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.

Well we are all different. The world would be very boring if we all got pleasure from the same things.

Exactly, kitty.

Some find illness a bonding moment; others do not.

I find this posting op absolutely extraordinary and my mind boogles at the crassness of it. In essence,
" I am a wonderful mother and nurse who has cared for children during an illness." Wow that is unusual, most of us don't look after our children when they are sick.
" I want everyone on mumsnet to know how highly I think of myself." Most of us don't need the approval of strangers.
"They have got lifelong immunity." Congratulations to you and them. Who gives a toss about anyone else as long as your kids were lucky, yes lucky not to have any long lasting ill effects?

The stench of self congratualory bullshit is sprayed over this a million times. Get a life woman. I cannot think of another post EVER that has me so wound up.

Kitty I'd love to do Bills and a rummage with you. You folk from Lewes are so fond of telling us Brightonians that Bills in Lewes is so much better than Bills in Brighton I'd like to see for myself.

Thanks. Will CAT you.

Olympede no need to be sorry. I appreciate the non judgemental nature of your posts which enhance the debate.

Thanks Bamboostalks. I love you too.

I'm really glad your children are recovering now SM...you have had a really dificult time. My DD2 has T1 also, I was wondering how his levels were through the illness, it must have been hard to manage the lows?

DD2 developed T1 a month after her MMR...at 17 months old... I sometimes wonder if there is a link there but her consultants have all said no. I did think long and hard before taking my older DD for her MMR booster but I did in the end.

Take care

My thoughts exactly bamboostalks. Normally I would keep well clear of posts like this in an "each to her own" kind of way but the delusion, self congratulation and narcissism of the OP make me feel quite ill.

Enhance what debate? The debate over whether we should all share 'seminal parenting' moments when our children were sick and we bonded with them? OK my dd was ill in hospital in a darkened room..ooo like vampires..but oh she nearly died so I must not have been the right story books, silly me.

God you've really been through it recently.Do keep a close eye on them though as a lot of my probs came on as a result of measles apparently.It is a serious disease.It can trigger an inappropriate immune reaction which can have effects later.How did the little one with diabetes cope?

No life long immunity for her either and she will have some long lasting health effects.
Perhaps I will start a thread?

Spidermama, glad to hear that you are all ok.

1 in 15 is 6.67%, not 15%.

It is one thing to choose not to vaccinate (although I struggle with that, tbh).

But to actively wish measles on your child(ren), is, in my opinion, madness.

good lord this is all very bizarre

measles is a very serious illness,hence the vac-I wouldn't wish it on anyone let alone my chidren

please keep an eye on them, there are long lasting effects

Why can people not disagree on here without getting personal anymore?

measles is not very serious illness. Most children have it without any complications

Spidermama, I'm glad they're all doing better. I think this was a very good idea for a post - it's a nice contrast to all the scaremongering that the media are currently doing. I think everyone is aware that measles can be a serious illness in some cases and I'm very sorry to hear people's stories on this thread about having lost someone in their family or knowing someone who suffered complications.

We do have to remember though that MOST children make a complete recovery and have no complications. I think it would be nice if there was more info about treating/caring for people with measles. There were at least two people on this thread who didn't know about the darkened rooms etc. It would also be useful to know what signs of complications to look out for so that parents know when it is necessary to bring their child to hospital.

I think that it is great that your children got through this so well and that they now have lifelong immunity that your DD can pass on to her own children - something that is being lost and resulting in more younger children catching the disease. Well done to you too for getting them all through it and looking after them so well. A big glass of wine and some chocolate is well deserved I think

I am so glad your kids are OK spidermama but I too find your OP quite odd and agree that it came across as pretty smug. And I can't believe others are also wishing measels on their kids - it can be a very serious illness with nasty complications. As many posters have indicated through their own experiences.

Your decision whether to vaccinate or not but your post seemed rather self-congratulatory.

I am sorry to hear about your dd bamboostalks, its sounds like a frightening experience.

I think that spidermama was wishing measles on her kids in the same way i and most mums i know wish chicken pox on their kids as it is better caught when young and the immunity to it is desirable as the chicken pox is worse when you are an adult (my poor sil who is from abroad caught it when her kids did and was very miserable)

My friends child died from measles. She didn't get her first DD vaccinated. She was first in the cue at the doc's for the vaccination for her second child. It is a very serious disease.

I am glad your children are ok.

Thanks lulurose. I remember you from diabetes threads of old. I've been amazed that DS1's blood sugars have been fine during the measles. He's on the basal bolus system now which helped because it meant he didn't have to keep 'feeding the insulin' as he did with the old novomix.

Thanks Noddy. I will.

kittywise of course it can be very serious. As pointed out around 6% of cases end up with serious complications.

A child died of it around the corner from hwere I live two years ago, how serious do you want ffs.

I'm sorry to copy and paste what i wrote on another thread (prob very bad mn form) but I really want to say it again here. I completely understand that parents whatever their choices are doing what they believe is best for their kids but think that it is really important to know that even those involved in the mmr original research think that it is the safest option:
anecdotal evidence is still evidence. I think that it is right for that evidence to be taken seriously and researched thoroughly and commend the doctors at the Royal Free for listening to parents and trying to do that. As I have said before one of those doctors treated ds and was without doubt the best doctor I have ever met.
However, he was adamant that ds should have the mmr as the risks from measles far outweighed (in numbers and evidence) any risks from the mmr. Ds had very complicated health problems. I think the trouble has been that the government response to the mmr 'scandal' has been to say it is definately 110% safe. I think that it is unlikely that there have been enough trials to say this and would not be surprised if those mothers that have seen their children regress after the mmr are right (I'm so sorry by the way because this must have been truly devastating). I also think it is possible that it was not the mmr but coincidental- in short I don't know but neither explanation seems beyond the realms of possibility. However, I don't think the medical profession are out to dupe us into hurting our children and after speaking to one of the men himself who inadvertently started the scandal by his research I am convinced that the risk by not vaccinating is much much stronger than the risk caused by vaccinating.
The risk from a grommets operation is that of death but few people choose for their children not to have it and that risk is well evidenced and indesputable- it is strange that where the risk is less certain people seem to be more frightened.

So presumably noonki the child round the corner from you who died of it was this person here? It must be as you say your neighbour died a couple of years ago and this is the first case to die in the UK for 4 years.

Very sad indeed of course and note he died because he had 'an underlying lung problem' and was unvaccinated.

Yes I remember chatting to you a while back too....coming up to the 2 year anniversary now and feeling like an old hand at it all now!! Still get rubbish levels with illness though, even with the pump.

Good to hear ths "D" wasn't too bad to control, yes basal bolus must have been much easier if he lost his appetite.

half I know 2 kid who died from measles. Thank God for the vaccincation.
OP hope your kids ok now

KIDS