By: Jenna Collins
Updated: Oct. 23, 2020
Originally Published: Dec. 20, 2011
- To kick off the holiday season, I ensured my son was absolutely THRILLED about our trip from snowy Colorado to sunny California on Christmas Eve to see his grandparents, along with his dad, baby sister, and me.
- During the flight, I noticed he seemed a bit under the weather. I regretted canceling his flu shot appointment a couple of weeks prior, but I brushed it off, thinking, “He’ll be fine!”
- We landed on Christmas Eve, and the excitement was palpable. The kids enjoyed the beach, greeted their great aunt and uncle, and baked Christmas cookies with Grandma. Of course, I was aware he may have licked his fingers and touched everything in sight, but that detail would come back to haunt us later. We settled in for the night after putting the kids to bed and playing Santa, feeling content with our holiday spirit.
- However, my peaceful slumber was interrupted by the sounds of retching. I woke up to find not only my son but also my husband battling fevers and severe discomfort. They were both in a terrible state. I spent the rest of the night worrying, changing sheets, and giving them ibuprofen, while I, being in healthcare, had received my flu shot. The baby was also spared, as she was too young for such ailments.
- Christmas Day arrived, but the magic of Santa was lost on my son, who was too ill to care. Nana and Granddad started the morning with good spirits, but soon fell victim to the same illness. Texts from family revealed that my aunt and uncle, who had visited the day before, were also going down for the count. My son had managed to spread the flu to at least five people, and I began to feel the weight of potential blame as news reports highlighted California’s flu outbreak. Meanwhile, the baby and I were left isolated, surrounded by sick relatives, prompting me to go on a cleaning spree.
- What began as innocent cleaning quickly turned into an obsession. I scrubbed every surface with bleach and prepared pots of chicken soup. It felt like we were trapped in a petri dish of flu, and there was no one left to help us. Just the two of us standing tall amidst the chaos.
- On the third day, my sister called from Minnesota, cheerful and blissfully unaware. “Oh wow! So sorry we couldn’t come this year!” She hung up quickly, as if the flu germs might somehow travel through the phone lines.
- Days rolled by, and the flu was relentless. It was an endless cycle of soup, crackers, forehead checks, cleaning, and washing laundry. I was the sole caretaker, managing everything myself.
- Slowly, my family began to reemerge. My son still had a high fever, so I took him to urgent care on Saturday, where we spent hours waiting. He had a ruptured eardrum and was prescribed antibiotics.
- My mom started coughing incessantly, which kept her awake at night. I took her to urgent care on Sunday, and after more waiting, she was diagnosed with bronchitis and given antibiotics.
- To top it all off, my son reacted poorly to the antibiotics, leading to more vomiting and severe irritation. When I placed him in the shower to clean him up, I was alarmed at how frail he appeared. Back to urgent care we went.
- At the clinic, a nurse informed me that I would need to help hold my son down while they administered a painful antibiotic shot. My poor, frail boy cried so hard that he ended up with a bloody nose. In that moment, I might have promised him the moon – or at least a pony.
- Finally, after ten long days, recovery began. With only three days left of our vacation, my son was able to eat again! We celebrated by taking him to the zoo and park, where he could finally see some palm trees.
- When he returned to kindergarten, he had to write about his Christmas vacation. His story? “This Christmas, I got sick and had to get a needle in my butt. It was this big —————. And I had a lady lay on me.”
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In summary, what started as an anticipated holiday trip turned into an unforgettable experience marred by illness. Despite the chaos, my son’s perspective on the holiday will certainly become a cherished family story.