TV, Gatorade and No School

Poor William, he hasn't been feeling well since Monday.  He has had a sore throat, runny nose, cough and a fever.  He stayed home on Monday and Tuesday.  Tuesday evening he was looking so much better that I was sure he would go to school on Wednesday.  That was not to be the case.  He woke up on his own and came downstairs fully expecting to go to school but he ended up curled up in a chair trying to catch a little more sleep because he still felt tired.  I looked at his pale skin, watery eyes and flushed cheeks and realized that my plans for the day were going to be drastically changed.  

William curled up in front of the TV with the remote (doesn't a remote make it easier to be good and sick? so little effort required).  All he could manage was a few clicks when necessary to change the show.  He was so lethargic I decided that I better take him in and get him checked out.  I wanted to make sure that he didn't have strep.   William was reluctant to leave his cozy nest on the couch but agreed with me that he had better see a doctor.

At the doctor's office William bravely choked and gagged his way through the throat swab which fortunately came back negative.  With strep eliminated, the doctor wanted to do a nose swab to screen for the flu virus.  William didn't do so well with the nose swab, he felt like it was being shoved into his brain and he was too tired and stressed to deal with it.  Fortunately, it was quick and the nurse got the sample she needed.  This time it came back positive.  So the flu it is.

The good news is that William is happy to miss the rest of the week of school and watch all the TV he wants.  His mom even bought him some Gatorade so that he can keep his liquids up.  Not much makes that boy happier than his own bottle of Gatorade, unless of course it is 13 bottles of Gatorade and his own window seat, but that is a different story.