Just in case anyone was wondering, the stomach flu is not fun.  Not fun for a kid, not fun for an adult and certainly not fun for a toddler with special needs.

**(Not to be read on a full tummy)**

Josephine was hit mid-day on Saturday with a nasty fever of 102.7, followed up by 5 hours of vomiting.  5x changing of Josephine’s clothes, 2x changing of Mama’s clothes, 1x changing of Daddy’s clothes, 1x cleaning of the front door, 1x cleaning of the bathroom (various surfaces)…OK…you get the point.  There was no fun happening at the Senek house that day!

The main reason for this post is to share the importance of getting the special needs child to the ER when something like this occurs.  We didn’t think Josephine was so bad at first, but after the 7th explosive episode in 4 hours, we knew we had to call in reinforcements.

Dr. Silverman (Pediatrician) strongly suggested heading to the ER, especially since she has the “failure to thrive”/weight issue and slightly compromised immune system (comes with the chromosome disorder territory).  After the major loss of fluids (I’d say AT LEAST 8 oz or more), Josephine was very dehydrated and needed an IV to improve her levels.

St. Barnabas Medical Center’s Pediatric ER is wonderful.  We were in very quickly (fortunately, this is only our 2nd visit in almost 3 years) and the doctor started her on fluids and anti-nausea medication immediately.  The nurse also gave her a Tylenol suppository, which brought her fever down almost immediately.  Blood work and a urinalysis ruled out any serious illness or infection and the doctor settled on a stomach bug.

Before the supplemental fluids, Josephine was super tired and almost limp like a rag doll.  After the fluids, she was her perky and happy self…AND SUCH A JABBER BOX (check out the video at :35 – the punchline in her head must have been hilarious…)

Always listen to your heart…a parent ALWAYS KNOWS!