Kid illnesses

[Spellbound454]

We used the chemicals the first time around, but since then have been using mayonnaise. (This was recommended by the social workers when we said we weren't fond of all the chemicals.) Basically, we coat her hair in mayo, put a shower cap on her, and then let it sit for 7-8 hours. (You're not supposed to do it overnight, and it will ruin pillow cases/sheets.) The "joy" of the mayo is that it's not the chemical that kills the lice. You're essentially drowning them with the oils. That's also why it takes so long.

I used to routinely smother my daughters hair in conditioner.....then run the nit comb through.
It breaks their legs apparently and is better than harsh chemicals.

Since DS had chickenpox as a 3 year old I wonder if he has immunity now or if he needs the vaccine? I need to remember to ask our doctor.

You can only get chicken pox once..... but it lives permanently in your nerve endings and later in life you can develop shingles.

Its better if they get it as kids because its a bit of a nasty virus for and adult.

Kids get all sorts when they are in nursery but they build up immunity.
I remember mine having a permanent number 11 (both nostrils) for about a year. It was one cold virus after another one.
Fortunately they grow out of it.

[sheilaincali]

DH has never had the chicken pox and DS was vaccinated when he was a year old. 

Does anyone know- now that DS is 15 should he be re-vaccinated for the chicken pox?  I think I remember hearing once that the vaccine could wear off and that kids may need to be revaccinated.

[jeep108]

Aug 23, 2013 12:03:44 GMT -5 sheilaincali said:

DH has never had the chicken pox and DS was vaccinated when he was a year old. 

Does anyone know- now that DS is 15 should he be re-vaccinated for the chicken pox?  I think I remember hearing once that the vaccine could wear off and that kids may need to be revaccinated.

DD turned 16 last year they gave her a booster for it.

[sheilaincali]

Perfect.  I'll look at getting DS the booster too than.  I'm glad that's a real thing and I wasn't just imagining him needing a booster or another shot.  My hope is that limiting/eliminating DS' chances of getting it will keep DH from getting it too.

[Deleted]

My XDh had chicken pox as an adult. Gets you into private hospital room really quickly....

[Phoenix84]

That's one advantage of being single I guess.  I don't get exposed to all the contagions that kids bring home.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Aug 23, 2013 13:13:25 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

That's one advantage of being single I guess.  I don't get exposed to all the contagions that kids bring home.

Only partially......you get it third hand.

Kids get sick and give it to their parents.  As many times, the parents take the sick time off for taking care of kids, they come into work if they re under the weather themselves and pass it on to the coworkers.

BTDT

[Phoenix84]

Aug 23, 2013 14:59:31 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Aug 23, 2013 13:13:25 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

That's one advantage of being single I guess.  I don't get exposed to all the contagions that kids bring home.

Only partially......you get it third hand.

Kids get sick and give it to their parents.  As many times, the parents take the sick time off for taking care of kids, they come into work if they re under the weather themselves and pass it on to the coworkers.

BTDT

Well, I haven't gotten sick in a long time.  At least not sick enough to miss a lot of work.  Last time that I got really sick was my senior year of high school, over 10 years ago.  Since then I've gotten the odd cold every few years, and I got the chills really bad in the summer of 2012 (that was odd), but other than that I've been healthy as a horse (knock on wood).

[Pants]

Aug 23, 2013 15:33:25 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

Aug 23, 2013 14:59:31 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Only partially......you get it third hand.

Kids get sick and give it to their parents.  As many times, the parents take the sick time off for taking care of kids, they come into work if they re under the weather themselves and pass it on to the coworkers.

BTDT

Well, I haven't gotten sick in a long time.  At least not sick enough to miss a lot of work.  Last time that I got really sick was my senior year of high school, over 10 years ago.  Since then I've gotten the odd cold every few years, and I got the chills really bad in the summer of 2012 (that was odd), but other than that I've been healthy as a horse (knock on wood).

Sounds like someone's due for some meningitis! (Kidding.)

