Hard work

Do you know what’s hard work?

Looking after your child when they aren’t feeling well.

Do you know what’s even harder?

Looking after your child when you aren’t feeling well.

Last week Kory started with a temperature, cold, cough and was just generally unwell. We stayed home for a few days so I could keep my eye on him. He didn’t want to move out of bed and just wanted to watch tv which is so unlike Kory who is usually bouncing from the walls. I did what any Mum would do, I took care of him, bathed him, gave him medicine routinely, made him snacks and plenty drinks, cuddled him, sat with him, slept beside him and just did anything I could to try and make my baby feel better.

A few days later and he was back to his usual happy self. Yes!

What I hadn’t realised was that the real challenge was yet to come…

A few days later I started with a temperature, achy bones, headache, cold and cough. I thought I’d just sleep it off and feel better soon, I thought I’d just caught whatever it was Kory had. Except I didn’t start to feel better at all, I started to feel worse. To the point that I was in tears. I remember saying to myself ‘if this was how Kory felt, no wonder he was so upset.’ My headache had got worse, my body was aching all over, my temperature had got higher, my nose was totally bunged up and my throat had swelled up too.

After seeing the doctor, it turns out what I actually have is tonsillitis.

Luckily, in the 20 months that Kory has been here, I have never been really unwell to the point of being bed bound or anything of that sort. I’ve had colds and coughs but nothing I couldn’t deal with.

I have never felt this unwell before.

I panicked.

‘How am I going to be able to look after my child when I feel like this?’

My partner can’t just take time off work without plenty of notice so asking him to stay home and help wasn’t an option and there was no one else I could have asked to help.

So I had to do what us mums do, I had to put my needs to one side and take care of my child.

And it was hard work.

All I wanted to do was sit and relax and all Kory wanted me to do was run around after him and play. Then as if I didn’t feel rubbish enough already, the mum guilt set in and I punished myself for not being able to take Kory out, for Kory wanting me to get down and play with him when I felt like I just couldn’t.

The list goes on and on.

I hope I never have to feel that lowsy again whilst taking care of my child.

Look out for my next blog post when I will be sharing with you my tips on what helped me to look after Kory whilst I was sick.