Fever...And a New "Cure All"

The best thing in the world happened yesterday - my son got sent home from school with a fever. I'll get to that story in a minute.

Another best thing happened too...Brady's old marble run...his Christmas gift from his third Christmas, is finally in use. I was so proud of myself that year, locating a hand crafted marble run from Lancaster Pennsylvania...made by an Amish man. It's beautiful and came with all of the shiny quarter size marbles. I remember barely being able to keep the gift a secret for the two months leading up till Christmas...I imagined him sitting there playing for hours and being mesmerized by the click clacking of the marbles, I thought about us putting too of the shiny glass balls next to each other and racing them. This didn't happen. He opened the gift, and was not enchanted. He was more "ho hum" and very taken with the M&Ms in his stocking.

It has sat on his shelf collecting dust these last 3 years until yesterday. Trinity got it down and played with it for a bit...and then Tristan had his turn. We didn't see much of him for the next three hours - it was like only having two kids for a bit. Just the baby and Trin and the sound of the marbles sliding down the run over and over again. Tristan lost all track of time, skipped his normal snack - and had two accidents. Yes....apparently he forgets how to properly empty his bladder when he's deep in thought.

Back to my fever story. Zac woke up in the wee hours of the morning on Friday, chilled and with fever...his cough hacking away. I would like to add here that we decided together to go ahead and get some medicine for us to take Thursday since this cough wasn't going away and we weren't getting any sleep at night between us coughing and the kids. I didn't buy the kids anything...just kept up with honey and apple cider vinegar and that would calm it down for them.

Even though Zac had been taking these "pills" for a full day, he got a fever and his cough was still there and all of the congestion. Friday morning I put Brady on the bus, went into the house on my 5 hours of sleep and started up the baked oatmeal and my game of "nurse." Then the phone call came from Brady's school nurse "Mrs Corley, I have your son Brayden here. He's not feelin' too well, has a pretty high fever of 102.9." I was of course concerned but I don't think I was as concerned as the nurse...should that make me feel bad? I did feel bad though that we spread our germs around...but i didn't know that he had a fever and if I was to keep him out for a cough - well, he would have missed 2 weeks of school.

She advised me to take him to the doctor because a fever that high definitely usually means infection. I thanked her and took my little weak and rosy boy's hand and stopped at the pharmacy. I stared at all of the syrups and pills...read the backs of them. I went in there to see if they by chance had any elderberry syrup but the pharmacist didn't' know what I was talking about. I almost bought a box of children's mucinex but just couldn't bring myself to do it. The back read "for temporary relief." I didn't want temporary...i wanted them to be healed.

I gave Brady a warm bath and sprinkled in some ginger powder (regulates body temperature) and started googling to see if there was any place in our little town that would have some more natural herbs and elixirs. And by jove, I found one.

To make a very long story as short as possible, I drove there...met the owner and we talked for almost an hour. He directed me to several things, I salivated over about 100 things...and I will be a regular customer forever/ as long as I'm here. I think this was the first time in my adult life that I actually FELT that a small locally owned business was better for me as a person. Like, I actually got help that I wouldn't have gotten at Wal Mart or CVS.

For instance, the baby had run out of his Hylands teething tablets. I asked if he had any and he said that he didn't but that he had the ones for Colic and they have the same primary ingredients so would do the same for Finn. Huh...didn't know that. I took a bottle. We talked about Aspergers and he was telling me some of the benefits of the Omega 3 family for behavior...he took a bottle out of the refrigerator section and just gave it to me. An entire bottle...said "here, just take it." Then he showed me to the colloidal silver....I've always wanted a bottle but didn't know exactly how to use it. He told me it was for everything...fever, spray it on cuts or burns, put it in your ear for earache - he said he never left home without it. I took a bottle. And two bottles of elderberry syrup - and I left with a lot less money but a lot of help. Oh...and a free bottle of flax oil, he gave me a rather hefty sample of wheat grass and a vanilla protein drink for Brady. AND on top of all of that he is going to research for me a little bit about how to make my own infant formula and call me. Now that's what I call customer service mixed with generosity - he has an 11 year old son who has never been to the doctor...ever. I was most impressed with this gentleman ... to say the very least.

