People always say that the holidays are crazy. And you know us, we wanted to keep our part of the crazy up-to-date this year too.

Driving back to my brother’s house after Christmas Day festivities, Harlon broke out in hives – all over his face and neck. We tried to go to an urgent care but they were closed for Christmas. So we gave him some Benadryl and things cleared up for a bit.

The next morning while driving up to Oregon, he started to break out again. It was just me and the boys so I was remaining as calm as possible while I figured out a game plan. He took some more meds and passed out as the hives cleared up again. Once we got to Bend, Oregon I had started to suspect the plastic tablet case he’d recently got was the culprit. Took that fucker off and Hives-Be-Gone!

I thought that was the beginning and the end of our ‘Crazy Christmastime’ but, sha right!

Later that night, two family members came down with ‘something’. Food poisoning was thought but the rest of us were ok. By the next day, Wyatt caught that ‘something’- vomiting all over. And once he stopped, I picked up where he left off…. and another family member was to follow soon after.

By Saturday, we all seemed to be back to somewhat OK so I prepared to get us packed and ready for an early morning drive back to my brother’s in NorCal on Sunday. As we were saying our goodbyes Sunday morning with the car packed and everyone pee-free… Wyatt projectile puked- literally as we walked to the front door. We gave him some stuff to settle his stomach and decided to wait a bit before leaving.

Nothing helped and he continued to vomit with every sip of water or juice. Nothing would stay down and blood started to streak his vomit. I rushed him to urgent care as blood filled his puke bags. I started to cry as the doctor hugged me. He didn’t like what he saw, I was scared, it was the anniversary of my dad’s passing, I was having flashbacks of both my parents in the hospital during the holidays. It was Crazy Town and I was the Mayor. We were then sent to the ER with the doctor notifying them we were on the way.

It took 2.5 hours and three groups of people (ER staff, NICU staff and eventually the Dream Team) to finally get enough blood for labs and to place the IV. He was screaming and severely dehydrated, begging me to get him out of there. I was sobbing, covered in vomit and feeling completely helpless. Thankfully Harlon was occupied by his now case-less tablet (because, no more medical shit, k?) and was with my step mom …. in a safe space so they couldn’t hear Wyatt screaming.

Abdominal ultrasounds were completed and blood tests were performed with the thought to eventually be that he caught the Norovirus. And with this, we were moved up to the pediatric floor where everyone had to gown up when entering the room.

It felt like a snail’s pace recovery. Not knowing when we would be able to get back home, I sobbed on the phone with airlines to find an available seat for an unaccompanied minor just so Harlon wouldn’t have to risk more contamination. That and I felt so guilty for him, spending his whole vacation with sick peeps. And not seeing snow like I had promised. I know it seems silly now but I felt so, so bad for him. But being so close to NYE, no seats were available.

John flew up and we were finally discharged later in the day New Years Eve. We monitored Wyatt closely that night- which was thankfully, vomit-free.

I am happy to report that we are all finally back home in Orange County and feeling good…. though extra tired. I am so grateful for my family and fantastic hospital staff. And for friends who listened to me text-freak-out throughout it all. How some of the fam made it out virus-free? No fucking clue. But glad they did. So, bye-bye 2019. Cheers to 2020. Let’s see what other (vomit and shit-free) adventures await!