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Original poster

Chicken pox queries, can anyone help?

30 replies

Greensleeves · 01/07/2007 10:09

ds2 has lots of red raised blisters on his bum, a really sore one on his willy, and a few spots on his back/front. He isn't really complaining of pain or itching, but they do look quite nasty. Is it chicken pox? Should I be worrying? I haven't really come across this before, neither dh nor I has had chicken pox. Can I still take him out (we need to weed the allotment) or does he need to be kept at home? He doesn't seem generally ill, but will that change? The spots weren't there last night.

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Original poster
Greensleeves · 01/07/2007 10:14

.

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Original poster
Greensleeves · 01/07/2007 10:20

come on folks, I know it's dull....

if they do have chicken pox, will it last long enough to miss the end of term? ds2 is supposed to be going for a morning session at nursery school on a Friday before the end of term, while his brother is still there, it will be a bit of a bugger if he can't

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Original poster
Greensleeves · 01/07/2007 10:22

wow, these spots are appearing REALLY fast he ahs them all over his face now, they weren't where when I started this thread?

Is there anything other than chicken pox it could be? Should I take him to A&E? [panic]

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Original poster
Greensleeves · 01/07/2007 10:25

.

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Tiggiwinkle · 01/07/2007 10:26

Has he been in contact with chickenpox Greensleeves? Is so then that is probably what it is!
You are supposed to keep them away from other children until the last spots have scabbed over (and they do appear very quickly once they start btw!) The spots come in waves over a few days up to a week.
A word of warning-chicken pox is very unpleasant if you get it as an adult-I speak from experience!

bagpuss · 01/07/2007 10:28

No, no Greensleeves. A&E isn't necessary. My three have all had it in the last month and ds2 had it in the way that you describe. I'm afraid that you will have to stay in for the time being until all the spots have crusted over. Watch out for yellow/green heads on them though as this means that they are infected and may need antibiotics (trip to the GP for that). DS2's were so bad that he had a secondary infection which I think is quite rare and unlucky but mostly chicken pox is straightforward. Give Piriton for the itching and also baths with bicarb of soda or porridge oats to relieve the itching too. Calpol for the fever (if he has any). Good luck and HTH.

Original poster
Greensleeves · 01/07/2007 10:29

I've no idea whether he's been in contact with chicken pox, but we did go to a party with 20 children on Thursday, is that too recent? I suppose if we didn't catch it there we will have infected all those children, I had better ring the hosts

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Original poster
Greensleeves · 01/07/2007 10:30

thanks bagpuss and tiggiwinkle for the advice. I have porridge oats and bicarb, will use if he starts complaining of itching.

How likely are we to get it, if we didn't have it as children?

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Tiggiwinkle · 01/07/2007 10:32

That is too recent GS-it would have been a couple of weeks ago he was infected. But there is loads of it around at the moment so could have picked it up anywhere he meets other children.
And yes, I think he would have been infecious on Thursday (just about) if it CP.

sniff · 01/07/2007 10:32

sounds like chicken pox to me they do appear that fast

calomie lotion and piriton help

allotment should be ok but not near young babies or pregnant women

Tiggiwinkle · 01/07/2007 10:34

I think you are quite likely to get it I'm afraid. I had it in my twenties despite not catching it as a child. Adults generally get it quite badly-I certainly did.

Original poster
Greensleeves · 01/07/2007 10:36

oh shit

Does anyone know when the end of the school term is? It would be a total disaster for us to miss it.

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Tiggiwinkle · 01/07/2007 10:38

End of term is around 20th July. The trouble is your children generally catch it one after the other-so the next will come down with it a couple of weeks after the first and so on!

LIZS · 01/07/2007 10:40

Spots start like raised insect bites then get a pusy head so it sounds like cp and you should exclude him for at least 5 days after spots started as the virus is airborne and you won't know the state of health of everyone you meet to some of whom it could be dangerous. He could have unwittingly picked it up anywhere and would have been infectious a day or so beforehand.

Original poster
Greensleeves · 01/07/2007 10:53

oh arseburgers, it seems likely that ds1 will miss the end of term then He is leaving nursery school, we had planned a really good planned transition for him (he has problems with change), and we have loads of meetings set up to talk about his IEP and the transition etc, which I won't be able to attend because nobody will want to babysit my scabby infectious children, even if I don't catch it myself

AAAARRRRRGGHH

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LIZS · 01/07/2007 10:56

He may not even get it, lol ! Don't assume noone will babysit either . If they've had it there is minimal risk.

Original poster
Greensleeves · 01/07/2007 10:57

Really, is it likely none of us will catch it?

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elesbelles · 01/07/2007 10:57

lol at arseburgers!! i remember watching the blisters appear before my eyes with my dd's..its so fast!! get ready with the cally lotion greeny.

Tiggiwinkle · 01/07/2007 10:59

These things always happen at the worst possible times don't they! But your DS1 may not get it this time around-fingers crossed!

Original poster
Greensleeves · 01/07/2007 11:21

OK - one more query - if ds1 hasn't got it and isn't infectious, presumably he can go to nursery? But if he goes to nursery, I have to take him and pick him up, which means taking a highly infectious ds2 with me. Is it OK to take him, when there are 2 pregnant women, 2 tiny babies and several toddlers among the little group of parents of ds1's key group who all wait at the side door together?

Am I being overly paranoid?

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Tiggiwinkle · 01/07/2007 11:25

It is OK for DS1 to go to nursery, because he amy not even get it this time. However, you definitely need to keep DS2 away from the pregnant women and tiny babies-is there no one at all to leave him with while you do the pick-ups? Otherewise, perhaps you could arrange to pick up DS1 a bit earlier to avoid the other parents?

Tiggiwinkle · 01/07/2007 11:26

Sorry for typos !

Original poster
Greensleeves · 01/07/2007 11:26

I haven't got anyone else to do the pick-up or have ds2 for me, dh could do the drop-off in the mornings (which I will hate ) but not the pick up, maybe once or twice but not every day.

actually dh is being a bit of a tosser about this, he seems to think other people don't matter and we should just carry on as normal

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francagoestohollywood · 01/07/2007 11:35

Havent't read the whole thread. Greeeny there's a 2 weeks incubation before the blisters appear. Anyway, ds got it, I got it (do you want to know the truth?), but dd didn't

lemonaid · 01/07/2007 11:39

It's quite likely that you and/or your DH will get it -- there's been chicken pox at DS's nursery and the two dads who hadn't already had it both caught it from their DCs and have been very ill (e.g. the husband of one of my friends, who has been literally confined to bed for a week, is expected to be there for a while yet, and she describes as looking like "one big chicken pox"). This is pretty typical when adults get it.

Adults who've already had it will probably be happy to babysit and/or help out (especially if their DCs have had it as well).