Rotavirus strikes the Briggs house

It was a very miserable week and a half at our house. It started with Alexa and quickly spread to all of our family. It was impossible to keep up with all the vomit, diarrhea, dirty laundry, soiled carpets, and four sick children that needed extra TLC when Matt and I were sick, too. Luckily, we all got better after a couple days except for poor Alexa. She went over 4 days without keeping anything down. She was so ill that she wouldn't even move or speak to us. I called her pediatrician and they wanted me to bring her in. I had to take all four kids with me because Matt was working. Alexa was so weak that she was unable to walk. I had to put her and Tysen in the double stroller and push with one arm so that I could carry Bowen in his car seat carrier. At least Gavin was being a very good boy and helped open and hold doors and push buttons on the elevator so I could get all the kids to the office. They did an exam. She had lost 5 lbs which was about 10% of her body weight. They did a quick strep test that was negative. She was able to give a small urine sample that had high levels of ketones indicating that she was very dehydrated. We left with an order for blood work and a prescription for Zofran, an antinausea medication. The Children's Lab didn't open until 3pm so we were told to give her the Zofran and try to get her to drink some Pedialyte while we waited. She was able to drink a couple ounces and we thought that the Zofran was working, however once she woke up from her nap, she vomited again. About that time, a nurse from our pediatrician's office called to check on her. We explained what had happened and they recommended that we take her to urgent care for IV fluids. They were concerned that if her electrolytes got too unbalanced, it could have cardiac effects. I took Alexa to Children's urgent care while Matt stayed home with the other kids. Alexa was seen by another doctor who sent us to the ER where she was admitted for IV fluids. We were there most of the night. I was able to bring her home around 3:30 am. She tolerated the needle stick like a champ. She barely even opened her eyes. Once they started the fluid bolus, she just slept. Even though I was dead tired and not feeling well myself, it was a huge relief to know that she was hydrated. And the smile on her face the next morning was priceless!