Mama Gone Geek by Lynn Brunelle

Author:Lynn Brunelle
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Shambhala

Sepsis, or septicemia, is a life-threatening illness that can occur when numerous bacteria in the blood are actively dividing. The whole body reacts to an infection. There may be organ dysfunction. There may be shock. The heart may stop. Seventy percent of people who get sepsis die. . . .

I dropped the page and went right back to Keith’s room. I wanted to be there if anything like that was going to happen to Keith.

In the meantime friends took care of the boys, made meals, cleaned the house, did the laundry, called, and visited me in Seattle.

It felt safe to feel unsafe. It was the greatest gift.

Six long days.

Keith pulled through. He thinks it was no big deal; but it really was. We almost lost him.

He remained in the hospital, but I came home after he was released from the ICU. I needed to see the boys, and I knew they would want to know what was happening.

I’ve always felt comfortable communicating even the hardest concepts to my kids; but this one stumped me. We are such small potatoes. How fragile we are. How do you communicate this fragility to young kids during times of turmoil? Or do you? What do they need to know to stay secure in an emotional whirlwind?

They really wanted to know. They didn’t want the watered-down version.

“He’s fine, guys. He’s good. He’s been in a battle, but he won.”

“What kind of battle?” asked Kai, wide-eyed.

“Kind of a bug battle. You know how Daddy’s been blowing his nose and coughing a lot lately?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, the little bugs that were causing that sickness all kind of got together and waged a war. They wanted to take over. But they didn’t.”

“How does that even happen?” asked Leo.

I said what I always say when I don’t know. “Good question. There’s cool science, there.”

I scooped immodest amounts of ice cream into three bowls and we snuggled on the couch and debriefed.

I told them how colds and flu are mostly caused by viruses—which are tiny and icky. I have never found anything good about viruses. They are interesting, for sure. They are like mini-robots that get into your body and use the stuff in your body to make copies of themselves. They make you sick and eventually your body kicks them out.

But bacteria are different.

“Wash your hands!” Leo squawked.

“True. Bacteria are everywhere.”

“Wash EVERYTHING!” cried Kai.

We all screamed until we laughed.

“We have been taught to hate and fear bacteria,” I told the boys when we calmed down. “Antibiotic rinses, antibiotic soaps, lotions, detergents, sprays, wipes, and kitchen and bathroom cleansers make promises to eradicate the evil bacteria that lurk hither and yon. But here’s the thing. Some bacteria are bad. Truly bad. But some are actually good, and mostly they do good things. They hang out on us and in us, and because of these bacteria, we can make vitamins, digest our food, and fight bad germs.

“In fact, if not for bacteria we’d be up to our eyeballs in trash and waste. We

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