I forgot to mention, before my novel about the herb store..the baked oatmeal was delicious. I added frozen blueberries to it this time instead of crasisins and the kids vacuumed it up. I was walking past the table and took a double glance...and found Tristan going "all natural" at the table. "Holy Moses Tristan, where are your pants?" He just looked at me nonchalantly, the question obviously didn't register - he kept eating. I walked into the bedroom with my load of laundry and saw his marble run enjoying a break from his 2.5 year old friend and remembered that during Tristan's last accident...2 hours before..I had obviously forgotten to replace his dirty undies with some clean ones. Seems he isn't the only one to lose track of time when he's excited about something - I made a mental note to vinegar down all of the dining room chairs later.
I let Brady's fever run it's course last night. It was bit unnerving for me after being told by a nurse that his fever is high...and I remember calling the Pediatrician years ago when Brady had a fever and them telling me that if it gets over 101 I should definitely bring him in. I opened the collidial silver and sprayed it in everyone's mouth. I started giving elderberry syrup to the kids and Zac and gave all of my littles Hyland vitamin C tabs. Brady's fever at one point, while he was sleeping, spiked to 104. I started having a lot of self doubt. My gut told me that this is natural and that his body did indeed have an infection, so everything was just being "wrestled out" on the inside. My heart however was feeling fear. I just prayed - asked God to help me make good decisions, and kept going. I applied a cool cloth to his forehead, made him as comfortable as possible...more colloidal silver...more water, and let him rest. I looked up a little more on the internet about fevers and the general advice was .... if you want your kid to be sick for a long time, then make them comfortable and give tylenol. If you want them to get better fast, but maybe have a sleepless night - let them have the fever.

Trin was complaining about her ear hurting. She complains very loudly I would like to add here...it is the biggest test of my patience. She cries and cries and cries - until I tell her that I'm so sorry that she's hurting but she needs to have time to herself if she can't calm down. And I leave her in her room on her bed - I know, heartless little mama. OH, I poured colloidal silver and coconut oil in her ear. Ever seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding? The father on their thinks that Windex is the cure for everything...sprays it on everything from acne to cuts..uses it to dust. That's gonna be my relationship with my little blue bottle of silver.
It's 6:30 am and I heard a noise in Brady's room. I felt a little panic go through my body because I hadn't checked on him all night....I thought he would wake up and that that would wake me up...I rushed to his room expecting to see a frail little boy gasping for water.

No, instead there he was on the floor, all pink and bright eyed ...drawing a valentines for his sister. His fever is totally gone, and his nose isn't even running. It's like the day before didn't even happen. I went to Trin's room and she was already playing. She smiled at me and said "Good morning mom. Guess what? My ear doesn't hurt at ALL." Ah, maybe we'll start getting a little relief around here. "Good sweetie" I said "looks like you get to go to your valentine's party after all."
Let me tell you, I have been making valentines for Brady's class for Tuesday - 24 of them. When it was suggested to me that he was really sick I almost cried thinking of him missing that special day next week...and a little selfish too because I have spent quite a bit of time writing and coloring and coming up with phrases like "You're a special friend" and "You're Beautifully and Wonderfully Made" (okay.....so I didn't come up with them but still...)

So, once again another successful learning experience. Another day of little gifts from God....in the midst of sickness and tiredness He gave me a crazy excitement over things that HE created that heal. I found support from a stranger, a new place to ask questions...a successful baked oatmeal, a new toy for Tristan, and he got a little unexpected "free time" of sorts. Everyone needs a little "air" from time to time...but you didn't hear that from me.