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Well, I haven't gotten sick in a long time. At least not sick enough to miss a lot of work.

Come here and let me sneeze on you.  I'm happy to share the wealth.

[wvugurl26]

Is there any reason your husband can't get the vaccine Sheila? I just got mine this spring. You need 2 doses if you are an adult. I was exposed to it many, many times as a child and never got it. Both my brothers had it and were in the house with me. Still didn't get it.

[8 Bit WWBG]

Aug 23, 2013 17:01:28 GMT -5 wvugurl26 said:

Is there any reason your husband can't get the vaccine Sheila? I just got mine this spring. You need 2 doses if you are an adult. I was exposed to it many, many times as a child and never got it. Both my brothers had it and were in the house with me. Still didn't get it.

Spooky... same here!  My sister got it and my parents tried desperately to infect me.  It didn't take.  Secretly, I hope I'm actually immune.

I asked my previous doctor about it, and he didn't seem too concerned.  But some vaccines they won't give until one is 40 or older.  I have a lot of friends with kids who I'm sure will get it soon.  I do NOT want shingles...

[wvugurl26]

You can get the chicken pox vaccine now and probably should. The nice technical name is varicella and it requires 2 doses for adults. You can't get the shingles vaccine until you are older. This is not something you want as an adult.

I think I had immunity anyway but with my immune system being compromised lately I didn't want to risk it. Once upon a time I started the varicella series and never finished it. I got a temp admin assistant job with a hospital lab and they asked about it. They flipped out upon hearing I hadn't had it and hadn't finished the vaccine series. They did their drug testing as blood tests so they said they'd test me for immunity. I assumed I was immune because they let me start working.

My insurance covered the vaccines 100% with no copay. I think that is one of the Obamacare things.

[mmhmm]

Aug 23, 2013 17:10:28 GMT -5 8 Bit WWBG said:

Aug 23, 2013 17:01:28 GMT -5 wvugurl26 said:

Is there any reason your husband can't get the vaccine Sheila? I just got mine this spring. You need 2 doses if you are an adult. I was exposed to it many, many times as a child and never got it. Both my brothers had it and were in the house with me. Still didn't get it.

Spooky... same here!  My sister got it and my parents tried desperately to infect me.  It didn't take.  Secretly, I hope I'm actually immune.

I asked my previous doctor about it, and he didn't seem too concerned.  But some vaccines they won't give until one is 40 or older.  I have a lot of friends with kids who I'm sure will get it soon.  I do NOT want shingles...

If you haven't had chicken pox, you won't get shingles.  Shingles is the result of inactive varicella zoster virus left behind in the nerve roots after having the chicken pox.  If you never had chicken pox, and were exposed and reacted, you'd get chicken pox, not shingles.

[mmhmm]

Aug 23, 2013 12:03:44 GMT -5 sheilaincali said:

DH has never had the chicken pox and DS was vaccinated when he was a year old. 

Does anyone know- now that DS is 15 should he be re-vaccinated for the chicken pox?  I think I remember hearing once that the vaccine could wear off and that kids may need to be revaccinated.

Have the doc check his immunity levels, sheila.

[8 Bit WWBG]

...:::"You can get the chicken pox vaccine now and probably should. The nice technical name is varicella and it requires 2 doses for adults. You can't get the shingles vaccine until you are older. This is not something you want as an adult.":::...

Thanks.  When I change doctors, this is something I plan to bring up on day one.

...:::"If you haven't had chicken pox, you won't get shingles. Shingles is the result of inactive varicella zoster virus left behind in the nerve roots after having the chicken pox. If you never had chicken pox, and were exposed and reacted, you'd get chicken pox, not shingles.":::...

If this is really true, it is another reason why I am firing my damn doctor.  Its definitely good news, though I can't say I want chicken pox either.

[wvugurl26]

It is probably possible to have had a weak case of chicken pox and end up with shingles. I know for myself I will not skip the vaccine when I'm old enough. I have a compromised immune system at this point though so I operate under the better safe than sorry system.

