sick of sick - warning, parts of this post are graphic in nature. reader discretion is advised

Well, here we are at the start of a new week and a new month and yet it is still looking surprisingly like the old one. I feel like someone in my family has been sick throughout the entire month of October...which really sucks because October is my favorite month. I'm not just playing favorites, because it happens to be my birthday month, it really is THE best month. Fall, changing leaves and crisp air and cool sweaters, plus there's Thanksgiving, and who doesn't love a mountain of turkey and trimmings? Plus, my birthday. Yes, it does add. And then top it off with Halloween. Quite possibly the most fun holiday ever...it does rival Christmas, especially when you have little kids. So like I was saying, October is the best month - and we have spent 99.9999999% of it with someone being under the weather. That person is usually Max, which makes me feel even worse for him, because his October REALLY sucked, but we've all had our turns. This month I have gone through 14 boxes of kleenex...14 people! about 8 of those have been in the last week. On some days, I was changing diapers up to 10 times a day because of diarrhea. My son is 2 1/2. Not a new born. 10 diapers a day, is a LOT! I've cleaned up vomit, diarrhea, and boogers out of crib sheets and bedding on multiple occasions this month. I've cleaned up diarrhea off my In-Law's basement floor, and washed clothes and bedding multiple times a day in some cases. And of course, after each of these diapers, nose wipes, and bedding changes, I've been washing my hands, which are now sandpaper versions of their former selves. For the most part, I have been able to avoid most of the sickness and just be the caregiver...which I may have been begrudging a little bit, because really, most people would rather be taken care of, then be the one taking care...well, I got my turn. This past week, our entire family has been down with this ridiculous H1N1 virus. And when I say down...I mean DOWN! It has been a week. Last Sunday afternoon is when it hit, and there hasn't been a moment where any one of us could sit up and say, "Hey, I think I'm feeling better." We wake up in the morning, knowing none of us has enough energy to do anything more than shower (which is necessary to provide at least a moment of relief). We stare into the day just waiting for the hours to pass by and then the night comes...the dreaded night. When you're so tired and want sleep SO badly, but are actually fearful to go to bed, because who knows what it will mean. Coughing all night, wheezing, stuffy nose to the point that your lips and gums are cracking and bleeding from being so dry. Tossing and turning for hours until the relief of morning comes, and you can sit and stare again. But of course, the coughing and wheezing and stuffy nose continue through the day, it just seems easier to handle when it's light out. We have been fortunate that the kids have slept well throughout this, as Tyler and I definitely have not. It's gotten to the point where I blow my nose and all I get out is blood. Yes, blood. I am filling up my garbage cans with more boxes of kleenex that are laden with my own blood. We've eaten toast and soup for a week straight. Dishes and laundry have piled up and the house looks like an explosion went off. Any other time someone is sick, I make sure to disinfect and clean sheets to get rid of germs, but since I'm down this week too, getting to those things just hasn't happened, so all I can do is sit on the couch and stare at the mess, imaging the germs taking over our house and leaving us in the state forever! There was some solace yesterday in that Max appeared to be doing better, the only problem being that having a 2 year old that feels better when his mom does not leads to a lot of messes that no one wants to clean up. On Thursday evening, we managed to get our hands on some prescriptions for tamiflu, the antiviral for this sickness. The side-affects of which reads: warning, may cause drowziness and dizziness. We both thought to ourselves, "drowsiness...bring it on!" Of course not. Instead, Tyler got terrible bouts of stomach pain and nausea and I got dizziness in the form of feeling like someone was starting a helicopter engine in my head, the roar of which vibrated through my ears all night. Fortunately, after 2 or 3 days your body becomes accustomed to the side-affects and you don't notice it anymore. So are past that point. An Antiviral, however, does not relieve symptoms...it is just an overall 'get well soon' card. So we have these meds in our bodies, which Max gags at every time he has to take it, but no relief. But we keep taking, with the assumption that it is the right thing to do.
So here we are, November 1st, and this thing still hangs on. I have often thought when I get a cold or sickness, "ok, this is what I'm dealing with for the next few days." and you wrap your mind around it and prepare to feel 'unwell' for a few and then start to pick up, with a few of the symptoms remaining for a week or even 2. Well, this little devil has clawed into our lives and hung on as tight as it can for an entire week now, with no respite. I think that I may literally collapse from insanity rather than any of my actual flu symptoms. Best part, I think it's turned into a sinus infection. oh joy.
That is the end of my ranting, because I need to have a shower. There have been many blessings throughout this week, and I want to be sure people know that...I will talk about those in another post. For now, this is my 'up yours' to the flu. Better days ahead...right?