My four children have measles.

[Spidermama]

I'm almost at the end of it now.

My 7 year old got it first and was ill throughout half term. The other three have just had the week off school with it and are still loafing around on the sofas at the tail end.

We've lived like vampires in darkened rooms.
During the worst days (probably about 2 days per child) I had to carry them upstairs to the toilet, hold bottled water to their mouths to get them to drink, and DS2 didn't eat anything for four whole days.

We're on the home stretch now and they just need fattening up. It has been a very bonding, intense experience and I'm really glad they have now got natural, lifelong immunity.

I hesitated before starting this thread. I have talked about my childrens measles on the vax thread but I wondered if I could have a measles thread which didn't turn into a vax debate. I also thought the subject deserves a thread of it's own because it's a really big deal for me.

None the less this is such a full on, eminal parenting moment for me, I would hate to let it pass without sharing it with MN. It would feel somehow wrong, like concealing stuff from my family almost.

So DS3 bounced back very quickly. He was flat out and barely able to whisper one day - the next je was out on the trampoline in full gold cape superhero gear. DD1 is also bouncing back nicely. DS2 and DS4 are a bit slower but showing improvement by the hour.

DH is away by the way so I'm here on my own.

i had measles when i was 2 and had been vaccinated. apparently a woman brought her daughter to a party who was very unwell, raging temperature, not eating and said daughter didnt want to miss the party (she was 2), every one at the party got measles.

Glad they're all doing OK Spidermama. Sounds like it's been a bit grim.

I had an orange bedspread on my nana's bed (was nursed at her house as it was all at about the time my mothers became ill and I was taken into my aunts care).

we have the orange in common!

Spidermama - I don't give a stuff about beating anyone up on whether or not they vaccinate, I just wanted to say 'well done' for coping with it all, it was awful when the kids and I went down with the plague flu, I can't imagine how it is with four of them. Good for you for being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel

reading the comment on teeth.....DD2 has had to have her back molars treated as her adult one came thru without proper enamal.

my own teeth are dreadful!

am wondering if it is connected now.

measels is yuk.. for your lot and you.

From what my sister tells me about the teeth thing is that basically all her bodies resources were used to fight the measles and it happened to be at the same time as the adult teeth were developing.
They came through mottled and grey with no enamel.

That sounds like a very tough couple of weeks - hope everyone is feeling much better soon.

How many at the school got it do you know? How were you being demonised? You live in the 'place to be' don't you - surely loads of parents there have chosen not to vaccinate? When is your DH back, and does he know how much debt he is in for this

I was just reading about the teeth thing on the Merck site (big pharma database)

Abnormal tooth enamel (enamel is the hard outer surface of teeth) may be due to a diet containing insufficient vitamin D. Abnormal enamel may also be the result of a childhood infection (such as measles or chickenpox) occurring when the permanent teeth were forming. Abnormal enamel may also be due to repeated vomiting, as occurs in bulimia nervosa, because the stomach acid dissolves the surface of the teeth. Swimmers who spend a lot of time in chlorinated pools can lose tooth enamel, as can people who work with acids. Damaged tooth enamel can allow bacteria to more easily invade the tooth and form a cavity.

Sorry spidermama, I didn't ask the question to demonise you or to get into a vaccination debate, it was just the first thing I wondered and os I asked you.

Glad your children are all recovering.

goodness, that sounds like very hard work, i am so gladd that everyone is getting better xx

Oh spidermama, so glad they are coming out teh other side.
I don't remember getting measles as I was only 6 months old. My sisters caught it first (ages were 6 months, 3, 5 and 7) and my mum said it was the scariest, most exhausting few weeks of her life. She actually doesn't remember much as she says she has blocked most of it out.

FWIW 2 of my sisters had had their vax, including the eldest, who caught it, so it isn't as simple as vax/no vax, you can still catch it having had it IYSWIM.

I'm interesting in this phenomenon as DS has one new tooth with discolouration which I think is either related to all the antibiotics he had when he had a febrile fit from an unknown virus or from the high temperatures. I just read this: www.enotes.com/nursing-encyclopedia/tooth-development-primary

which goes on to indicate that the mottled effect can be caused by high temperatures so I wonder if that's why measles etc. can cause such problems.

Anyway this page also says there is a genetic problem which can cause lack of enamel or problems with the enamel. Makes interesting reading anyway.

Sounds like as always people need justification for not immunising.
It must have been dreadful to nurse children with measles how miserable and upsetting. Everyone makes the right decision for THEM about what they decide to do about immunisation.
Its so emotive especially when your kids are ill.

I remember having measles (must have been about 4, no vaccs then for it ) as do my brother and sister. I can't imagine coping single handed with four sick kids regardless of the disease, hats off to you Spidermama and am v glad they're all on the mend.

The is at realizing how old I am, btw, nothing else!

I hope your children are starting to feel better now.

We believe my DD had measles when she was 13 months, contracted a day or two after having her MMR - before it had chance to work. It was going round the area at the time and she had come into contact with it at nursery, although didn't know that at the time.

It was never diagnosed and it is only retrospectively the doctors have said that is what is most probably was. They were to bust denying her symtoms were MMR side effects to have her checked out properly.

She was very poorly for a couple of weeks and lost lots of weight. She has never been so ill before or since. It was horrid. Have to say that I did not find it a bonding experience at all. I was really upset and worried, DH was really worried, our parents were, it was just horrible having a baby feeling so rotten. It took her a good while to get fully back to normal.

why do you have to have a darkened room?
how old was your youngest?

glad you are all doing ok

where is 'the place to be?'

OMG - just read the stuff about teeth. We believe DD had measles at 13m. She was a late teether and got her first teeth around the same time. Most of her back teeth have a problem with not enough enamel - they look brown despite being clean and they are nt decayed, etc. Just an enamel issue. We are hoping her adult teeth will not be affeected.

Could mesles have really caused this?

the darkened room is because measles can make the eyes very very sensitive to light, and also can rarely cause problems.

kalo was just about to ask that!

well done spider you have done an amazing job looking after four very unwell children on your own

There definitely was a vaccination in the 70s - I was vaccinated. Partly because my great-aunt was a huge advocate (was also vaccinated for whooping cough which I think was similarly controversial) and partly because my great uncle died aged 11 from measles.

Yes, I remember the headache when light got in. And high fever. Not itching, particularly, at least not as much as I remember CP itching.

Hula, I had a very ill baby with dd2 (bronchiolitis) and I don't think bonding is the word I would use either, it was just terrifying and upsetting. That said, I can imagine, with older child, how it might be.

pooka

I had it in the 60s. As did my siblings.