Poor Sick Girl

The first day of school Andrea had stomach cramps and diarrhea.  I thought, "great, perfect timing" but since preschool started later in the morning I waited it out and she seemed fine.  The next day of preschool she had cramping after school and more diarrhea.  Since then she has had an "episode" of cramping nearly everyday.  I believe she may have her Daddy's Crohn's Disease, I've wondered this since she was a baby.  Even as a baby she would occasionally have screaming fits followed by lots of tummy rumblings.  I'm sure other mothers would attribute it to gas pains, but the thought of something more was always in the back of my mind. 

This last weekend her stomach cramps turning into the pukes which started Thursday night about 1:00 a.m.  So I figured this was a stomach bug or flu that would pass.  During these rough nights and days I did get a few "Mommy Paychecks" which I definitely needed.  Friday early morning after laying with her in bed for a few hours waiting for the next round of pukes to come I said "let's go watch TV in the living room".  When she asked why I said, because it might good to get your mind off your tummy and we can try some crackers.  When I picked her up to carry her in she said, "you have the best ideas Mom!" and gave me a kiss on the cheek.  By Sunday she had stopped vomiting, but that morning she was sitting on the toilet screaming in pain, and both her and I were in tears not knowing what to do.  At that point Ryan and I were ready to take her to the hospital 'cause we were scared.  It's hard to ask a four year old if the pain is serious enough for the hospital.  She thinks the hospital is where "Grandma Bell" goes, so she's scared of it. 

Luckily the pain went away and even though she got a cold the following day, things are improving.  I mostly wanted to write about this so in the future I can look back and see how long these symptoms have been going on, and also to appreciate the sweet girl she is.  During these rough days and nights I would occasionally lay on the couch during the day to catch up on a few minutes of rest.  If Andrea noticed me resting she would quietly go get a blanket, cover me, and give me a kiss on the forehead. Even though it's been in the high 90s this week, and I really didn't need a blanket, I appreciated the sweet gesture of this caring girl.