Welcome Back, Mommy!

It was as if the virus was waiting for me to come back.

I arrived from China with my two boys picking me up at the airport.  We were all excited to see each other and had fun telling/listening to stories.

You know me, by now... fearful of airplane rides.  The weather did not help so I experienced the longest runway approach of my flying life... around 30-45 minutes of circling around until touchdown.  By the time, I saw my boys, I was having a bad headache because of airplane ride stress.

So, I was extremely yearning for a good night sleep when suddenly the little boy asked for the blanket... quite surprising since he loves the air-conditioning.  A few minutes later he started to have chills.  And then, temperature shot up to the 39s.

After two sleepless nights, he got better, thank God.  He is actually playing with my pasalubong as I speak.

How did we survive?  A little bit of my Mom and Dad's tricks, a compilation of the doctor's instructions from way back and some inputs from the ever reliable Google. (These have worked for me and my kid but each child is different so better to always keep the pediatrician informed.)

• Temperature check is very important.  Whenever it goes up to 38.8 and above, I check it every 15 minutes.  The ear thermometer is not so reliable but it is the quickest way to make the check and it will not disturb the patient that much.
• Fluids indeed help.  It is actually the cheapest medicine.  To make things a bit more fun for the sick kid, the powdered juice would be the best alternative to water.  If there is no sore throat, it helps to keep the water/juice a bit cold.  Use a colorful straw -- they would appreciate not giving too much effort when drinking.
• Throwing up is not really bad.  It is even one way to lower the fever.  If the kid wants to throw up, welcome it (even if it means having to change the sheets).  Better if you have a bowl or mini "palanggana" ready to catch the mess.
• Calpol tastes better than other paracetamol syrups.  My kid hated medicines for the longest time but he can tolerate Calpol.  Hallelujah!
• Never bundle up when fever is high.  The idea of overdressing a sick kid is passé.  It will just make the temperature go even higher.
• Based on experience, fever usually peaks at night.  Be prepared not to sleep.  Paracetamol does not work sometimes... so thanks to the ancient way of "punas" (read: washcloth treatment).  Cloth should not be too wet and not too cold.  The vinegar mixture is still reliable.  But I read in some internet materials never to use the alcohol as it can cause shock.
• Aim for the kid to have the longest uninterrupted sleep.  It has proven to make wonders for my kid every time he is sick.  Whenever he goes beyond the 6-hour borderline, he gets better the next day.  
• Lastly, the moms should take multivitamins.  Sleepless nights can really make you vulnerable to the circulating virus.  The next thing you know, you are the new patient.

So yes, I am starting to rest and enjoy my return only now.  Thank goodness for the holiday, else I would be a walking zombie in the office.

I am not complaining at all.  It's part of being a Mommy.  And I am lucky to have an appreciative kid.  Aside from the constant Thank Yous, the best compliment of the weekend was -- "Mommy, your punas is very, very good."