(no subject)

[tree_talking]

So. Liam had a rough night, which I was attributing to teething (he's got big teeth pushing little teeth out in the front). He was pretty good when he woke up, until we asked him, "So, what do you want for breakfast?"

"No thank you, I'm not hungry."

Hubby and I just looked at each other because he NEVER says that. Not in the morning and not while he's getting ready for school. So...it was definitely home from school time.

Hubby took Liam to see the doctor.

Long story short, my son has scarlet fever.

I initially freaked out--then I found out it's simply a strain of strep. A fairly serious, but easy to treat strain nevertheless.

Still. Freaky. The first time I ever heard about scarlet fever was when I read the Little House on the Prarie books. For a horrible moment, I thought my son was going to go blind.

As it turns out, Liam will be on antibiotics for ten days and he should be fine, though we're going to have to wash everything he touches tomorrow before he can re-infect himself. He's still contagious now, so we'll wait till he's not before doing the Mad Cleaning Mambo.

So...that's pretty much been my day.

Comments

[sharkbait.livejournal.com]

If he doesnt have a rash yet, he could still break out in one, just a fine, red, tiny little rash. My daughter had strep numerous times (and probably shouldve had her tonsils out but I avoided it at the time 'cause she'd had her appendix out and I didnt want to do another surgery so close to it) and almost always got that scarlet fever rash with it.

Hope he feels better soon!

[shellebelle93.livejournal.com]

He's got the rash, but he dresses himself and we don't watch him, so we never saw it. He seems pretty good right now, though.

And hopefully he'll sleep.

[h311ybean]

When I read "scarlet fever" my first thought was of Little Women o_O I'm glad to know that it's easy to treat now and not as catastrophic as it seemed to be once upon a time.

Get well soon, Liam!

[shellebelle93.livejournal.com]

Yeah. From what I've read, it wasn't the scarlet fever so much as the following rheumatic fever that would follow if left untreated. So...yeah, now we treat strep with antibiotics!

Whew. :) And thanks.

[shellebelle93.livejournal.com]

Antibiotics are a wonderful thing. Really and truly. :) Thanks.

[shellebelle93.livejournal.com]

Thanks. He was a really good boy for the doctor. I'm just glad we have antibiotics and Lysol.

[acusa-dora.livejournal.com]

My flower girl got scarlet fever right before our wedding and since other kids were going to be there, she ended up not coming to the wedding. I'm glad you caught it and I wouldn't have seen a rash on my kid either.

[shellebelle93.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I'm hoping that the whole rash/peeling thing doesn't get too bad. He freaks out a little over his skin.

[ysidro]

Given my shock at reading the words "Scarlett Fever" I can just barely imagine the 1000X shock you had hearing those words.

Hey, I'll give my thoughts to the boy if you give some towards my mom. Sound fair? ;)

[shellebelle93.livejournal.com]

Of course. My good thoughts are heading your mom's way.

*hugs*

[coquillagement.livejournal.com]

Poor Liam! I remember when Luke (who, interestingly enough, has been home all this week with strep) broke out in his scarlet fever rash, just after all of our weekend guests for Bookworm's communion had left! Luckily no one else got it. My mom still talks about me having scarlet fever and chicken pox together as as two-year-old. Good times. Hurrah for antibiotics, he'll be right as rain in no time. Luke had no symptoms prior to the rash, so go figure. Yup, new toothbrush time. :)

[shellebelle93.livejournal.com]

Yeah, we were telling Liam about that as he was heading to bed. I think he wants a blue one this time.

It's nice to know he has his priorities straight. ;)

[aristoboule.livejournal.com]

*HUGS!* My dad had it in college, but it didn't seem to have had any lasting effects. But still, not fun!

[shellebelle93.livejournal.com]

No. But at least he seems like himself now, and he seems comfortable.

Thank god for antibiotics and lysol, that's all I'm sayin'.

[minoukatze.livejournal.com]

WHOA! Wow, sorry you have to go through that. I hope he recovers quickly with a minimum of discomfort.

Hope you all recover soon :)

[murasaki99.livejournal.com]

Argh! Scarlet fever nearly killed my grandmother when she was little... pre-antibiotics of course. I didn't know it was a strain of strep. Yep, keep everything clean, and keep an eye on any surface boo-boos you may have since strep in wounds turns into impetaigo. I found that out from college roomates with strep and then the related problems. I hope your Liam feels better soon!

[lilac-bearry.livejournal.com]

Wow! And I thought of Beth in Little Women. Gosh, thank goodness for modern medicine!!!

[queen-ottf.livejournal.com]

::huggles:: I thought of Little House on the Prairie as well, and I was really scared for you and Liam. I hope he recovers quickly. <3

[nsingman.livejournal.com]

I don't blame you for freaking out; most parents would probably have a similar reaction. I'm glad that he'll be fine.

[awelkin.livejournal.com]

I hope he feels better soon!

Catherine

[genarti]

Oh, poor kid! And how scary for you, for a bit there, I'd have freaked too. This is, I suppose, the problem with reading books about times with less in the way of medical care; all our associations for some diseases are calibrated for that.

Hope he feels better soon!

[tapestrymlp.livejournal.com]

OMG, that's horrible. I'm so glad he's going to be okay.

Hugs you. Hugs Liam. I hope everyone is doing well. I'd have been terrified too.

[sff-corgi.livejournal.com]

Heh. I think I'll feel old for all of us, reacting to scarlet fever like this. :) I think one of my father's older sisters died as a result of scarlet fever... but he was born in 1913.

Only one century's difference, and I'll bet most LJ'ists under the age of 20, unless they're rabid readers, would say 'Huh? Scarlet what?'

I'm glad you two caught it in time. :)

[shellebelle93.livejournal.com]

*nods* Yeah. We just ran through a second run of antibiotics and we think it's *finally* cured for good. That is one NASTY form of strep.

Thank goodness it's school vacation, he has a chance to de-stress and get well.

[sff-corgi.livejournal.com]

:nod: I think strep is one of those critters that's growing resistant, alas. Hopefully not too resistant.

Poor kid - lousy way to spend vacation.

Glad you didn't catch it from him, eek!

[shellebelle93.livejournal.com]

ugh. we were really lucky we didn't. But Liam's doing much better now. :)