Friday, July 13, 2007

A pox on both your houses ***updated***




Chicken pox, to be exact. I had been dithering about getting the girls vaccinated against chicken pox because I'd heard that the vaccine only confers immunity for 7 to 10 years, and I was weighing the benefits of having them vaccinated now and perhaps coming down with the chicken pox while they were teens and suffering far more than they would if they got it now, or not vaccinating them and hoping they'd get it as kids and getting it over with. Well, nature just made my mind up for me.

Rae woke up covered with spots. Leah has just 2, but they're huge.

I have to go upstairs now, and get snacks and drinks, take temperatures and see if Tylenol is necessary, play Uno and watch Aladdin and the King of Thieves, and all the other things you need to do when your kids are sick. That's why this post is a bit on the thin side. So, I'll try to make up for it by leaving you with this picture that I found when surfing through Facebook. Apparently it's in Windsor, Ontario (and if any of you know where exactly, I'd like to know). Isn't this just the most Canadian sign EVER??

Update: Leah is up to 7 spots now, but seems to be sicker than Rachel, who has roughly double the number of spots that she had when the above picture was taken. Rachel is fine. Benadryl has taken care of the itching, and it's not too hot this weekend, TG. She has no fever (though Leah does) and is her usual rambunctious self. We have lots of videos and books and Rae and I even went in the pool for a swim yesterday afternoon. All in all, it isn't that bad. They are pouting this morning though, because I won't take them to the Farmers' Market for our usual Saturday morning breakfast. They also have new nicknames -- Rae is Spot and Leah is Dot.
Thank you for all the lovely comments and well wishes.

10 comments:

  1. Hope everyone gets better soon! I got my kids vaccinated against chicken pox years ago and was under the impression that it was lifetime protection. Now, I'm all paranoid...

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  2. Anonymous10:54 AM

    Poor girls! I remember having them when I was 6 or so and it was ITCHY!

    Drew had them when he was 7 months old, and they didn't seem to bother him a bit. So he was never vaccinated because he's got natural immunity. Nicky hasn't been vaccinated yet, but he's required to be to go to school, so if he doesn't get them by August he'll have to get the shot.

    Can we come over to play?

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  3. Anonymous12:08 PM

    Good lord does she look like you in that top picture. : )

    Man, that stinks. Yeah, the vaccine is sort of iffy, apparently. It's one of those, "You'll likely not get it, but no guarantees." When Billy got it as a little tiny guy, he ended up with some bumps a couple weeks later. The doctor said, "Oh, that's good, actually. He's probably actually developed the antibodies, then."

    Also, you're 5'10"? Good for you. So's Julie, incidentally.

    Last, no, the only way to make that sign more Canadian would be to cover it in maple syrup and and give it a big dent in the shape of Tie Domi's fist.

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  4. Oh, poor thing. She looks so miserable in that picture!

    I still remember how wretchedly sick I felt when I had chicken pox as a kid, so have had both boys vaccinated. Hope it passes quickly for the whole house...

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  5. No shots here. Two have had them, two have not. Wanna share? LOL

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  6. Oh no! Those poor girls! I had them pretty bad when I was little, and can still remember (vividly) camping out in the living room in the middle of the summer, VERY hot and VERY itchy!

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  7. Anonymous8:45 PM

    I am so sorry your girls have the pox. I had them at 16 - not fun!!!
    And my son had them at 3yrs old and has had shingles twice since!! He's only 17.
    I hope everyone gets well soon and that they're not too itchy.

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  8. i LOVE the fact that the sign is bilingual.....

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  9. Anonymous12:26 PM

    I would think that the swimming would be very helpful...the chlorine in the water should be very drying to the bumps. I know swimming was always quite soothing for my frequent bouts of poison ivy.

    Poor Drew, he had so many little pox's on his head, now when he wants his head shaved like his daddy's all of the scars show where the hair doesn't grow--he's got little white dots all over his head. Tell the girls if they ever decide to be teenage rebels and shave their heads they may look funny :-)

    Hang in there!

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  10. Oh yuck, poor girls.
    My mother let all three of us kids go ahead and get it so we would get it over with. I had Owen vaccinated because it was required for her daycare. I so hate it when she's sick. You are quite a trooper to be taking it in such stride.

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