When I was a kid everyone had chicken pox. Today, we give vaccines for it, so it seems like very few children have it. If your kids do end up with it, then your house becomes the new play place for those moms looking for a place for their kids to catch it while they are younger and more likely to have a mild case. So far two moms have contacted us about helping infect their kids. I am rather torn about the idea of intentionally helping to make someones children ill, but I can see their point. I told them Luke will make house calls, but no way are we turning our house into the place to drop by for play dates. With 8 kids, school, and a sick child my house work is suffering, and I can't face the judgment of other moms right now.
Did you know catching the chicken pox while under 6 months of age, especially if your child is nursing exclusively, is almost unheard of? Well, Luke turned 6 months old on Sunday and on Tuesday evening he had what I thought was a new development of craddle cap. The next day we went to the church for the See You At The Pole home school event, and I noticed a small blister behind his ear. What is this?!?! I dismissed it, until we got home and when I changed his diaper I noticed he had more red spots, and blisters on the top of his head. Oh no! The dread every mother through all the past generations has when she sees her child coming down with an illness came over me. My poor 6 month old, 3 months adjusted age, had the chicken pox. What do I do? I called my grandmother that's what! With 3 children she watched them go through it, and then she watched and helped out with her grandchildren when they had it. This was a place of wisdom from which I could draw reassurance and a plan of action. Grandma was sympathetic, but she was unsure. Some spots looked like chicken pox, others just looked like hives. So, off to the doctor we went, and while worrying over Luke, I remembered we had put off Lia's vaccine because she had been bouncing from ear infection to ear infection from the time she was 12-24 mths. Then Luke was born and I didn't want to chance her making him sick. Ha! Life has a way of being mercilessly ironic, doesn't it? Now here Lia is, at risk of getting it when she is under 3, so most likely wouldn't get life long immunity anyway, after all she has already been through.
Yes, I do shelter Lia more and have a tendency to coddle her. After brain damage and a cerebral palsy diagnosis, weekly therapy since 3 months old, worry about hydrocephalus and seizures, multiple ear infections, oral aversion that led to severe anemia that led to 2 days in Columbus at Nationwide Children's with 2 blood transfusions, yes I do hold her a bit closer than the other kids. So, chicken pox, a disease that can be worse for kids with eczema (which Lia has), not to mention has the possibility of causing swelling of the brain (and let's face it she doesn't need that!), makes me nervous! Honestly we just don't know what Lia's brain looks like since she had her last u/s at 6 mths. The channels that move cerebral fluid could be very narrow and any kind of pressure or swelling could cause her to develop serious life threatening problems. Back to Wed. at the doctor's office, the NP we saw said giving Lia the vaccine now wouldn't help. I did more research and yes it will. In fact the wasted 2 days we've lost could have a big impact on how badly Lia will get the chicken pox if she does end up with them. So, we are off to the ped office again today and we will be leaving with Lia being vaccinated. I pray she doesn't end up with chicken pox, and if she does it will be a solid week on my knees for no serious complications.
Luke is handling chicken pox like a champ! He isn't coordinated enough to scratch, and so far by being exclusively nursed it seems to have made his case more mild than a normal case. He is nursing well, smiling and cooing, and over all seems to be doing quite well! All in all, so far the chicken pox have not been a terrible experience for our family, and I pray it stays that way.
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