A Pox Upon Us

Well, we didn't end up going to The Land of No Internet (aka the in-law's) after all. Friday, just after I had written my last blog post, gotten my to-do list ready for last-minute-errand-running, and was about to feed my son some lunch (he'd stayed home with a fever), he showed me this bump on his face - it really just looked like a pimple ... but then he said he had some on his belly, and upon closer inspection, he had some on his back and neck! Since a classmate had recently had chicken pox, and since I have Miriam, I wasn't taking any chances and called the doctor (well, actually just the Nurse Practitioner (NP) could see him - but that's ok).

Thankfully we went in! As time went by, Andrew felt worse and worse. By the time the NP came in to check on him and a nurse had found his temp to be 102 degrees, he was really dizzy and ended up getting sick ... They ran a strep test on him - but it did come back negative - however, he had all the symptoms of strep to include the vomiting, fever, red throat - and even a rash.

So, quick phone calls canceled all plans for the weekend and the day ... and we have since spent the weekend at home.

We still have yet to establish if he indeed has chicken pox (the NP said they'd blister and scab over if he did) - or a friend suggested scarlet fever, which accompanies strep (but the rash description doesn't match up). I'm almost inclined to think he just has "strep with a funky rash". Dr. Mom's diagnosis!

If it was chicken pox, he did have the vaccine so he may have a mild case. He isn't terribly itchy but says sometimes the little bumps "sting".

Today he's a little better ... and I'm hopeful the worst is over. If you want to see pics, keep reading ... I had Andrew let me take these pictures, and he said, "It's for your blog, isn't it?!" How well he knows me. :) Here's his back today:

And you can't really see but one of the pox on his face, but there are some more - and he has some on his forehead & scalp too:

Anyway, we're thankful he's feeling a little better. He's on antibiotics anyway - and his fever seems to be gone for now though he's still taking motrin-tylenol - though not as often - because he's going from chills to sweating. Mostly, I'm hoping & praying that Anna and Miriam are spared this illness ... and that Andrew can be completely well very soon (he missed 2 days of school already last week, and I'd hate for him to get very behind). Maybe Someone knew we needed a quiet, restful weekend at home. I know I was feeling a little overtired, and I got to sleep until 9 a.m. on Saturday morning with Dan watching the kids. We just hung around the house & had a "lazy" day - not too many chores got done except the most necessary - but we all got to relax and just take it easy. I think Dan needed it more than he realized too as he took a long nap later in the day. Most of his afternoon/evening were taken up watching the Cardinal's 20 inning/7 hour ballgame! That's relaxing to him - but no doubt it wasn't to those who were playing in the game. (Cardinals ended up losing 2-1)