We have chicken pox! Wanna come play with us?

I am pretty sure it's chicken pox. I thought about taking him to the ped and getting him acyclovir again, but it was pretty bad on him last time, and the CP doesn't appear to be bothering him that much.

But they absolutely look like CP, and AJ just realized that the child she watches during the day had a CP vaccine last Friday, about 4-5 days before Charlie broke out in spots. She's kind of miffed because the mother knows to tell her when they get vaccines, so we can keep Charlie away from them for a few days. Oh well, it's only chicken pox.

So... I'm pretty sure that's what he has. He's had shingles before, so that's probably why the outbreak isn't that bad. Still mostly on his torso, with some on his upper legs and arms. They don't appear to bother him that much (but very little does anymore).

Yay! Chicken pox! It won't give him immunity, but at least he seems to be doing okay. I don't know for certain, but I am about 98% sure.

Anyone want some?

No thanks, we have fevers and vomiting right now - no need to add itchy spots to the mix! I am glad you figured out what it 98% is!

are you going to take him to his ped?

Aw....

Leila had the pox before her 1st birthday, thanks to big sis -- Ped said she might not be immune, but she's been exposed more than once since then without getting it

I'll take your chicken pox if you'll take my two kids with runny noses, cough, sore throats and whininess.

I'll take them if you can figure out how to get it here. lol

Yay! CP! Where are you again?

LOL

Neither of my boys "need" CP right now... the 1st was accidently exposed at 9 mo, with no luck and then later had the vax (yeah, yeah, I know) and ds2 is just too young to purposefully expose him.

Even if you don't want to post on MDC, the search feature will bring up tons of great ways to treat CP.

Good luck!

I would actually want CP for my son if I weren't pregnant right now. I had CP when I was a kid, but I would just not want to risk it right now.
Darn.

Are you sure it isn't measles?

I don't know. Measles I am not familiar with. I don't know where he would GET measles. I only decided on the CP after we found out T had had a CP vax recently, and we've been told to keep him away from recently vaccinated kids (unless we want him to get stuff). It still might *not* be CP, but it makes sense.
Measles... no, I don't think it's measles. Not rashy enough.

I wish I weren't pregnant or could get titres done on myself ASAP.
I also wish I knew if DS were going to get measles or not-- I don't think I would want to expose him to CP if he were to develop measles too.

Sigh.

It was just yesterday I was lamenting the fact that I would need to find CP at some point and here it is *just* when I am not prepared for it.

Splash, I thought kids with weakened immune systems were at risk for complications to CP? Like pneumonia? Is it because Charlie has already had shingles that you are not concerned about any problems? I hope he is feeling better ASAP!

FWIW, Measles rash starts behind the ears and spreads from there. ID-ing rashes is my forte!, LOL!

I could use some CP here! We're only about... 3 hours from DC I think. Hmmm, road trip?? If only I had the extra gas $$....

Splash said:

But they absolutely look like CP, and AJ just realized that the child she watches during the day had a CP vaccine last Friday, about 4-5 days before Charlie broke out in spots.

Click to expand...

Incubation period on CP is 9-21 days, so it's extremely unlikely that the vaccination was the cause.

Wish you lived closer. So far, Roman's the only one of my kids who's had CP.

Oh, wow!

It looks like CP, but I thought it HAD to be something else since he had already had shingles. I was wrong!!

Man, no one here ever gets cp. I'm jealous.

Forgive me, but I am confused as to why parents WANT their kids to get an illness that is downright AWFUL as well as carries the risk of complications? Before the vaccine, when my son was small in the early 90's, he got them from some mindless girl who worked at the ice cream store who actually came to work WITH ACTIVE POX!!! I had also never had them and got them too as an adult. I believe there is less chance of a complication to adults than to kids- I have heard of children who DIED from complications of chicken pox. All the people who talk about "chicken pox parties" - I just don't understand. I know it's the idea of getting it and then get over it while young so then it's all behind you, but actually courting a disease for this purpose doesn't seem wise. I don't want to criticize anyone, this is just my opinion. Get well, everyone, especially little Charlie!

