So...tell me about chicken pox

[Kathy]

Ryan had exposure a couple of weeks ago (the school nurse called), and tonight he has pink cheeks, dots on his arm, and he's starting to itch. Definitely chicken pox. Arden hasn't shown symptoms yet and we're keeping them apart so Arden doesn't get a worse case.

Suggestions on how to keep him less itchy? Anything else to pass along? Dan and I have had chicken pox, so we should be all right. And Tasia, please tell me Natalie's friend has either had it or has parents who would be happy for her to get it?

[MorgnsGrl]

Ryan had exposure a little over a week ago (the school nurse called), and tonight he has pink cheeks, dots on his arm, and he's starting to itch. Definitely chicken pox. Arden hasn't shown symptoms yet and we're keeping them apart so Arden doesn't get a worse case.

Suggestions on how to keep him less itchy? Anything else to pass along? Dan and I have had chicken pox, so we should be all right. And Tasia, please tell me Natalie's friend has either had it or has parents who would be happy for her to get it?

Cut his fingernails as short as possible to limit the damage he can do while scratching!

Dante LOVED his "oatmeal snake." I took an old pair of tights, cut off a leg, put a bunch of oats in it, and he took a bath with and rubbed it all over. It's kind of gross but it definitely helped.

[hamamelis]

HOmeopathic rhus tox. 200c if you have it.

The chicken pox fairy brought gifts a couple of times- a video and polly pocket set.

She didn't complain too much about the itching, but did like the aveeno baths.

Good luck!

[Kathy]

Cut his fingernails as short as possible to limit the damage he can do while scratching!

His nails needed trimming anyway, so I'll get those before he goes to bed.

Dante LOVED his "oatmeal snake." I took an old pair of tights, cut off a leg, put a bunch of oats in it, and he took a bath with and rubbed it all over. It's kind of gross but it definitely helped.

This is a great idea! I remember just how soothing oatmeal baths were when I had chicken pox, but the idea of having something to smooth over the skin sounds even better.

[anastasia]

Ryan had exposure a couple of weeks ago (the school nurse called), and tonight he has pink cheeks, dots on his arm, and he's starting to itch. Definitely chicken pox. Arden hasn't shown symptoms yet and we're keeping them apart so Arden doesn't get a worse case.

Suggestions on how to keep him less itchy? Anything else to pass along? Dan and I have had chicken pox, so we should be all right. And Tasia, please tell me Natalie's friend has either had it or has parents who would be happy for her to get it?

Natalie's friend was vaxed. I'll tell her mom tomorrow but I doubt they'll worry. I think her mom would have preferred not to vax her for CP but her dad is a doctor and he insisted.

~~~mild case~~~ vibes to Ryan!

[Gargoyle]

You know what my mom did for me that I loved, was dab cold Milk of Magnesia on it. I lived in Hawai'i so it was hot, plus I was a junior in high school. So on top of the itchiness I felt like utter crap and everytime I stood up, I nearly fainted. I remember well though how the cold liquid felt so very good on my skin and helped it not itch as much.

[Kathy]

Natalie's friend was vaxed. I'll tell her mom tomorrow but I doubt they'll worry. I think her mom would have preferred not to vax her for CP but her dad is a doctor and he insisted.

~~~mild case~~~ vibes to Ryan!

Whew! I called the neighborhood friend who was over on Thursday and she's vaxed as well. Kind of funny - her mom assumes there's no way she can catch it. Hello, no vaccine gives 100% immunity!

Looks like Ryan has a pretty mild case. Not many spots, he has a bit of a fever and feels a bit under the weather but not too bad. Though he did sleep in until 8:00 this morning (bonus!).

[Bickery]

I finally gave benedryl.
The pox under the cast were just too itchy to bear!

I'm curious about continued exposure resulting in a worse case?

[lunita]

Yeah, my vaxed kids probably got it from a vaxed kid, and those two vaxed kid gave it to the third. LOL. Of course, they got EXTREMELY mild cases.

The second dose wasn't a recommendation when the third through sixth graders entered school, so lots of them got it. On the other hand, it's a recommendation now and most of the kindergarteners got the second dose. Maia went to school with pox for three days before the school caught it and realized what it was (I REALLY didn't think they were chicken pox!) and no one else in her class caught it. If the kids have had two doses of the vaccine I think their chances of catching the chicken pox are quite low, but with just one dose, I wouldn't be sure. At all.

[anastasia]

Yeah, my vaxed kids probably got it from a vaxed kid, and those two vaxed kid gave it to the third. LOL. Of course, they got EXTREMELY mild cases.

The second dose wasn't a recommendation when the third through sixth graders entered school, so lots of them got it. On the other hand, it's a recommendation now and most of the kindergarteners got the second dose. Maia went to school with pox for three days before the school caught it and realized what it was (I REALLY didn't think they were chicken pox!) and no one else in her class caught it. If the kids have had two doses of the vaccine I think their chances of catching the chicken pox are quite low, but with just one dose, I wouldn't be sure. At all.

One of the worst cases in Nick's class when it went through there was in a child who had been vaxed, but only one dose, I think. Out of all the kids in his class that year, only one of those who had not previously had it did not get CP. Everyone else who had not previously had it got it, vaxed and non-vaxed alike.

Natalie's friend says she had "two shots for chicken pox."

[Debra]

Ryan had exposure a couple of weeks ago (the school nurse called), and tonight he has pink cheeks, dots on his arm, and he's starting to itch. Definitely chicken pox. Arden hasn't shown symptoms yet and we're keeping them apart so Arden doesn't get a worse case.

Suggestions on how to keep him less itchy? Anything else to pass along? Dan and I have had chicken pox, so we should be all right. And Tasia, please tell me Natalie's friend has either had it or has parents who would be happy for her to get it?

We did the Aveeno Oatmeal baths and Benadryl. He really didn't need anything else as he had a very mild case.

[Kathy]

Definitely chicken pox.

Ryan's fever was gone by mid day yesterday, and the spots never got any worse and are pretty much gone today. We think he had a cold (which Arden, Dan and I also have) and got scraped on a bush and ended up with spots that itched for a while. At least I don't need to figure out child care while I'm in school for the next week!