Before I get to the actual post, I will mention that yesterday's post was the 300th here at Pancake Chronicles. How about that. Three hundred posts. I can't believe I had 300 in me! And yet, here we are at 301!
On Thursday, November 11, I took Natalie for her 18 month well child check-up. It was about six weeks late, but life's like that sometimes. She got a round of vaccines, including the chicken pox vaccine. This is a live vaccine, so any effects from it would not show up right away; they would hit 7-14 days after the vaccine.
I know a lot of people don't vaccinate for chicken pox, and I respect that. I, however,had a HORRIBLE case of chicken pox at age 17. The vaccine came out three months after that, and you can imagine my resentment of that! So, anyway, although we don't do flu shots, I have let the girls get the chicken pox vaccine.
Wednesday, November 17, Natalie awoke with a raging fever. She didn't really seem to have any other symptoms, so I thought the vaccine was rearing its ugly head. I figured the fever wouldn't last too long, and everything would be okay.
The fever kept climbing, all the way up to 103, and Motrin really didn't seem to be bringing it down all that much. It lasted through Thursday and although it was lower, it was still present on Friday. Off the the doctor we went.
The doctor found blisters on Natalie's throat and named a virus as the culprit. I'm not going to attempt to spell the virus she named. She said that it wouldn't last any longer than the weekend and that Natalie ought to start feeling better soon.
Saturday Natalie did seem to be perking up finally. She ate and drank more than she had in days. She played some, rather than clinging and fussing. I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking we were almost out of the woods.
We had no plans to take Natalie to church Sunday morning, not wanting to share her virus with the nursery. Good thing. Natalie woke up Sunday broken out on her face, belly, back, arms, and legs. Yeah, you guessed it--the bumps and spots looked just like chicken pox! Sigh...
Fortunately, the spots were already fading by yesterday, and today they look much clearer. But I'm exhausted and frustrated and definitely ready for a completely healthy child!
As a whole, Natalie has been much sicker than Sarah has ever been. Sarah has caught the normal childhood colds and such, but she was four and a half years old before she needed her first antibiotic. We had to rush her to the doctor twice for injuries--once when she burned her face and chin and around her eye, and once when the iron hit her in the head. But overall, Sarah has been healthy and whole.
Natalie, on the other hand, has had numerous colds and several ear infections. She gets wheezy and needs albuterol. We end up at the doctor a lot between check-ups. The irony is, I've probably been more interested in health and nutrition with Natalie than with Sarah. It just goes to show, I guess, how very different children are. No matter how you try to raise them, genetics play a big role, and you can't control everything.
Anyway, we're done with vaccines for awhile. Here's hoping we can be done with illness for awhile too! I think I'm going to buy the hugest bottle of elderberry extract I can find, and have Natalie start chugging it! ;) (Okay, obviously kidding there, but it is proven to boost the immune system, and I am going to see how she does with normal doses of it. No chugging...at least not yet.) ;)
7 comments:
I hate when they are sick! It just goes around like crazy between our girls.
The boys rarely get sick (tough immune system from everything they have been exposed to, because they came over not having had immunizations of course.)
You said no flu shot, is that a no on flu mist too? Just curious. They told us to do it this year because of having an "infant" in the house, but she said "up to you guys" after baby K is more toddler K ;)
They wouldn't give Ashley the flu shot because of having a baby in the house but he sure got anthrax and everything else for the deployment..ha ha, makes no sense!
Yeah, we don't do flu vaccines at all. (I actually couldn't do the flu mist even if I wanted to--it uses MSG as a preservative). The doctor's office always *recommends* (sometimes strongly) a flu shot, and I always just politely decline.
Was that the coxsackie virus? That's what I had when I got home from TN after Natalie's birth. The doc said it was typically a childhood thing -- guess I'm young at heart.
Yes, it was! How strange...the doctor even mentioned that Natalie wouldn't give it to anyone much older than she was, because it really only affected the very young. You really must be young at heart! :)
(I referred to it as the cockamamie virus, as a joke).
I hope Natalie is feeling much better now! I guess it's technically a good thing to get chicken pox done and over with? I hear it's worse as you get older.
I will probably mention this a million times until your kids are grown. :) But I still think a good chiropractor could really help Natalie (and Sarah with her acid reflux). It's true that a lot is just genetics, but I know our family has been amazingly healthy since we started going to our chiro. Truly, it is worth a try!
I hope you all had a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!! ((HUGS))
If we could afford one, we would. Unfortunately, we can't just yet. Maybe soon. :)
Oh, and p.s. YES, chicken pox is MUCH worse when you are older!! Since I was 17, I can definitely attest to this fact!!!
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