Upon waking up on Thursday morning my daughter came down with the stomach flu. She spent the entire day throwing up and taking trips to the bathroom. Though she’s such a strong, lively child and didn’t let her illness bring her down; I felt a wave of helplessness enveloping me. As a parent it’s always heartbreaking watching your child go through something like that. Just as she started getting better; her brother became the next victim and kept me up all night. I helped him clean up, gave him new clothes, changed the sheets and sent him in another room. Little did I know that I was already infected from cleaning contaminated surfaces.
As I began throwing up in the toilet, I heard my boy doing the same in his. How could I possibly take care of my sick child while I was fighting the same fight? It was a long, uncomfortable and painful night. At least, my daughter was sound asleep (I would have lost my mind otherwise). With much luck, we made it through the night until my husband came home this morning (took over for a little while to give me time to rest and recuperate) before beginning throwing up himself. We called my son’s school to let them know he wouldn’t make it in today.
What a way to spend the weekend! To be held hostage by the Stomach Flu. At least we are still alive and we are getting much better. I started disinfecting the house and as soon as I am 100% on my feet, I will be sanitizing the kids toys and deep cleaning the carpets. As of now we will stay hydrated and make the most of our day.
According to Health.com, we should try to avoid drinking too much plain water, or beverages like soda or juice that contain sugar, but not enough of the right electrolytes, says Dr. Rogg. Putting water into your body without adding electrolytes will dilute the electrolytes that still remain in your body, Dr. Rogg explains, while taking in sugar without salt can make your diarrhea worse. WikiHow suggests to make your own oral rehydration solution if you’re struggling to stay hydrated or you can’t leave the house to buy an electrolyte solution at the pharmacy. Mix the following, and drink as much as you can:
- 4.25 cups (1 litre) clean water
- 6 tsp (30 ml) sugar
- 0.5 tsp (2.5 ml) salt
Also, according to the website wtsp.com, ‘Stomach Flu’ could be caused by your refrigerator. The article, which you can read here, recommends to check out your refrigerator and make sure it is at 40 degrees or below, to follow safe food handling at home to prevent deadly food poisoning.
Click here or here to figure out if you are suffering from Stomach Flu (Gastroenteritis) or Influenza.
By JM Perez
