Biohazards

So I can generally count on getting sick 3-4 times a year, I usually always get at least 2 colds, and a stomach bug at some point during the year. I’m not sure if it’s getting older or what but this year I’ve picked more than my fair share of the viruses going around, I had one in March (the actual flu, that was ugly haven't had that in many years), and a stomach bug a couple weeks ago. With allergies thrown in, it feels like I’ve been feeling yucky for 3 months now.

It could be just having a kid around (who likes to spend a lot of time as CLOSE to mom as physically possible when I’m home) who seems to bring home ever virus known to humans. I think no matter how hard you try, it’s just inevitable that kids get this stuff. We did really good the first 2 years of Jake’s life, he really didn’t have anything but the sniffled once, part of that was he wasn’t around a lot of kids, but I do think a big part was that I breastfed him until he was almost 25 months, so he got the immunio benefits from that as well. By the time he started pre-school, and I weaned him, he started picking up every virus out there. I read at the Mayo clinic site that 8-10 viruses of some sort a year are in the “normal” range for kids, that means almost one virus every month. With Jake still sucking his thumb, he probably naturally falls in the high range. I’m hoping this means that maybe he won’t get quite so many once he gets to “real” school.

Which is just a long introduction to say that, it looks like Jake and I have bronchitis. That is the last thing I needed!!! I actually feel good if you can get around the fact that I sound like I’m going to loose a lung the hard way any minute. Unfortunately its acute viral bronchitis, which means no antibiotic, and one of those ‘go home it will get better in 7-14 days” things (I did get some of the “good” prescription cough medicine, so I guess it was worth the trip, I don’t know, I think unless an ambulance is needed I’m just going to skip going to the doctor, it’s ALWAYS a virus).

This always brings up one of my biggest dilemmas as a mom, because I never know how “safe” to play it with Jake, and being around other people. If you say 8-10 viruses that last 7-14 days are in the “normal” range for kids, that is 56-70 days per year (if you go 14 days instead of 7 you are talking 112-140 which is almost half a year) it’s fairly obvious that you can’t keep a kid “in” every single day that they have existing symptoms of a virus. Most experts say that you are only contagious for the first few days, although that varies depending on what you read. I read an article last year on the study of viruses (fascinating and scary stuff actually), and even outside the really deadly super viruses like HIV, or the avian viruses (bird flu would fall into those although there are a number of avian viruses), we live in a world of “super” bugs now. Much of it our own fault for being too darn clean, (amongst other things we’ve done to create super viruses, viruses are one of the most adaptable organisms in the universe) but that is another topic. In reality, according to multiple studies we are most contagious with a virus in the days before we show any symptoms, before we even know we have anything, but are pretty contagious for quite a few days in the 7-14 day range.

So how do you allow your kid to have a life without giving the germs to everyone you know? I’m not really sure, part of me wants to just say “people are going to get it anyway” (in the doctor’s office there were a least 4 people that I’m pretty sure had the same thing I did), and as long as Jake “feels” o.k., not worry about it. The other part of me says “that is not very fair to everyone to let my little walking contagion out and about”, we’re working on good hand washing, but he isn’t quite there yet. I’m trying to figure out the “middle ground” if there is one. Do you go with the “keep them in with a fever until 24 hours after it breaks” (often there is no fever at all with bronchitis, neither of us have had one)? Use the same rule with throwing up, and 2 weeks to be in a pool after diarrhea which is the public pool? I’m not sure, Jake and I both stayed home from church yesterday, and Jake is in that house for at least the next few days (which he is not happy about, he feels pretty good like I do except for the cough, and some fatigue), until he doesn’t sound so bad.

As for me?

Well I’m at work of course, because apparently I’m much more worried about someone accusing me of letting my kid get their kid sick than I am of someone finding out that I was the one that spread bronchitis around the office (I’m actually here a half day, I’m going to work the next 2 days from home, I’m not a complete jerk).