ARGH, I’m soooo annoyed right now.
Remember how I said Asher has his big Regional Championship swim meet this weekend? The one they train for all season long- essentially the culmination of the season (besides State, but he’s not likely to qualify this year because he just aged up to the next age group)? Also, remember how I said this is the 3 day meet that our team is co-hosting- and that I’ve been working furiously to prepare all the volunteers for, putting in hours of work??
Now, do you also remember how I mentioned that Ethan came down with the stomach flu on Monday????
Can you guess where this is going????
I think you can.
This morning at 6:15 I was in my office when I heard steps down the stairs. Asher appeared in my doorway. Then he said those words no parent ever wants to hear: “I just threw up.”
Nooooooooooooo. I freaking hate stomach bugs with a passion. They are just so gross and nasty and awful.
I especially hate very poorly timed stomach bugs that impede upon special plans, not that there is ever a great time for one.
<SIGH>
We spent a little while wondering if, well, maybe he just drank his water too fast. (Ha. Nice thought. Yes, the kid who hasn’t thrown up in years now probably just happened to throw up on his water, during the same week his brother had the stomach flu.)
It was not the water.
More vomit ensued during my 8 a.m. meeting, or so I was informed by him motioning to me, fortunately out of camera sight.
I am so bummed. I am bummed for him, and also for me. Obviously, my #1 concern is that he feels like crud. But I’m also bummed for him to miss his swims, and I’m disappointed because I was really looking forward to watching him crush it this weekend!! He’s been on a roll with his last couple meets, and they are now tapered and he should have been ready to rock it.
Now, we don’t even know if he’ll be able to go at all. The good news is, the vomiting was short lived and last occurred before 9 a.m. He seems to already be feeling better, but you know how after a stomach bug you always feel pretty wiped for a couple days….
He was supposed to swim the 400 IM tonight (scratched that, obviously), and then later tomorrow afternoon and late Sunday afternoon. Tomorrow feels like a long shot (but maybe, if he can push enough Gatorade??), but Sunday seems possible… But again, even if he feels better, he might still be a little on the weak side. We’ll see I guess.
This was kind of the crappy cherry on top of a sort of crappy week over here. SORRY, that’s not very “Grateful Kae” of me…. but, it’s true. As you saw from my other posts, I was already just feeling stretched thin and overwhelmed with work + volunteer stuff + life + parenting + everything this week, and this just did not help matters.
So, what to do??
Well, when you go to drop your 14 year old off to work a Friday 4 p.m. shift at McDonald’s, you go through the drive thru and buy yourself an artificially colored green Shamrock shake, and then sit in the parking lot and drink the entire thing.
It’s so weird- I instantly felt better!! 😂
Then I drove home and served up Asher a (small) portion of the following:
Before I go, let’s look on the bright side!! I got a free Friday night out of the deal, because my co-volunteer coordinator told me she would handle the meet stuff tonight (since Asher isn’t swimming now…). That was nice of her! 🙂
Let’s hope Asher feels better soon! Send us some good vibes.
Daily Gratitude:
I am grateful that at least stomach flus are usually quick to run their course?? I mean, they’re still terrible, but I guess better than if they went on for days and days…
GRATEFUL KAE 
sorry to hear that. what a bummer. how does the green thing taste like? I haven’t tried it yet. I think it’s the sugar giving you the comfort 🙂
hope he gets better soon.
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It’s a mint flavored shake. McDonald’s sells them only in the month around St. Patrick’s Day! They are very popular. The boys look forward to them arriving each year and always want to get them a few times.
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I am so sorry, Kaelyn. You’re also right: stomach bugs seem to come at the absolute WORST time. Like right before a big trip or school event. A few times my kids have had a bug over long weekends we had no plans and I have been SO relieved.
Obviously, I hope for the speediest of speedy recoveries for Asher and I hope he is able to participate at least a bit? Maybe that final race? And that his energy stores aren’t overly depleted. I am heartened by how quickly kids seem to be back on their feet after a bug. Sending you the best of vibes ❤
Also, I am always amazed when I hear parents say their kids haven't thrown up in years. I suppose my oldest is still only 11, but my kids DEFINITELY throw up annually. I know very little about the personal life of our financial advisor, but I know her son (now in his late teens) has only thrown up once his entire life. She mentioned it once years ago and we just saw her last week and she confirmed that is still the case. I can't imagine!?
