Family Photo

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Saturday, October 16, 2010

Just Google It...Or Not

My favorite thing about technology today is Google. I LOVE Google. When I need to do research for my job, I Google it. When I need to know how to cook Basmati rice, I Google it. When my stomach pain gets so bad, and I need some suggestions for home remedies, I Google it. So far Google has been extremely helpful, but today...well, I figured out that Google is not always on the up and up.

All of a sudden, at lunch yesterday Noah said started not to feel well. He became really lethargic and developed a fever. I figured he was coming down with the Flu. He went down for his nap and woke up feeling just fine. I thought it must have been a fluke. But, at 2:00 a.m. he woke up with a fever and said he was not feeling well again. Then, he threw up and asked to watch a movie. I took his temperature about 68 times and then decided to Google "Headache and fever in toddlers." The words that showed up, sent me into a panic. "Spinal Meningitis." I read everything I could on it. Then, I went into the living room turned on every light and asked Noah if it bothered him. Duh! Of course turning every light in the house on after being in complete darkness would bother him. But, I was certain that he was experiencing "sensitivity to light" another one of the symptoms. Then, I began to squeeze his neck and ask if it hurt. After poking and prodding and asking him a million questions, he was annoyed and I was convinced that he was getting brain damage as we spoke. I began to cry and woke Ricky (my voice of reason ). He told me to just give him some Motrin and chill out. I gave him the Motrin and just sat and stared at my son, thinking through all the worst case scenarios. The fever died down and he went back to sleep.
When I woke up this morning, I called my Mother-in-law and my mom and dad to ask opinions. All the while, My Voice of Reason, sat looking at me with an amused smirk on his face. Every once in a while making fun of my craziness. I, very distraught that he was not taking this seriously, would say, "Go Google it and see for yourself!" To which he would respond, "Babe, if I Google it, I would think he was dying too. I 'm not going to Google it!" My mom and dad agreed that it is probably just a harmless virus that he picked up from school and that I just need to wait it out.
Sheesh! What a mess. I wonder how different my state of mind would have been without Google. I mean my mom had 4 kids and no Google. I am sure there were countless nights of inexplicable fevers and rashes and sicknesses. I bet she just prayed a lot and believed the best or she would have definitely been in the nut house! We all made it out relatively healthy and alive. Imagine that!

From now on, I'm gonna skip Google when I am tempted to self-diagnose my kids.

My verse for the day: "...The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Phillipians 4:5b-7

1 comment:

Michelle Bradley said...

Ok I love this post and verse because this is so me! and it is so true about google and I am the worst at it and constantly freak myself out.Glad Noah is doing better :)