Beaver Fever

YES...you read that right..not Bieber Fever, but BEAVER Fever. Where have I been? What have I been doing for the last month? Well now it at least has a name! Let me tell you a little story Ags... (ha ha, anyone?)  I have been silently suffering with Giardia. Has anyone ever heard of this? We have no idea where I received this lovely parasite, but it. found. me.

It all started 5 weeks ago when I began to feel nauseous, I knew I could not be pregnant, so I just chocked it up to hormones. I mean I did deliver 3 babies 3 months ago!! Each morning I would wake up and within minutes of nursing I would start to feel sick. This went of on for a week before I did anything about it. My sweet mom could tell I didn't feel good and encouraged me to call my OB. I finally called and she told me it was probably hormones, but maybe I should call the hospital and talk to a lactation consultant. I continued to nurse the boys, but started to (or so I thought) make myself sick at the thought of nursing. I decided to stop nursing all 3 boys at every feeding. I came up with a rotation system where each boy would get 1 bottle a day and I would nurse the others. I had decided that my body could not keep up with the demands that were being placed on it. When I called the lactation consultant she said this was all due to fatigue, that it was hard to have triplets and even harder to nurse them. She encouraged me to have boundaries. I told her I had decreased feedings and she said I was probably going to be starting my period soon, so the feelings I had were all normal.

So Cam left for Scotland and the first day he was gone I woke up in the middle of the night throwing up. I just thought I ate something bad...no biggie. He was gone for 9 days and I started to feel really run down, but I just assumed it was because I was a little frazzled from trying to juggle everything at home. I started throwing up occasionally and had no appetite. I started slowing losing weight, but once again thought this was because I didn't have time to think about myself...not overly concerned, as mentioned earlier I just had trips, I could spare to lose a few lbs! Well when Cam came home to a very tired Allyson, he just assumed I was exhausted, which I was, but not just from his vaca. He ordered me to get some sleep! I tried to go about my daily routine, but found myself struggling through each day. I was going on fumes, had no appetite, was nauseous at each feeding, and now had diarrhea. nice. all while taking care of 4 kids. Harper's preschool was over and Abby (My mother's helper) was done for the summer. So I started DREADING Cam leaving the house and became very resentful of any free time he had because I was just miserable....but once again I thought it was because I couldn't handle the stress of 4 under 4. I called the lactation consultant again and she said it was okay to stop breastfeeding. She commended my effort, but said my body needed a break. So I stopped cold turkey in hopes of feeling better. I thought I would instantly feel better, but no luck. I waited a week and then decided I had other problems.

So finally after 5 weeks of feeling awful and no relief from nursing. I go to another doctor who gives me a prescription for the nausea and diarrhea. He was going to treat my symptoms and go from there. I was happy to get a little relief for a couple of days, but on Sunday I was out of stream. Cam sent me to the Emergency Room where they said I was dehydrated, gave me an IV of saline, and told me to go get some sleep!! UGH!! (P.S. It is no fun to be sick as an adult, I drove myself to the ER) Once again I was just tired and it was probably my hormones! Cam was convinced I needed some drugs, read PROZAC! He thought I had been anxious about him being gone to Scotland, and then right when he came back, we went to Waco for a wedding where he was best man...ie so lots of alone time with the babes.
Well things started taking a turn for the worse after our ER visit. I couldn't do anything, I didn't want to do anything. Cam got worried and called my parents. They came and stayed with us and helped out with the boys while I slept. I think this was the breaking point. Cam saw how miserable I was and knew there had to be something else wrong with me. So he took matters into his own hands. He contacted an infectious disease doctor in the area. I laughed out loud when he told me where he made an appointment!  Well thank goodness he did because I finally got an answer besides fatigue and hormones! After a thorough examination, interrogation and lab work it was determined that I had a classic case of Giardia. It is a parasite that is most commonly contracted from drinking water out of a fresh water stream with contaminated Beaver feces! Seriously! I get this? The mother who never really goes anywhere? Well I am so THRILLED to know that I am not CRAZY!  So day 1 of medicine and I am already feeling like my old self, just in time for Harper's 4th birthday party tomorrow!!!