I think that one of the worse feelings you experience as a parent is how you feel when your children are ill.
Helplessness
Worry
Stressed
Sick to your stomach
Wishing you could have it for them
I am blessed with having two healthy and fit boys who on the whole are well and full of beans. They get colds a plenty of course, and have suffered with teething, just like any other child.
But when your child is really poorly and doesn’t eat, doesn’t want to play much, has a high temperature which makes them sick, sleeps a lot of the time and is just surviving on 24 hour calpol/ibuprofen doses it makes you feel dreadful.
Having to rush off to A&E dressed only in their pants because their temperature is too high
Bringing up water because they have a very high temperature.
Their diet of calpol/ibruprofen making them have a very bad upset tummy when only water comes out
Seeing their usually robust and chunky little bodies shrink in front of you, revealing their ribs more and their little tummies sticking out when they stand up, but so flat when they are lying down outstretched
They suddenly appear so fragile and small.
It upsets you and it is hard at times not to let it show in front of them.
You have to disguise how you feel on the inside and put on a show on the outside to make them feel comforted. The complete opposite to how you really feel.
Upbeat
Cheery
Happy
Smiley
Dry eyed
And seeing their Daddy, who usually manages to hide his feelings better than me, as I am an emotional wreck since becoming a Mummy anyway, show signs of being visibly upset is sad too.
And what breaks my heart more than anything? When despite feeling so unwell they can manage a little smile for you
Now I am well aware that whatever it was that Burton had last week, it wasn’t anything too serious thankfully. After 5 days of having a temperature of 40.3, and still not knowing what he had or why he had it, he is on the mend. There will be times of course, when he, and his brother, will be unwell again and may well be worse than how he was last week. I am fully aware of this fact.
I am also fully aware that I only have to endure these worrying moments sporadically and not all the time. My heart goes out to any parent who has a child who is constantly ill, or requiring hospitalisation and treatments or operations. I honestly do not know how they manage to stay strong and upbeat. I crumble after a few days, I cannot imagine how it must be when day turn into weeks, into months and even into years. I guess they have no choice. They just have to get on with life and cope. It is a way of life. Their way of life. These parents have my upmost respect and admiration (and I do not mean that to sound patronising in anyway).
It also makes me think of the families you see on Comic Relief, for example, who don’t have easy access to a health clinic or hospital. Who don’t have clean water and food. How must they feel when their little ones are ill?
Being a parent is the best feeling in the world. Yet it can also create the saddest ones too. It makes you appreciate what you have and I feel extremely lucky and thankful.
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| on the mend 🙂 |
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Thank you xx
Thank you xx
Very true post Jenny, I feel the same about Mads, it is not nice to see them poorly. You wish you could make them feel better don’t you? x
Awww poor Burton! I hope he is feeling much better soon. It is never easy seeing them unwell and I don’t think it will ever get easier, even when they are fully grown!
Glad to hear that Burton is on the mend. I am a terrible worrier when my children are poorly, like you I thank goodness that on the whole my babies are healthy.
Glad they are feeling better now. Its sooo true, it’s such an awful feeling when they are poorly, you can’t do anything but worry for them and its always so scary. Z gets v high temps and always feels like he’s burning up, and it always happens when he’s teething. Hope you all have a much better week soon xx
Could have taken the words out of my mouth, there really is nothing like a sad and ill child to make you feel helpless and useless. It breaks my heart a little bit every time my little guy gets a bump or a bruise, and while I know that it’s an inevitability, it still doesn’t seem to get easier. This weekend he got really bitten by some midges, within about 10 minutes of being outside at a picnic. My mumma-bear instinct meant that if I could have killed every midge on the planet then I would have done it. I guess it’s just part of the job description.
I’m glad to hear that Burton is on the mend now though and I hope you get a good long spell of good health now. X
A lovely post, Jenny, and very happy he is on the mend 😉
aww Jenny, just reading this I had to stifle a sob. Sam has been hospitalised a few times but *touch wood* it’s not been for a good few years & the other two haven’t…..it is so hard to keep it together when you see them so poorly. I’m glad Burton is better now & I hope J is feeling better now too x
Oh Jenny, halfway through and that photo of B and your description has made me cry. He was so poorly bless him, and he is trying to look so cheerful! I’ll go back and finish the post now…
…without a doubt, we are so lucky to have mostly healthy children and be able to access healthcare when we need it.
So pleased he’s back to his normal self now, the poor boy.
it is the worse feeling Katie and i wish i could have it for them xx
he is better now thanks Laura. you are right we will always worry about them x
thanks he is better now. it is a blessing to have happy and healthy children isn’t it xx
i love your use of the phrase mumma-bear!! he is better now thank you and i hope he (and Jenson and the beautiful boy) enjoy some good health for a while now x
thanks Mirka I am very pleased he is better too xx
Helen it makes me get teary just seeing that photo of him trying to smile at me! i am glad all out children are ok at the moment *touches a lot of wood* (not that kind you dirty minded woman!) x
it makes me teary just seeing that photo of him attempting a smile for me. thank you and we are very lucky x
It is such a horrible feeling of helplessness when your little one is ill. I luckily have 4 healthy children which means we have had minimal worrying times but I will always remember the time Emilie had swine flu; it was awful & I will admit I cried on numerous occassions, I was so worried about her & I could do nothing to hekp her other than sit by her side & hold her hand.
I have the upmost respect for parents who have to deal with seriously ill children day in & day out – they are heroes!