We are SO SICK

The title says it all. We are horribly, terribly, overwhelmingly sick. James is the only one so far not suffering.
I am currently counting down the moments until I can take some decongestant spray.....3....2......1......hallelujah!!!!!

Verity started with a cough a couple days after family day. My SIL was pretty sick that last day of the renos and Verity was all over her lap, so maybe that's where it came from. It was one of those really concerning thick coughs and I was afraid it was going to turn into croup. So I took her off to the doctors where we had quite an adventure. Just as we were waiting to see the doc, the fire alarm went off and the whole building had to evacuate. The fire department showed up. It was the Shoppers Drugmart next door, but I'm not sure what exactly. Their sprinker system went off. So after 15-20 minutes we went back into the clinic and just as the doctor came along, the power went out. He still listened to her chest, there in a dark hallway with only the emergency lights on, and wrote me out a prescription by hand for some kind of steroid that would calm her lungs down.

It worked, but she still went on to develop a brutal cold with a regular sounding cough. Last Tuesday night, I started feeling a little scratchy in the back of my throat and woke up in the middle of the night with everything aching. I got into see my chiropractor Wednesday morning--whom I haven't seen for 2 months because we couldn't afford even the co-payment. I was desperate though. I couldn't sit and couldn't stand from the pain, especially in my hips. Feeling as rotten as I was, I still hauled the kids to Dundas to see her, and put up with THE most atrocious behaviour from Verity. I swear she was possessed.

She was horrible for the rest of the day and I figured something was up with her. Sure enough, just as we were getting her pj's on, she suddenly announced that her ear hurt very badly. So James took her over to the walk in clinic, just in the nick of time, and had her looked at. Ear infection.
By now, I was completely congested, to the point of pain throughout my head, behind my eyes, into my teeth. I'm used to pretty bad sinus problems, but this seemed worse. And now Honour was blowing her nose and coughing like a....I can't think of anything that coughs alot.

James went off to work on Thursday, but decided on his own (after hearing me on the phone, I would imagine) that he needed to come home. Just in time to take Jairus over to the clinic, as he was burning up and hadn't moved from the couch all morning. By now all four of us were pretty much camped out in the family room. I've never been so glad for the 5 channels we get, one which includes TVO kids.
James brought Jairus home with his diagnosis of inner and outer ear infections. He needed Tylenol and Advil for more then 24 hours until his fever of 104 came down. He's still rather lethargic and his eyes are swollen. Also concerning are his blue fingernails.

I started on a regime of Oil of Oregano, only to find out after 24 hours and 4 doses that I shouldn't be taking it during pregnancy. Rats. There is just NOTHING I can take to help this. I can't even take the extra vitamin C that I normally would because for some reason, the stuff I have warns that you shouldn't take it within 2-4 hours of taking another medication, and I'm still on meds for strep throat. If I weren't pregnant, I would risk it.....

And now my nasal spray has kicked in and I can close my mouth. What a relief. The Tylenol is still working, so I can sit here and type. And I double checked with my midwife, Tylenol is OK. Phew.

So now I'm just waiting for Honour to start with something....fever, sore ears/throat, on top of the hacking she's already doing. How about pneumonia? We haven't had that in the house for a few years. This is what I dread every winter: the moment when my entire household is sick. With 3 kids, it's just impossible to isolate any of them.

I really hope this all passes soon.