sick kids

« welcome to parish | Main | guess what we did today! »

February 13, 2007

sick kids

On Sunday we woke up and big J had a trunk full of red splotchy spots. They adorned the left side of his chest, his shoulder blades, and a few peeked out from his waistband. Further examination found them on his upper thighs and the place where he will one day grow pubic hair.

B and I, standing in the bathroom, immediately have the negotiation. We've both missed class last week because of the atrocious weather. B says he simply cannot miss his Monday classes again. I counter with the same. And what babysitter wants a kid full of mysterious read splotches? We decide to not decide yet--to wait and see if things get worse or whatever.

Sunday night is a hard one; big J has trouble getting to sleep because of the itching. I put him in a warm bath and then dot his spots with some innocuous bacitracin, hoping the careful attention I'm giving him will be soothing in and of itself. It works, and he sleeps soundly the rest of the night.

Monday morning finds him in nearly the same condition--if anything, he's gained a spot or two, but the spread is barely noticeable. It hasn't gotten better, though. And I argue with myself about whether I should send him to school. I call the doctor, who gives me an appointment for the early evening when B will be home to take him. J is not feverish. It has not spread to me or to the other kids in the house. And he is not itching ferociously.

I send him to school. Because I have to go to work.

I feel torn about it; I wouldn't have sent him if he were uncomfortable or if he were clearly contagious. Granted, I know that I'm not qualified to judge the latter of those specifications.

The doctor said he didn't know what it was, and that he was fine to go to school. He gave us a scrip for some steroid anti-itch cream. And this morning, Tuesday, J woke and the dots were noticeably smaller (though it may have been a function of him not itching any more--who knows?).

And this morning, Tuesday, I sit down to work; all my kids are off at their various schools. And I get a phone call: little J has thrown up in the kitchen of his pre-school.

*sigh*

No rest for the weary.

Posted by mryonker at February 13, 2007 02:06 PM

Comments

Did I not *tell* you not to let him do the African safari last week? Clearly he's brought back some strange tropical disease which can only be cured by copious amounts of ice cream. Well, once he stops throwing up, anyway.

Posted by: susansinclair at February 13, 2007 05:02 PM

Yeah. He's not throwing up, it's little J. Big J spots, little J upchuck.

Double the fun. And his spots are nearly gone now. And little J is no longer upchucking. So I probably should gear up for H to come down with something.

Posted by: madeline at February 13, 2007 05:23 PM

I swear my husband and I had the same conversation last week. Our youngest was sick and we couldn't afford to take time off. He's now over that illness and has given the rest of us a cold.

I hope your children feel better soon.

Posted by: Irie at February 14, 2007 12:54 AM

I need new nicknames. The Big J/Little J thing is too much for my addled brain. Maybe I'll just call 'em "Spots" and "Upchuck" from now on.

But I'm still sticking with the tropical disease theory. It's a good one, and I'll make the evidence fit, I will. (Hmmm, methinks I've been listening to too much NPR discussion of Iran and weapons...)

Posted by: susansinclair at February 14, 2007 10:04 AM