When the baby is suffering, we are all suffering

It's been a scary week with all the discussion about the swine flu, only to have have our 1-year-old granddaughter become sick.

Her symptoms kept changing so rapidly even the doctors couldn't keep up with her diagnosis. She started out with a slight fever and rash, red throat, and a little vomiting. Her strep culture came back negative. So the doctor didn't prescribe any medication.

Within hours her fever spiked and she began vomiting profusely. Then came the cough, followed by diarrhea. She cried all the time. Nothing made her feel better. She didn't even want to be touched.

It broke my heart every time she would close her tired little eyes, only to start coughing her head off and wake up crying and choking.

Several follow-up phone calls to the doctor and a day or two later, he finally put her on antibiotics and she started taking prescription cough medicine.
Now she is starting to feel better. We even took her and her mommy out to dinner.

Tonight, when I saw that precious smile, and heard that little giggle for the first time in a long time - all was right with the world.