So… this is how my Year of the Horse began.
Some people say the Ox clashes with the Horse this year.
Well… I guess I believe it now.
I shared it on my story and received so much concern from friends. I truly appreciate it, thank you all. Otherwise, I would’ve started wondering if nobody even uses Facebook anymore.
Here’s what happened.
------ Rotavirus ------
On Chinese New Year’s Eve, I was still working.
Finished up everything in the morning, clocked out at 9am, sent Mi Po back to the old house for prayers, then rushed to the hair salon — had to get my hair nicely done before welcoming the new year.
This salon just opened not long ago and they’ve put in a lot of effort — free hair wash for kids and even a thoughtfully designed children’s area. That really attracted me.
Little Mi looked very energetic. Though she’s small, she helped her grandma carry a box of mandarin oranges. Each orange was about 200g, 10 in a box — that’s 2kg total — and she carried it from the 7th floor down. Solid. Definitely cheerleader material 👌
After finishing my hair, my biggest concern was whether Little Mi would feel bored at the kids’ area. Turns out the staff were really kind — they even served her filtered water and helped look after my precious little heart.
The moment we stepped out, Little Mi suddenly leaned on me.
“Mama, I’m very tired…”
I asked, “So suddenly? Is it because you slept too late?”
It was 11am. We were at a restaurant ordering nasi lemak and my coffee. I noticed her whole face had turned pale. I asked her what she wanted to eat.
She said, “When I smell the food, I feel like vomiting!”
It honestly reminded me of morning sickness when I was pregnant. I thought… could she just be overly hungry?
I ordered porridge for her. She tried very hard to swallow two spoonfuls, then said she couldn’t eat anymore, she felt terrible.
Looking at the bowl of porridge felt so wasted. I finished the rest. There were some meat pieces left, which I picked out. (Those who know me know I don’t eat meat.)
And just like that, Little Mi vomited for the first time — in the parking lot.
After we got home, the diarrhea started. But we still went back to my parents’ house for reunion dinner. The entire time I was distracted and worried. Didn’t even take any photos. Little Mi didn’t eat anything at all. I touched her forehead — wait… she’s having a fever!
After we got home again, more diarrhea.
On the first and second day of Chinese New Year, her fever went up to 40°C. The diarrhea didn’t improve.
We admitted her to the hospital.
I did the greatest thing a mother could do — handling her vomit and stool day and night. The doctor tested her sample and confirmed it was rotavirus.
This virus directly attacks the gastrointestinal system — causing vomiting, diarrhea, and high fever — and it can last 8–10 days.
The hospital didn’t charge any cheaper just because it was festive season with fewer people. Four days of hospitalization cost RM5,000. Thankfully, I had bought her a medical card. Otherwise, it would have been extremely stressful 🥲
Conclusion:
No matter how clean a playground looks, there are always risks — especially enclosed ones. Even with disinfection, there are blind spots. We can only keep reminding our children not to touch everything randomly.
If I remember correctly, the rotavirus vaccine requires three doses around one year old. Because Little Mi participated in a flu vaccine clinical trial program, she didn’t receive the rotavirus vaccine.
If you ever encounter something like this, both baby and caregiver will suffer greatly. So if possible… please go get the vaccine.
