Tahoe Browders Too: Turkey Day Update

It's official - it's winter in Tahoe. In the past few days we have had about 3 feet of snow fall at our elevation of 6300' with much more at higher elevations. We also have extremely cold temperatures. When we got up this morning just before 7:00 A.M it was all of 6 degrees outside. And right now at almost 4:00 P.M. I think our high temperature has been 23 degrees. And to top off all the snow and ice we still have a sick kid.

After first getting sick on Sunday night, Ben is still not feeling well. He missed school on Monday and ended up getting some good rest throughout the day. We were hopeful to stick with our original plan of loading up and leaving Tahoe on Tuesday morning to drive to Yreka to spend Thanksgiving with my family. But within an hour of falling asleep at bedtime we heard Ben wake up and when we rushed to his room we found him, his bed, and the wall next to his bed dripping with vomit....so much for leaving town on Tuesday morning. Ben's condition seemed to improve on Tuesday and he was even up for some time outside in the blustery snow. He and Sam did a little sledding down the hill on our driveway and used their snow shovels to help dig out the neighbors' front steps. Ben didn't last long before he was tired out but we still saw it as an improvement in his health. Sam stayed outside for quite a while longer with Daddy before finally coming inside to have lunch and proclaiming that he was a baby polar bear. We thought things were again looking up when we put Ben to bed on Tuesday night with food in his belly and no nausea. Again our plans were to load up the car first thing in the morning (today, Wedesday) and head north. Around 6:00 A.M. Ben woke up and seemed to be feeling better but within thirty minutes he was back to diarrhea and vomiting. And again, our travel plans were postponed.

I called my grandparents to let them know that the situation wasn't looking good but with any luck at all we would make the 5+ hour drive on Turkey Day itself and stay through the weekend. I let my grandmother know that I would fill her in more after we took Ben to the doctor this morning.

After finding out that our regular doctor was closed today we opted to take Ben to the Urgent Care clinic here in town. They were extremely understanding and very kind but we still had to wait over an hour to see the doctor. He examined Ben and heard how the last few days had passed and determined that Ben has a case of the stomach flu. He told us the most important thing to do is to replenish anything that is lost (ie. fluids and food) and to stick to the BRAT diet (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast). He also prescribed an anti-nausea medication to help too - it is actually the same drug given to chemotherapy patients. Ben was happy to hear that the doctor also said popsicles would be good for him to have. Before we left the office he had Ben give a urine sample for analysis and as soon as I saw the color of it I knew Ben was getting dehydrated - it was dark yellow :( I wasn't prepared for what the doctor would say about it however. He entered the room and said, "Yeah, he's pretty much starving." What a way to make a mother feel like a failure!!! Tears sprang to my eyes and the doctor immediately tried to comfort me. My feelings were of pure helplessness as my little one sat curled on my lap. And of course I still had to share the news with my parents and grandparents that the doctor advised us to cancel all our travel plans and just stay put at home until Ben was completely well again.

When I gave my grandmother a call I was hoping I wouldn't cry but I did. I was just so sad. Sad that Ben was sick. Sad that our trip was cancelled. And sad that we wouldn't get to see everyone. Thanksgiving has always been a big gathering for my family and a chance to spend several days together catching up after months apart. Brian had even taken off Tuesday through Sunday so we'd have plenty of time to travel and visit. Of course my grandmother is kind, caring and wise and told me she understood my sadness at not being able to come but also understood the importance of getting Ben well. She passed the phone on to my mom and again the tears flowed. Talking to my dad wasn't much better.

After pulling myself together we all sat down to lunch and put together a shopping list for our own Thanksgiving dinner that I will be cooking for the four of us tomorrow. The list included popsicles, the prescription, and Pedialyte for Ben.

Brian and the boys settled in to build with the Kinex and I set out to shop. I recognized a few locals in our local Raley's but for the most part the crowded store and snowy parking lot were full of tourists drawn to Tahoe for the promise of a Thanksgiving ski holiday. Though I was over on the 15 item limit for the quick check one of the cashiers recognized me and led me to it where she proceeded to get me out of the chaos as quickly as possible (thanks, Celia!). When I got home the first thing I heard was, "Mom, may we have popsicles now?" And of course I happily obliged.

It is now just after 4:00 on Wednesday, November 24th, and as of right now all is well. The boys just finished strawberry fruit pops after Ben woke from a good nap. We have all the needed groceries for a small feast tomorrow and we are praying for Ben's quick recovery.

In spite of everything I am thankful. I am thankful for the understanding and love I receive every day from family and friends. I am thankful for Brian who holds me when I need held and gets me through the roughest patches. I am thankful that even though we are still in town Brian is still taking off time from work. And I am thankful for my two beautiful boys who bring so much joy into my life. Despite the vomit, poop, and all other yucky situations I wouldn't trade them for the world.

So, from the Tahoe Browders to everyone out there, Happy Thanksgiving.

And here are a few photos from the past few days....snowy day activities.