We're home. We had a wonderful time at Disney World!!! However, we had to cut our trip home on the road short one day. We were supposed to spend the whole weekend in Williamsburg, VA but we left yesterday morning instead. My 5-year-old son Jonathan was sick on Thursday after we left WDW. We had breakfast at Chef Mickey's, he was fine, but then about an hour and a half into the trip, he threw up. We had to pull over on the side of the road to clean up, since there was no place in sight. When we hit the road again, he fell asleep. He slept an hour and then was fine, playful and cheerful as usual. Then we stopped at Cracker Barrel for lunch about 3 hours later. I allowed him to drink some water. He was hungry so I allowed him to eat a few saltine crackers. He said he felt fine. We hit the road again, and about 2 hours later he got sick again. He was fine right before, playful and everything. He said he was fine again. We hit the road and he fell asleep.
We checked into the hotel about 4 hours later in South Carolina. Jonathan said he was fine, and very hungry. I had him drink some water, and he was OK. DH went to K-Mart to pick up some upholstery cleaner for the car, and he also got some Gatorade. They were expecting a bad storm where we were staying so we decided to order dinner rather than go out. The only thing was pizza (not crazy about it outside NYC, but it was fine for the night). I asked the pizza place if they could give us a side of plain pasta but they said the pasta is already baked with sauce. So I told DH to pick up some Easy mac for Jonathan and we would just give him the macaroni without the cheese in it.
Jonathan drank some Gatorade and was fine. He ate his plain macaroni and said he felt great. He watched some TV and was joking around with his brother and my nieces. Then, about an hour after he ate, he threw up again. I was frantic, thinking something serious was wrong (I am a huge worry wart). I called the pediatrician and he said it sounded like it could be a nasty stomach virus. He said only to give him liquids the following day, and then the morning after that to try a piece of toast or a few crackers. So the following day on the drive to Virginia, I gave him little sips of Gatorade and he did great with that. He did not get sick once.
The plan for yesterday was for DH to stay at the hotel with Jonathan and take it easy while I was going to take Philip (my 7-year-old) to Busch Gardens with the rest of the family. We went to breakfast in the hotel and Jonathan said he was very very hungry. When he woke up I gave him some Gatorade and he did great with that. So at breakfast I did what the doctor has said and gave him a piece of toast, plain. He ate only 3 bites and said he wanted other things to eat but I knew I couldn't give him those things. He drank a little more Gatorade. When we left breakfast and were walking back to the room, he threw up in the hallway. That was when I decided we needed to come home, and I got very scared. I called the pediatrician to see if he thought I should bring him to an emergency room right away or come home. I had already made an appointment for tomorrow morning to see what is going on. He said that as long as he has no signs of dehydration, we should just leave to come home. He said only liquids the rest of the day and then I can try some light food in the evening.
I had him drinking Gatorade on the trip home and he was fine the whole time. I gave him some plain white rice last night and he tolerated it fine. No problem at all. He went to bed about 3 hours later and slept through the night. This morning I gave him a little amount of Rice Krispies and some water. He was fine. About an hour ago I gave him 5 saltine crackers and some more water. So far so good.
I did read that there had been a nasty stomach virus at WDW in June and July, that several people on a special safari tour at Animal Kingdom had contracted. We did not go to Animal Kingdom, but you never know, it could be the same bug. I am hoping it is not an allergy to wheat or soy, since he did fine with the rice products. I am waiting now to see if he has a reaction to the crackers in the next couple of hours (wheat flour).
The weird thing too, is that a week before we ate at Chef Mickey's and hit the road, we had eaten dinner at California Grill and he threw up 3 times that night. He was fine after that and for the whole week until the incident began in the car. Those were the only 2 restaurants we ate in at the Contemporary...I am wondering if somehow there is a connection there, or just coincidence. I don't know...we still had a wonderful trip but we are sure happy to be home after the last couple of days!