[motherto2]

Things might have changed over the last 20 years, but technically you can get chicken pox more than once.  It gets tricky though.  DS was exposed to chicken pox at the sitter's (both her boys came down with it) when he was around 6-7 months old.  He had about 15 "dots" and the Dr. told us technically you needed to have a minimum 20 "dots" to be considered a case of the chicken pox.  He said he would probably get them again.  And he did.  Before he was 2.  And he had them really good.  Caught from daycare by the way .  Then when he was 4, he got shingles.  Very mild case, but there it is.  I worry now about him getting shingles when he gets older.  I've talked to him a couple of times about the vaccine, and that he should consider getting it as soon as he possibly can.  I have absolutely no idea if you can be predisposed genetically to shingles, but we sure have had them on my mother's side of the family. 

We actually dodged the lice bullet throughout both kids being in daycare and school.  There was an outbreak at the school/daycare when we had just moved in temporarily with my folks while we were building our house.  Talk about freaking out.  My folks live in a showplace home.  I bought the stuff and did both kids even though they didn't have it.  It's one thing to get it and treat it in your house, totally another getting it living with persnickety parents.

DD was an extremely sick child.  I've posted about her illnesses as a baby/child before.  But because she was so sick (until about 2nd grade) she got everything that went around.  Then because I was working full time and taking care of her all night, I would get everything she caught.  Absolute nightmare.  All because of allergies.  If they would have done allergy testing earlier in those days, a whole lot of that could have been avoided.  Then because she was immune to a lot of the usual antibiotics, we had a hard time getting her over things.  But, since then, she's hardly ever sick.  Once in a while a sinus infection.  Oh, and her appendix out when she was 12.  DS had allergies also, but his weren't the food type, they were environmental - trees, grasses, etc.  But he had more than his fair share of bronchitis, whooping cough, croup.  He gets the occasional sinus infection now also. 

I had typhoid fever as a child.  Went to a summer camp where I contracted that.  Most everyone else was getting horrible pink eye from the pool there, so I avoided the pool.  Maybe I should have gone swimming .  I spent two weeks in isolation in the hospital while they tried to figure out what was wrong with me.  I've always suffered from horrible strep and sinus issues also.  had my tonsils out when I was 28, and that has dramatically decreased my strep issues.

[sheilaincali]

Thanks wvu and mmhmm-  I will have the docs check DS' immunity levels and have DH talk to the Doc about getting vaccinated.  He is over 40 in the event that changes things. 

We thought he'd be safe since DS was immunized but now I'm thinking that my not be enough.

Mom had three of us with chicken pox at once.  My brother was 6, I was 2 and my little brother was just a baby.  Our sister who wasn't born yet got it a few years later. 

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Aug 23, 2013 17:10:28 GMT -5 8 Bit WWBG said:

Aug 23, 2013 17:01:28 GMT -5 wvugurl26 said:

Is there any reason your husband can't get the vaccine Sheila? I just got mine this spring. You need 2 doses if you are an adult. I was exposed to it many, many times as a child and never got it. Both my brothers had it and were in the house with me. Still didn't get it.

Spooky... same here!  My sister got it and my parents tried desperately to infect me.  It didn't take.  Secretly, I hope I'm actually immune.

I asked my previous doctor about it, and he didn't seem too concerned.  But some vaccines they won't give until one is 40 or older.  I have a lot of friends with kids who I'm sure will get it soon.  I do NOT want shingles...

Your doctor SHOULD be concerned. At the very least, he should have sent you for a varicella titer in order to determine whether or not you are immune.

Chicken pox in adults is dangerous, and you really cannot assume that everyone has vaccinated their kids. Not only that, the virus is contagious long before you have physical symptoms. I picked it up in kindergarten and gave it to my cousin who was visiting.....and he proceeded to infect his cousins back home, all before I broke out in spots.

[wvugurl26]

We also have the risk of living in a very transient area with a large immigrant population. Not all of those countries vaccinate like we do. WWBG is also exposed to thousands of people a day on mass transit.

There is such a thing as a bad doctor.