The "F" Word.

So last week Ava finally caught it, the FLU! As much as we were dreading this and doing the best we could to prevent it, we still knew it was coming. Not ONLY because Ava is now enrolled in Preschool and exposed to that many more dirty, germy little hands, but because this is the first year of her life that she is NOT receiving the synagis(RSV) shot every month through the flu season. I was terrified, because very often, as many of us heart mommies know, FLU, or even just a common cold can result in a not so fab ER trip/hospitalization. BUT, I can't keep this girl in a bubble, as much as that thought sometimes appeals to me, so you just have to be ready, for anything.

So, Ava was complaining of tummy aches and had some serious mudbutt going on(TMI, I know, I know. But many of us ARE parents, and is there even such thing as TMI once you are a parent?!) for a few days before she spiked a 104 temp. Before the fever broke Ava was running around like the usual, lovable little maniac she is. Once that fever spiked though, she was sleeping all day, had no appetite and had a little accompanying cough. It took everything out of her. Her eyes got droopy, though she never once complained, and after her very loooong naps, she would often wake up and instantly start doing her usual dance and singing into a microphone(either her wand, hand or blanket), though that wouldn't last longer than 5 minutes and was followed by another nap. Always in good spirits though, that's my lil diva girl! :) I didn't get too terribly worried though(HAH, right...) until I noticed her breathing started getting just a little bit faster. We put her cardiologist on alert, and dusted off the good old oximeter machine, stats were "good" not great, but not bad either, thank goodness.

Husband and I went back and forth and back and forth weighing the pros and cons of keeping her home and monitoring VERY closely vs taking her into the ER and risking her catching something possibly worse. In the end we decided that as long as she wasn't at ALL showing any signs of distress, we needed to keep her home and as comfortable as possible. After 3 heart catheterizations just this year, Ava has serious anxiety any time we even pull up to the UCD parking lot, and who can blame her. She is terrified now anytime we go to any Dr, where before she had no qualms and trusted them all, she wakes up at night and needs reassurance that we are right there and she is safe, none of this was a problem before the multiple hospital visits this year. It's pretty heartbreaking and definitely will play a part in my decision making about whether to expose her to any unnecessary hospital and even Dr visits from now on.

Anyhow, Ava's fever broke a few nights ago, the following day her temp was running just a little low, the lowest it got was about 96.5, but it shot back up by night's end and has been in the normal, non-temp range since then. Ava is still super lethargic, sort of pale, a bit weak, and doesn't have her full appetite back just yet, though. :( I am just hoping this is the last I have to hear of the flu for the rest of the season! We are done with you, flu. Be gone.