I like that button up there, the one labeled "New Post," it often means I'm going to feel as though I've accomplished something when I'm done, however pointless. This morning I'm think I should make a post, but I'm kind of lost as to what to post about. I have some already written I could post, but I'm not feeling it.
I'm still trying to process all our current illnesses. Demon got strep throat before he'd finished the (5 days of) antibiotics from his double ear infection from the cold he had the week before. We're not so worried about Helli getting strep because she's on the major antibiotic used to treat strep for her double ear infection from earlier in the week, from the head cold the week before. (She got a 10 day dose) Austin gets 4 days into the new antibiotic (10 day dose) and breaks out in blisters over his face, feet, and hands. This means he has hand, foot, and mouth. (Or, as my husband likes to call it, hoof, horn, and forked tongue, or something.) Ah-ha! This may explain Helli's high fever over the weekend.
I went to urgent care on Saturday, because I felt awful. More awful then I can remember feeling, ever. Which I'm sure isn't because I haven't felt that awful before, but more because when I do feel that awful my brain refuses to process reality, much less save the memory. It's for the best. The urgent care doctor looked me over, ran a rapid strep test, and told me it was viral. There's little worse then hearing "it's viral" when you feel like death warmed over. It's the same as hearing, "suck it up pansy." Ok, viral, limp back to car. The doctor did say I had a high fever, and there was a virus going around that had a high fever associated with it. She also ordered me to rest and drink lots of fluids. She's funny. I thought about pointing out I had a 1 year old, and a 3 year old at home, so she may as well tell me to drink from the holy grail as rest, but I didn't have the energy. I just nodded and left. (I was too sick to be snarky!)
On Sunday Hellion had a high fever. We dosed her ass and went to the renaissance faire. (Ok, I'm a bad mother, but Demon had been trapped inside for 3 days and was going crazy. Plus, she was going to scream whether we were here or there, and it was outside. It's not like she'll get within three feet of a stranger anyway. Plus, it's just a virus.)
On Monday morning I noticed Demon had red spots all over his feet. I had never seen anything like this. Then I noticed one of them had a huge blister in the middle of it, right between his toes. Well, hell, don't I feel like the world's worst mother. He's got blisters all over his feet from all the walking we did. The tips of all of his toes are red, he's got this big old blister, and more spots all around his heels. He must have outgrown his shoes and I didn't even notice. Mommy fail! He's also got an epic diaper rash, and some red spots around his mouth. I'm a little concerned he might be having an allergic reaction to this new antibiotic. I took him to school anyway, blisters aren't contagious, and he's dying to go back. (He has been begging me to go to school for 3 days) After I've picked him up and we've gotten home form school I notice he now has red spots all over his palms. Well hell. I check his tummy, back and arms, no other spots. This is the strangest allergic reaction I've ever seen! I call the pediatrician's office and the nurse goes, "oh no, that's hand, foot, and mouth, not an allergic reaction." Oh, good.
I know what this is, it starts with a high fever with no visible cause (check) then a few days after the fever it causes blisters inside the mouth, around the mouth, (check) on the feet,(check) and palms of the hands (check.) It can range anywhere from mild to severe. It is viral so there's not much you can do but let it run it's course. Also, parents should keep an eye out for dehydration, or sudden weight loss. Sometimes the mouth blisters get bad enough that the kids refuse to eat or drink. (Usually though once the fever is gone the worst is over)
This means I should start watching Helli for red spots or blisters. Well, at least I have a suspect for the random high fever for her. ....and me, oh boy. It's more rare in adults, but those with a compromised immune systems (that's me) can still get it. Ok, well, it'll be exciting. I've only had strep throat once in my life, when I was 27, which is incredibly uncommon. I'm told that if you don't get it by the time you're 18 your chances of getting it are around 1/1,000,000. (That's one in one million) I've been in close contact with people who've had it repeatedly, and had never managed to get it. (The one and only thing I didn't catch) Then, at 27 I was on 2 different immune suppressant drugs, one at a very high dose, and low and behold, I got it. I remember it sucked, a lot. Also, that the most surprising thing to me about having it was how little my throat hurt in comparison to the rest of me. Who knew?
As far as I know I haven't been exposed to it since then, until now. So it's up in the air. Now that I've had it, will I get it again? Or, since I'm not taking any immune system suppressants at the moment, will I avoid it? I can be a carrier though, so I've been trying to avoid people anyway. (I mean, more so then i normally try and avoid people)
Last night Helli started getting little red spots around her mouth, and on her palms. I started feeling wore again, and my throat started hurting, a lot. So, here's the thing, the most common symptom of strep throat is white blisters at the back of the throat, or on the tonsils. The first place to get blisters from hand, foot, and mouth (hoof, horn, and forked tongue, or whatever) is the back of the mouth/throat area. Oh. Good. This should be easy to figure out then. At the moment I have no blisters along the back of my throat. I do though have bright red streaks running up and down, and all over this morning. My throat is swollen, and I have run a fever. I also have several symptoms of hoof, horn, and whatever. So, the question of the day is: do I go back to urgent care (2 days after I was last there) and get them to run another strep test, or not? Do I wait for blisters, and then hope it's hoof, horn, and forked tongue, or do I wait for blisters then go have them re-run the strep?
At the moment I have no idea what I'm going to do. I've never been awash in so many illnesses to choose from before. It's baffling. I'm supposed to go meet with my trainer tomorrow. I've had to reschedule twice already because of Demon's strep throat, and then the high fevers. If it's hoof, horn, and scale then it's not contagious after the fever's gone. If it's strep, then i probably am contagious. If it's some third mystery virus that comes with a high fever then I'm probably not contagious anymore either.... probably.
So, do I suck it up, call my trainer and look like the kid in college who's grandmother dies every weekend so she can't ever take her test, and reschedule? or do I suck it up and go, and just hope not to infect anyone? OR do I go back to urgent care for them to run a strep test, again, and have it come back negative, again? ...at the moment my gym performance is going to be seriously lacking.... *sigh*
Never mind, there are the blisters. Off to urgent care I go, if I can find a sitter.
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