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We definitely pulled him from today, Saturday- though he did wake up feeling quite a bit better. We’ll see if by tomorrow afternoon he feels up to participating!!
And yes, it’s true- he hadn’t had a stomach flu in years. The last time I think he threw up was an equally inopportune time. He was maybe 7 or 8 and we were headed to the airport to fly home from Mexico- and he got sick. It wasn’t car sickness, either! It continued over several hours and had all the classic stomach flu signs. I think he even threw up in the airport bathroom before boarding the flight! It all happened so close to our flight time (we were literally on the way to the airport, 5 minutes out, and had to pull over so he could throw up), that there was really no good way to postpone the flight or anything. Fortunately, he was okay on the plane and I remember the flight attendant brought him ginger ale. But yeah- THAT SUCKED too!! hahaha. It was very stressful and just pretty terrible. That was the last time though and it has been quite a few years. I hope now after this time he won’t get sick again for a long time.
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Ug, what a bummer. I hope that he recovers enough to go tonight or maybe tomorrow. I guess “yay” that you got a day off and had a not-a-color-in-nature milkshake. What the heck is in that thing? Does it taste like vanilla? I have never seen such a color.
I was lucky to be one of those kids who rarely got sick (and an adult of the same luck) so I only remember throwing up/having the flu a couple of times, but my Mom always gave us chicken noodle soup and saltines! Also, we got to watch the Star Wars trilogy, since we had plenty of time to kill (sometimes it was the Sound of Music instead)! I also remember reading the entire Lion, Witch and Wardrobe series when I had the chicken pox. I guess to me sickness and epic adventures go hand in hand?
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It’s a McDonald’s Shamrock Shake!! You’ve never seen one/ had one??!? They come out in the month before St. Patrick’s Day and then they go away again until the next year. They are mint flavored, and quite tasty! The boys love them. I think they’re really good, too, actually- but I try to limit them because I’m pretty sure they have mega calories in them…. hahaha.
That’s so funny about associating adventures and sickness! Lol! I have some pretty distinct memories of the couch in my childhood home I would lie on when sick, and mostly just watching old daytime TV that I never got to watch otherwise due to school- like The Price is Right. ha!
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Oh, what a disappointment. Stomach bugs are the WORST too. The last one I had – now, this is a long time ago so I’m stretching to remember – wiped me out for days. Poor kid, that sucks.
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I feel like they always hit at the worst times!! I think the last time I got sick with it Asher was also involved- he was maybe 4 and we had gone to an overnight at an indoor waterpark. Shortly after we arrived, he and I BOTH got the stomach flu- and spent the rest of the night and next day in our hotel condo totally sick while my husband took our older son to the waterpark. Then we had to drive the hour home while still sick- I remember sitting in the front seat with a vomit bag! EWWWWW! It was the worst. And then (see above comment) Asher’s most recent bout was a few years after that, in the middle of an international flight home from Mexico. And now this. So, I guess he is just prone to VERY poorly timed stomach flus…. ha.
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Ugh that is the absolute worst. I was worried the rest of you might get sick. I hope he can hydrate and rally and maybe swim on Sunday? But this is terrible timing since he has worked so hard.
I didn’t mention this in my Kyria visit post but Paul threw up during the night the first night of her stay. He dry heaved an hour later and then was totally fine and was running around like a healthy kid. I was so paranoid that we would get kyria sick! But no one else got it so I don’t know what was going on. Plus this is gross but the puke didn’t smell like the stomach flu puke does (odd to say but stomach flu fluids have a distinct smell… I know this from my nurse mom commenting on that when I was growing up). We all stayed healthy thank god and continued on with our weekend plans. But I lost a lot of sleep that night worrying about who would get sick next!!
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I liked it back in the day when shakes from McDonald’s came in opaque cups so you didn’t have to really deal with the fact that what you were consuming was so…artificial. I mean, you KNEW it, but you didn’t SEE it.
I hope Asher feels better soon. Chicken soup and saltines are ALWAYS the answer when you’re sick.
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I’m sorry. That’s a huge bummer and you have every right to feel disappointed! Sending healing vibes 🙂
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Awww what a bummer. I am so sorry. Stomach bugs never have great timing.
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