Dropping Like Flies...and back again

We've had sickness in the house the past 5 days or so. It all started about Thursday or Friday when Ben started to look a little green about the gills but refused to admit it until after the Pinewood Derby on Saturday morning. Once home from that, he felt free to collapse in an exhausted heap in his bed for the next 3 days. Betsy managed the same trick, saving all her most dramatic symptoms for after Saturday afternoon's birthday party. David waited until bedtime Saturday night to spike a 103 fever while Tad and I were out on a date to the theater and I was struggling with a ticklish throat (not a good place to find oneself with a need to clear the throat every 15 seconds). By Sunday morning I was bed bound along with Ben, Betsy, David and Nathan who just stayed home to avoid trouble for Tad in church. So much for my next installment on Orthodoxy...(also made me look like a bit of a poser after spending so much time complaining about how the Orthodox folks don't seem to make it to church on any regular schedule - ha! that'll teach me!)

The Thing seems to start with a cough or a bit of sore throat, then add in fever, major lethargy and, in some patients, muscle pain in the legs. John Michael spent Sunday night in a feverish heap on the sofa and by Monday Ben earned himself a trip to the doctor due to the fact that he was falling over every time he tried to stand up straight. I took Philip along for good measure because he was rolling around on the chair clutching his throat and rolling his eyes into the back of his head. He puts on a good show but I figured he'd be a good test case for a strep culture anyway. Our pediatrician deserves a special place in Heaven for putting up with our family. She accommodated me on the strep tests which were negative and assured me that most of the symptoms should resolve themselves shortly (including Ben's dizziness) except for the cough which we can expect to linger on for the next few weeks ....whoopie.

Fortunately, Ruth and Miriam seem to have avoided this round but Nathan and Miah spent the day acting rather out of sorts. Adora, meanwhile, who had been in denial and bed bound, landed in the ER tonight for her 4th round of severe tonsillitis since last month. She came home with steroids, narcotics and an antibiotic but they won't do any good - this thing will return again. I can feel it in my bones. As I write this, JT is settling in for the night after complaining of a sore throat and leg pain. And he just looks *tired*. I know the feeling...