Not flaming here, just posting my personal reasons:

CP is *generally* a very mild illness in and of itself, with few complications in the vast majority of cases. I grew up amongst the mindset that it wasn't a serious illness, rarely heard of people who developed complications, etc. A local mindset isn't any sort of factual proof, but the mindset was that way, because reality in our community was that nothing terrible every happened from CP, other than a mighty fierce discomfort, and possibly a few scars. I never heard a whisper of people dying of CP until the vaccine came out, quite honestly, and when I researched further into that, I wasn't satisfied with what I learned. Many cases of death involve secondary staph infection of the open sores, and there was controversy over whether that was more likely due to hygiene issues than CP's inherent risks. Others involved secondary lung infection, which was mostly a danger to immuno-compromised individuals, as I understood it.

Immunity from having contracted CP is lifelong. Immunity from the vaccine is by no means 100% guaranteed in the first place (we all know someone who caught CP immediately after being vaxed, I'm sure-- 3 of my *unvaxed* children caught it from my daycare kids who'd just been vaxed and caught it!), and there isn't much certainty of it's long-term effectiveness. If women in particular are not careful to have titres checked before the childbearing years, it could be disastrous to find later that immunity never occurred, or has "worn off", during a pregnancy. :shudders:

The near-guarantee of lifelong immunity vice uncertain immunity is worth the minimal risks to me. I have four daughters, besides my sons, to consider. 5 of my 6 children have had CP, one twice (!), and if the youngest should make it to puberty without having caught it, I will have a titre drawn to check for immunity, and will absolutely consider having her vaccinated, to protect her from the horrific possibilities in her childbearing years. I'll have to remind her to have the titre re-checked every several years, though.

Isn't the vaccination for CP just infecting the kids with a small dose of CP virus so that the body builds up the antibodies, but not a large enough dose to cause the disease. Personally I'd rather go to the CP party than have the vaccine. Now that sparks me too. The virus gets around. I caught it without getting intentionally exposed, and I know lots of people who have too. Is it really necessary to purposely infect your kid? Now as for the old being affected worse aren't they talking about the elderly (60-65+)?

I wish! Piper was exposed in the fall I think. A student in her art class was incubating them one week and her mom told us the next week that over the weekend they had been confirmed. So Piper was right next to her during the contagious time. And the kid didn't get them. I think she was a bit worn down that weekend, that's it. Nathan's never had them, and when he asked his mom she couldn't remember. So he may have a natural immunity, and so may Piper.

In the four years before last fall I had never heard of a kid in my area getting the chicken pox. And I know a lot of unvaxed kids waiting to hear of one. But chicken pox parties are not new. I had them when I was six and so it was assumed my brother would get them next. Sure enough on his fifth birthday he erupted. Another friend was being exposed for a lot of that time too, and she broke out right after my brother (probably on her fifth birthday as they're only four days apart). She had one of the worst cases I've heard of, in her mouth, ears, eyes, the whole bit. But like someone else said, until the vaccine came out and the risks associated with it, her case was the absolute worst I thought could happen. And I still think that generally that's the case. I don't usually use the phrase "my ped says" but in this case my ped and I are on the same page. She feels that a natural immunity is better and more guaranteed, and it's not worth vaccinating against. She also wouldn't vaccinate against mumps, nor measles, and I would guess not rubella, but I asked for rubella for Piper (family history of dangerous complications).

I have two scars from CP. I itched for three days, then enjoyed another four days off being "sick" and watching TV and staying home from school. Not everyone has an easy time, but generally it's an annoyance and then done with forever.

I'm going to try to expose Piper one more time if I can before I claim her naturally immune.

Wendy

If you were local, we'd be there !