Diarrhea and the after effects

Monday (15 Sept 08)

Aisya Nayly, the baby in the house (actually she's Nini's baby - I just used her presence whenever the children ask for their own baby:-) got sick since yesterday. She had diarrhea and vomitting with a little bit of fever. When we got home from work/school that day, found out that Aisya were not at home - Nini (my SIL) took leave to take care of her, so, she didn't send her to Kak Su (my live-in assistant). When I called Nini that evening, she said that Aisya had not been eating well, she just want to sleep, not active at all and still had diarrhea and vomitted after milk. I told her to bring the baby back to the doctor since she's not active. That actually reminds me of the talk show in radio IKIM about diarrhea. There's a caller who said that his 1-yr old baby passed away because of diarrhea. He brought the baby to hospital when it was already too late - the baby had organ failure due to dehydration, just about a week after the diarhea episode started. So, if baby has diarrhea and not active, better get treatment -they get dehydrated faster compared to adult.

Well, at about 8pm, Nini called for advise on GL (my knowledge on Freescale's admins still laku lagi:-), I directed her back to the nurse on duty, of course. After 10pm, got sms from her saying that Aisya is admitted to SJMC. I dreamt that my hubby told me his parents are coming. And then I dreamt again that he said that they've arrived. The next thing I know, it's already time for sahur. And then I realized that those info are not dreams. My in-laws drove all the way from Alor Setar after Terawih/Tadarrus to KL and plan to arrive in time for sahur. Just when I started to get worried if we have enough food for all, Azlin said that Mak bawa makanan from Alor Setar...oh ok!

Tuesday 16 Sept 2008
Only Alif go to school today. Anis still has stomachache - she came back from school yesterday looking really sick with tear stain on her face. Doctor said, it's just wind in the stomach - probably gastric. Ahmad complaint of headache. Then in the afternoon called me to inform that he's having fever, 38.4C but refused to break his fast. But eventually gave in and took a drink. Fever subsided in the evening. Mentioned that he had diarrhea - twice. But Anis still has stomachache though I can't gauge how bad since she looks like she's not sick at all. My in-laws took care of Aisya in the hospital so that Nini can go to work. I took Alif to see Aisya in the hospital on the way back from school. That's a promise I made to him if he go to school. He cried when Azlin carried him to the car in the morning and said that he wanted to go to school later with Abah, after he watched his cartoon. He promised. On the way to school, Azlin mentioned that he "tercirit" in his underwear but he still wanted to go to school. I guess the motivation of visiting Aisya in the hospital really works. He had fun in the hospital...finished up Aisya's soup. Aisya couldn't stomach the hospital food at all! Poor girl. But she was happy to see her Abang Alif.

Thursday
Aisya was finally released from the hospital. By this time, her cousin, Kimi who came to see her in the hospital with Azreen's parents had also started vomitting. Ahmad vomitted a couple of times on Wednesday night - after berbuka. He still go to school today but called me in the afternoon telling that he felt like vomitting but nothing comes out and he has headache. The kids always wanted to call mummy first even though I told them to go to see teacher in the first place and let the teacher call mummy if something was wrong with them...they still prefer to call me. Anyway, that night, Kak Su pulak pening and by the time sahur, she couldn't get up much.

Friday
Kak Su slept almost the whole day today. Mak said she get up only a couple of times, probably to get the laundry and then go back to bed. She was in her room most of the time. Looks like she's on MC la today. It was a bit frenzy in the kitchen, I have to do everything now. Anis is of not much help coz she said she still have stomachache. Luckily Azlin came home early and helped out with the cleaning. I cooked the simplest meal -- kembung goreng + kembung goreng masak kicap. And then run to bazar ramadhan across the street from our block to get ayam percik for Ahmad since he refused to eat fish. Until iftar time, Kak Su still baring in her room. I brought her dates and make her get up and break her fast. Then, she went back to sleep after Maghrib prayer. I guess I miss having Kak Su around to help me in the kitchen. I am pampered since the last 9 years!



Saturday
It was quiet in the kitchen when I go downstairs to prepare for sahur. I think this is the first time in almost 9 years Kak Su has been living with us that she missed heat up the leftovers for sahur. Even rice was not cooked - well, I cooked quite a lot for iftar so, there were enough leftovers. I was really tired Friday night, after iftar, I just told Azlin that I need to take a nap for awhile. The usual headache on one side of my eyes was on per its monthly schedule:-) I was planning to mix the chocolate almond cookie dough so that I can bake it the next day - it has to be refrigerated overnight. The next thing I knew, it was already 4:30am and time for sahur. So, frantically, I heated all the lauks needed, and then go back upstairs and wake the children up. Had to do it twice for Ahmad. During all this time Kak Su was still asleep or just lie on her bed. She refused to eat, said that her mouth tasted bitter. I advised her to force herself to eat and drink lots of water. She was still running fever though not as high as last night. And I added a note about having to stay in hospital if she continues lying on the bed, without energy like this. That actually gave her the energy to get up and eat. I haven't seen her eating anything else except date and her coffee during sahur, but today, she took kurma and then all the vitamins that I gave her (peppermint-ginger, garlic + multivit) and to add to that some watermelon. Just to show that she's trying to get better. In the morning, I see up and about, though her still look sick but she's not sleeping all day anymore. I think the thoughts of having to get into a car motivate her the most...


Up till today, though I know and kind of believe that diarrhea and vomit can be contagiuous, I had never experience anything like it. I thought it would never happen. But this week witness the most diarrhea and vomitting cases in the family. First it was Aisya who being a baby had to be admitted. Then Anis...then Ahmad & Alif. Aisya passed motion and her watery stool get on her Mak Tok's dress and tudung (Azreen's mom), who later on who her grandson (Kimi) from her daughter and the day later, the grandma got sick and then the cousin, Kimi pulak get sick. Ahmad vomitted in the bathroom which Kak Su cleaned later on and the next day, Kak Su pulak starts vomitting. As I am writing this, Ahmad had just finished 2 rounds in the bathroom. He doesn't look sick but his stomach couldnt hold food much. I can see my son is shrinking back to his normal size within this one week saja...my oh my...

Aisya on her hospital bed...just woke up from sleep