walkers walk… but runners fly

Stomach Virus of 2023 Recap

Ha!  This post was supposed to be a race recap, but we all know how that turned out.  Instead I’ll share some thoughts on the recent situation here.  The main takeaway is, as always, you just have to take the good with the bad.

On Thursday night, while I was lying in bed feeling queasy but not actually sick yet, I kept thinking “But I have to get up at 5:45!  I have to run!  I can’t stay home from work tomorrow- I’m fully booked with clients!”  It was causing me so much stress that when I finally got sick, it was a relief to realize that none of those things would even be physically possible.  In spite of the discomfort of being ill, there was a certain pleasure in that moment where I knew I had to let it all go.

My daughter had started throwing up right before bedtime, and Friday was the first day she’s ever stayed home sick from middle school.  I know.  How is that even possible???.  She had a 100% perfect attendance record for 6th grade and 7th grade, and then so far in 8th grade she had a few excused absences for things like All-State and All-County band rehearsals, but had never called out sick.  I guess a stomach virus is the one thing you can’t fight off.

If my daughter and I both had to be sick, I’m glad it was at the same time.  Even though she’s 14 and can stay home alone, a stomach virus is a whole different experience.  I felt like she needed me to make the toast and tea, and remind her to sip her water slowly.  ALSO…

It seems like this should be obvious to everyone, but somehow isn’t to kids- there are good places to throw up and bad places.  A good place would be the bucket next to your bed, or the toilet.  An example of a bad place would be the bathroom SINK.  Sigh.  Kids need a little extra guidance sometimes.

In other news, now I know what the cats do all day when we’re gone… ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.  No wonder they’re getting so chubby!  On Friday, I lay on the couch all day and my snuggly calico slept between my legs.  Our other cat, who’s a little more aloof, slept on the other end of the couch.  I was touched that she wanted to be near us (but not too near, of course.)

Such a good snuggler!

Since I really couldn’t do anything else, I read two books!

I thoroughly enjoyed both of these, although they were vastly different from one another.  Central Places was a beautifully-written book that made me re-live my own childhood and high school years.  Although I wouldn’t presume to say I know what it feels like to be the only Asian American in a small town in Illinois, I think most of us can relate to family struggles while growing up, and the feeling of being an outsider.  And although I didn’t live in a small town, Illinois is my home state, and I always have a soft spot for books set in the Midwest.  Without giving anything away, I also loved how in the end, Audrey focused on the truly important relationships in her life.

The Paris Apartment was just fun to read.  It was easy, it was interesting, and kept me happily occupied.

We’re feeling better now and happy to get back to our regular lives!  That’s the other thing I always realize when I’m sick- it’s kind of nice to have a break every once in a while, but my regular life is pretty good.

Have you read either of those books?

What do you do when you’re sick?

 

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31 Responses

  1. Ah life lessons! Better to learn that the sink isn’t a good place to throw up when you’re in middle school as opposed to later in life. And we can all use a reminder not to take anything too seriously since it can be cancelled at a moment’s notice.

    I’m glad that you got the lemonade out of this lemon and had your cat nurses on hand to take care of you. I’m hearing that the stomach virus is a thing so a lot of people are getting a “bathroom vacation” right now.

    1. Oh boy- “bathroom vacation,” I love it! Yes apparently this is going around. What I’m wondering is, can you be immune to a stomach virus??? I better not get this again!!!

  2. Well, better the sink than EVEN WORSE places… like the dinner table!
    A relative of mine had such a mishap. I’ll spare you the details, it’s too gross. My niece and nephew are still traumatized by it, 20 years later.
    So glad you’re feeling better now. Now that you got that virus behind you, you can focus on the big race ahead!

  3. I read the Paris apartment and liked it. I’m reading Trust now.

    Glad you’re feeling better.

    I’m still in a state of depression but hopefully it will heal quickly and I can run one of those 6 paid for races

  4. My son was telling me about one of his friends who recently got really drunk and then threw up in his own bed. Thankfully we have not had that experience in this house. I very much recall when the kids were little and they were able to make it to the bathroom when they had to throw up, and what a glorious day that was. This was followed in glory by the day they could buckle their own car seats properly.
    Hope you’re feeling better!

    1. Amen to the buckling of car seats. My son never learned how to work the 5-point harness and I was mostly grateful for this, so I could make sure it was secured properly. But the day I stopped having to buckle him in to a booster…MAGIC!!

    2. Thank you Nicole- we’re feeling much better. That is a very gross and horrible story!!! Let’s hope that young man learned a lesson (and that he’s not living at home where his mom has to wash the sheets???)

  5. Ugh – so sorry to hear that both you and your daughter were sick. I saw on the news over the weekend that the norovirus is spreading like crazy all over the country. It’s so contagious!

    1. Oh wow. I bet that’s what we had. And I have heard that a lot of people have been getting sick. This explains everything!

