In sickness and in health

Caring for an ill child is one of the hardest things to do in the world. Besides the more disgusting part of it (the vomit and the poop) there are the other aspects that tire you out. Over the last few days I have been through another small emotional and physical roller coaster. It started with a bad mango…

A few days ago Iman and I shared a mango at a restaurant. The innocent fruit (not so innocent later…) was actually quite tasty. It was hardly a couple of hours after dinner that I saw the mango again. Iman had discretely chosen to go in the corner behind the dining table before vomiting it out. When I got to her, the look on her face clearly said that there was more coming… but as we rushed to the bathroom, there came more and more and then some more!

Phew.

That was a lot of cleaning up I had to do. Someone like me isn’t the kind of person who would be much help when another got sick. In fact not only does it gross me out, but it also makes me react in a similar fashion. Hmm… so you’d think that I wouldn’t really be good in this kind of a situation. But the funny thing is that when your own kid gets sick… the actual “sick” part of it isn’t gross any more. When I see Iman get sick, it doesn’t bother me at all, I’m actually so worried about her and how she feels that I can’t seem to see anything beyond that.

It reminds me of my Dad. He handled all the “sick” situations in our house. Any time any one of us would run to the bathroom, mouth covered by hand, he would be quick to rush in behind us. He would hold our hair back and stroke our backs telling us that it would be ok… he was right here. “Take it easy honey, you’re going to be fine.”

I always wondered how someone could do that. You know… stand behind and watch. EEEEEWWWWWW!!

But really, it’s not ewwwwwww. It’s actually really scary when it happens to your own child. There isn’t anything in the world I wouldn’t do to save Iman from all ill health and everything bad in general.

Parenthood is a tough job.

So after the vomiting incident a few days ago, things really haven’t settled for my little one. After the puking came the fever, the cough and the runny nose. And along with all those came a very clingy and cranky baby. Her eyes don’t have that magical spark and her flaming attitude is burning low. I miss my baby…