Kid Down!
I am perpetually amazed at the power of bacteria.
Isn't that a great sentence? Doesn't it just rope you right in? If not, you won't offend me.
Let me back up and tell you a story.
About three weeks ago, right about the time Gina and the two nieces were to visit, Melina came down with a cold. I really wanted to see Gina, but at the same time, I did not want to give her infant any germs. Heck, I didn't want to give her 4 year old germs, either, but she is a bit sturdier.
So, I bleached; I Lysoled; I washed the sheets, the comforters, and pillowcases; I wiped off the toys multiple times a day. And for the most part, the germs were kept at bay. I think Zoe and Talia both had a day of the sniffles, but that was about it. (I think if Gina and the girls came down with the virus, they'd have told me by now, but then again, you never know.)
Fast forward to last night when, just before dinner, Zoe complained of a sore throat. "Well, Zoe, you don't get enough sleep. I told you guys not to chat and stay up so late." I am sure she rolled her eyes at me. My back was to her, so I couldn't see. But I use that excuse all the time: you need to sleep or you will get sick. I truly thought the virus that Melina had harbored a couple of weeks back had finally taken Zoe. When she also complained of a headache, I looked in her throat to make sure it wasn't bright red. I also felt her lymph nodes, which were fine. We've had enough strep around here to be able to diagnose it ourselves. A little ibuprofen for the headache and a drink of water, and Zoe was off to bed.
This morning, I went in to wake up the girls, and the heat from Zoe's body could be felt from a few inches away from her. I do not exaggerate. The kid was hot. I went through my protocol: I had her open her mouth so I could see her throat, which was now red, and I again felt her lymph nodes. Aha, they were swollen. The thermometer read 102.5 when it beeped, and I put a call into the doctor. I was certain it was strep. I won't bore you with the details, but just as we were getting ready to leave for the doctor, the poor kid vomited.
I did bore the doctor with the details, and one rapid strep test later (it was positive quickly) we were off to the pharmacy. I have to be honest, I was rooting for strep. The only other alternative is Coxsackie, a virus with which we are also on intimate terms. I wanted something that could be treated, considering that at least one other child in this house is likely to contract the sickness.
For now, we are one kid down, but if I were a betting woman, I'd say that Aaron is most likely the next to fall. No, he doesn't share a room with Zoe, like Talia does, but past experience says he is a strep magnet. As always, I'll keep you posted.
Isn't that a great sentence? Doesn't it just rope you right in? If not, you won't offend me.
Let me back up and tell you a story.
About three weeks ago, right about the time Gina and the two nieces were to visit, Melina came down with a cold. I really wanted to see Gina, but at the same time, I did not want to give her infant any germs. Heck, I didn't want to give her 4 year old germs, either, but she is a bit sturdier.
So, I bleached; I Lysoled; I washed the sheets, the comforters, and pillowcases; I wiped off the toys multiple times a day. And for the most part, the germs were kept at bay. I think Zoe and Talia both had a day of the sniffles, but that was about it. (I think if Gina and the girls came down with the virus, they'd have told me by now, but then again, you never know.)
Fast forward to last night when, just before dinner, Zoe complained of a sore throat. "Well, Zoe, you don't get enough sleep. I told you guys not to chat and stay up so late." I am sure she rolled her eyes at me. My back was to her, so I couldn't see. But I use that excuse all the time: you need to sleep or you will get sick. I truly thought the virus that Melina had harbored a couple of weeks back had finally taken Zoe. When she also complained of a headache, I looked in her throat to make sure it wasn't bright red. I also felt her lymph nodes, which were fine. We've had enough strep around here to be able to diagnose it ourselves. A little ibuprofen for the headache and a drink of water, and Zoe was off to bed.
This morning, I went in to wake up the girls, and the heat from Zoe's body could be felt from a few inches away from her. I do not exaggerate. The kid was hot. I went through my protocol: I had her open her mouth so I could see her throat, which was now red, and I again felt her lymph nodes. Aha, they were swollen. The thermometer read 102.5 when it beeped, and I put a call into the doctor. I was certain it was strep. I won't bore you with the details, but just as we were getting ready to leave for the doctor, the poor kid vomited.
I did bore the doctor with the details, and one rapid strep test later (it was positive quickly) we were off to the pharmacy. I have to be honest, I was rooting for strep. The only other alternative is Coxsackie, a virus with which we are also on intimate terms. I wanted something that could be treated, considering that at least one other child in this house is likely to contract the sickness.
For now, we are one kid down, but if I were a betting woman, I'd say that Aaron is most likely the next to fall. No, he doesn't share a room with Zoe, like Talia does, but past experience says he is a strep magnet. As always, I'll keep you posted.
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