Dealing with a sick child

This last week and by week I mean 9 days, my poor little Gracie has a been a poorly girl. Grace doesnt get ill very often and if she does it lasts a couple of days but this time was different.  Last wednesday, we put her down for her nap and when she woke up she was a bit grumpy and didnt want to eat, then a couple of hours later we noticed she had a temperature, so we gave the calpol, thinking nothing of it, as sometimes (rarely) she gets a fever and by morning is gone.  But not this time, the fever continued but kept coming and going, fooling me into thinking she was getting better.  So she stayed quiet and unhappy but not showing signs of any physical discomfort so I didnt know what it was, thinking it was just a virus passing round the children and would suddenly pass.  It was so strange for her to be ill so long, so after several sleepless nights and being tired of seeing my baby in discomfort and not herself I went to the doctor, who found a throat infection.  But she had also developed ulcers around her mouth, making her even more unhappy.  A day later I realised her gums were all swollen and bleeding, so back to the doctor we went to find she had gingevitus, (a pleasant spinoff from the throat infection) more medicine to take but this is a gel which has be put in her mouth, nearly impossible to put gel in a 1yr olds mouth and make them keep there.  On top of that she is teething with molars, so you can imagine.

It is a terrible thing to see your child ill and not being able to do more than give medicine, cuddles and make them comfortable.  It is a horrible feeling of helplessness that all parents feel in this situation, but I found myself becoming frustrated and annoyed after a few days and aiming that at Grace a little and I felt bad and a little ashamed to admit it. But then I realised, I wasnt annoyed at her, I was frustrated because I was powerless to make her feel better.  She will not take her medicine, so I have to force her to take it by using a syringe type thing and squirting it in the back of her mouth, which makes me feel awful but has to be done to get to the end result of being well again. I am so ready to see the back of this illness, which hopefully is on its way and she is a bit perkier and more herself today. 

But also I truly feel for parents who have children with long-term illnesses and thank god that my children are healthy, most of the time. It takes a lot to deal with a sick child.