corporeal expulsion

I have never been a big sufferer of intestinal troubles. I mean besides gas when I am tense, or throwing up in the first trimester of pregnancy, or on my deathbed with pneumonia as a child.

So I am boggled by how to treat the bout of intestinal horror that has taken hold of the men in my house. I read that hydration is the most important thing to watch out for. Bland foods. No too-sweet, too-fried, too-milky foods.

And then what? Do I just sit by and watch as my boys thin out before my eyes, as they expel everything that enters their bodies? Is there anything I can do to actually HELP them??? When has it been too long? When should I call the doctor? Is throwing up as bad as the runs? When do I have to go to meds? And what is the difference between a BUG, a VIRUS, food-poisoning, infection, something-crazy-serious-that-I-should-watch-out-for?

This is so frustrating!! I feel so powerless! And despite knowing that this stuff is normal at their age, it feels like they're DYING in front of my eyes.