN WOULD NOT HAVE LISTENED TO ME. THE NEXT DAY, AS I WAS WAITING FOR THE NURSERY CHILDREN TO GET OFF THE BUS, I SAW AARON, BOBBIE JO AND OTTO DRAGGING INTO THE NURSERY. I ASKED THEM WHAT WAS WRONG, AND THEY TOLD ME THEY WERE TIRED. I HAD THEM LAY DOWN, AND THEY SLEPT UNTIL IT WAS TIME TO GO HOME. I BECAME SLIGHTLY ALARMED WHEN I COULD NOT AROUSE THEM, THEY WERE SO SLEEPY. I THEN REALIZED THEY HAD A FEVER. HOW STRANGE WAS THAT? COULD IT BE A FLU STARTING? I GOT THEM TO THE CAR, BUT THEY SLEPT ALL THE WAY HOME. I BEGAN TO REALLY WORRY ABOUT THEM. THEN, MARTIN CAME HOME AND HE WAS REALLY SICK. HE WAS TIRED AND HAD A FEVER AS WELL. NOW I BECAME ALARMED. I TOOK THE CHILDREN TO THE LOCAL CLINIC, AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAD THE FLU, AND WOULD BE OKAY. THEN, THE VOMITING AND DIARREHEA STARTED. IT WAS FORCEFUL EXPULSION! BOTH ENDS. SO, NOW I HAD THE TWO BOYS, BOBBIE JO AND MARTIN VERY ILL. THEY MOANED AND CONTINUED TO SPEW. I RAN FROM PERSON TO PERSON, CLEANING, MOPPING AND TRYING TO GET FLUIDS INTO THEM. THEN NEXT DAY, I TOOK THEM ALL TO THE DOCTOR AGAIN, AND AGAIN WAS TOLD IT WAS A STOMACH FLU. I TOOK THEM ALL HOME, PUT SEVERAL TOWELS ON TOP OF PLASTIC BAGS ON THE COUCH AND TENDED THEM AS BEST AS I COULD. I WAS BECOMING EXHAUSTED, AND WONDERED HOW LONG IT WOULD BE BEFORE JESSICA AND PEANUT WOULD BECOME ILL. FOR ME TO BECOME ILL WAS UNTHINKABLE. I MADE GALLONS OF JELLO AND GAVE THEM POPSCICLES. I CHANGED THE TOWELS, WENT THROUGH BOX AFTER BOX OF CLOTHES SOAP, SPONGED THE FAMILY DOWN AND TRIED TO KEEP ON TOP OF THINGS. THEN, WEDNSDAY MORNING, I NOTICED THAT LITTLE OTTO WAS VERY LETHARGIC. I TOOK HIS TEMPERATURE AND FOUND IT TO BE OVER 105 DEGREES. WELL, I PANICKED. I RUSHED HIM BACK TO THE CLINIC, CARRIED HIM IN AND DEMANDED HELP. NOW, IT WAS APPARENT THAT IT WAS MUCH MORE THAN THE STOMACH FLU. THINKING BACK, I WONDERERD WHY THEY WERE SICK AND NOT THE OTHER GIRLS AND ME. THEN I REMEMBERED THE CHICKEN. I ASKED THEM IF THEY HAD EATEN THE CHICKEN, AND SURE ENOUGH, ALL OF THOSE SICK HAD HAD SOME OF THE CHICKEN SO AS TO NOT HURT GRAMPA'S FEELINGS. NOW, WE KNEW IT WAS SALMONELLA THAT WAS AFFECTING THEM. THE DOCTOR TOLD ME IT SHOULD RUN IT'S COURSE, AND I SHOULD NOT WORRY TOO MUCH. I CONTINUED TO GIVE THEM LIQUIDS, JELLO AND POPSCICLES. THE BOYS AND DAD SEEMED TO IMPROVE, BUT BOBBIE JO DID NOT. ON THURSDAY, HER FEVER BEGAN TO CLIMB AND SHE WAS ACTING LIKE SHE COULD NOT STAY AWAKE AT ALL. SHE CRIED AND MOANED WITH THE PAIN SHE WAS EXPERIENCING. AGAIN, BACK TO THE CLINIC, WHERE SHE CONSTANTLY LEAKED FROM BOTH ENDS. THE DOCTOR SAID SHE LOOKED PRETTY BAD, BUT IT SHOULD IMPROVE. I SNAPPED. TIRED, HYSTERICAL AND ANGRY, I GRABBED HIM BY HIS THROAT AND TOLD HIM "LOOK, SOMEONE IS GOING TO THE HOSPITAL, AND I SUGGEST THAT YOU SEND MY DAUGHTER!" I THEN THREW HIM INTO THE CORNER AND CALLED FOR A NURSE. "HE SAID TO CALL AN AMBULANCE!" I YELLED AT HER. SHE GLANCED AT THE DOCTOR, AND HE NODDED HIS HEAD. WE TRANSPORTED BOBBIE JO, AND TO MY HORROR, SHE WAS ONLY HOURS AWAY FROM DEATH DUE TO DEHYDRATION. SHE WAS PUT ON IV FLUIDS AND AN ANTIBIOTIC BUT THE DAMAGE WAS DONE. THE SALMONELLA HAD DAMAGED THE LINING TO HER INTESTINES AND SHE COULD NOT DIGEST FOOD. WE HAD TO PUT HER ON LIQUIDS, AND WHEN SHE IMPROVED, SHE BEGAN TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE BABY FOOD. IT TOOK MONTHS BEFORE SHE COULD EAT NORMALLY AGAIN. IT WAS SO VERY CLOSE, IF I HAD NOT LOST MY TEMPER, SHE WOULD HAVE DIED. THE BOYS AND MARTIN IMPROVED ON THEIR OWN, IT TOOK SOME TIME BUT THEY WERE BACK TO NORMAL IN ABOUT 10 DAYS. SINCE THEN, I WILL NOT EVEN LOOK AT BAR-B-QUED CHICKEN. MY FOOD POISONING THIS WEEK HAS BEEN MISERABLE, BUT NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT WE WENT THROUGH THAT TIME. HEAVENLY FATHER SPARED THE LIVES OF MY LOVED ONES, AS I HAVE SINCE HEARD OF THOSE WHO DIED FROM SALMONELLA. BUT, IT TURNED OUT OKAY, AND WE HAVE HAD OTHER ADVENTURES TO WRITE ABOUT. MORE TOMORROW, LOVE, NANASEE