  6. I’ve said this before, but my kids seem to vomit with almost every bug. Our financial advisor (we’ve been working with her for over a decade) told me once many years ago that her son had only ever thrown up ONCE his entire life. We saw her a few weeks ago and I brought this fact up and she confirmed her son – now almost 18 – has only thrown up once in his life?! I cannot even imagine. So the fact your daughter has never had a sick day in middle school astounds me. This is wonderful news, and I’m so very sorry her streak had to end (and that you caught the same horrible bug). Ugh. I’m still so sorry Jenny.

    I also 100% agree that as horrible as it is to be sick, it is nice to be sick enough to realize that everything has to get canceled. That in-between stage is one of much anxiety for me. Am I sick? Should I go? Is this in my head? Once vomit comes, I know to cancel EVERYTHING.

    Recently my daughter felt a bit sick to her stomach. Nothing came of it, but she rushed to the kitchen sink and I absolutely panicked. NOT THERE! I yelled. Ugh. I just hate dealing with vomit. I mean…no one likes it I suppose. We have two buckets in a closet in the bathroom for just such a purpose because I also think that throwing up into a toilet is SO gross (but that’s what I always do because it’s a lot easier than cleaning out a bucket…but for the kids, we have he barf bucket. It’s so sad.

    1. It’s very weird how some kids throw up and some don’t. I had completely forgotten about this, but when my son was little he used to throw up with every illness, even a cold. Glad he outgrew that phase!

  7. Oh my stars, that point about GOOD places and BAD places hit home! Even with a bowl next to her bed and the toilet, my girl has hit the sink and the tub (ew). So glad you weren’t alone (those cats may not have moved a lot, but they stayed close!) and are on the mend!

    1. Thank you Lindsay! Glad to know my daughter is not the only one. Yes, it’s funny how much company the cats give even just lying around like lumps.

  8. Oh, I’m sorry you were sick. That sounds absolutely horrible and there’s nothing I hate worse than throwing up. But I love that your kitties gave you cuddles and that you were able to just sit around and read while you’re sick.

    I am generally the kind of sick person who just wants to sleep it off. I have trouble concentrating on books when I feel ill and so I tend to do less reading than usual when I’m sick! I *might* actually turn on the television when I’m sick, which I normally do not do!

    1. I actually lay on the couch all day, alternating between sleeping and reading. Every time I woke up I would read a little, and then drift off back to sleep. It was kind of nice!

  9. At least you kept your sense of humor 😉 Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I was truly sick. I don’t count Covid because I wasn’t confined to the bed, nor did I feel “that sick” other than some body aches and chills the first day or so. And, I was able to work from home (though I did have some brain fog). I’m glad you’re both feeling better!

  10. Oh nooooo the bathroom sink! Ugh. But seriously, these are things that maybe you don’t know when you are 14, and also that you may not think to teach because it seems so obvious! (All the love to my poor mother, I once threw up in the shower. I was so hurt that she got annoyed at me, but now I get it. Oh, how I get it.)

    I’m glad you were able to be home sick together, too. Stomach viruses make me want my mommy. And your cats were very kind to heal you with their snuggles.

    Of those two books, I have only read The Paris Apartment and it wasn’t a hit for me. It was a quick read though, I’ll give it that. I’m really glad you were able to read some enjoyable books during your illness!

    1. Ha ha… I’m trying to decide which is worse, the sink or the shower.
      About The Paris Apartment- if I were in a different mood I might not have enjoyed it. And I’m pretty sure I won’t remember much about it in a couple months. But for whatever reason, I enjoyed it right now.

  11. Sorry to hear you have been sick; I have actually seen a couple other people post about this, so I think that it is going around!

    I read and enjoyed the Paris Apartment and all of her books that I have read so far. They are entertaining, a bit predicable sometimes, but fun! I have not read the other book and in fact, I just went and put it on hold at my library! I have 8 weeks to wait but will let you know what I think!

    1. Yes, there’s a stomach virus going around for sure.
      I also read The Guest List, and enjoyed that. I’ll be interested to hear what you think of Central Places!

  12. Ugh, stomach bugs are so awful. Paul threw up early in the morning yesterday. I was still in Chicago so it made a rough week for Phil even rougher! Both kids were home w/ him Wed/Thur, he had to shovel/snow blow 17″ of snow, he tried to work, and then had a sick kid! Luckily he only threw up that 1 time and felt better by mid-day. But oof did that up the mom guilt on my end as I am definitely the caretaker in our family! And of course he threw up in his bed. Last time he threw up on his floor so I guess it was better to puke in bed?

    I will have to read Central Places! I grew up in a rural setting and was very much an outcast since I was not athletic. So that book sounds relatable for me, but obviously not because of my race!

  13. Ugh, I am so sorry that you and your daughter got so sick. That sounds absolutely terrible, and especially to interfere with a race. Nooooo!

    I feel like I don’t do anything but watch tv when I’m sick. It’s hard for me to focus on books when I feel crummy. The last time I was sick, I watched an entire season of Cheer and Master Chef, lol.

    Lazy kitties! Haha. Getting a pet camera led me to realize my cats DO NOT MOVE FOR HOURS. Some days, I’m gone the entire day and they just sleep and sleep and sleep, not moving from their spot at all. Hahaha.

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