Guess what ds got for Xmas?????

[macwoozy]

Blimen bleedin chicken pox!!!!! He's covered in spots but they've not blistered yet, I just hope it's not going to effect him on xmas day, he doesn't cope well with 'being ill'!! Dp has gone to bed with a slight cold and thinks he's coming down with shingles, god help me!

Buy lots of calamine, and cotton wool buds, then stand him on a towel with a bowl of calamine and getting him to paint the spots. It is not much relief but it might take his mind of things.

Tell DP to take Lem Sip max capsules - they should cure what sounds like a definite case of man-flu! Poor you! Calpol is my only tip, the plus 6 one seems to have a miraculous effect if DS is old enough.

Oh pfft, men! You can't "catch" shingles from chickenpox. It only works the other way round.

I'd recommend calamine cream, which ours seemed to find less irritating to put on than the lotion. Also putting bicarb of soda and/or oatmeal in the bath water is supposed to help - though maybe put the oatmeal in a sock or something so it doesn't block the drains.

As I remember, day 1 is OK, then you get a day of spots-and-flu and then after that it's mostly grumpiness because the spots make it hard to sleep. So fingers crossed he's timed this just right around Xmas.

I second the oatmeal. My ds(3) got chickenpox when I had just had baby ds(4). He loved the bath with oatmeal. I tied it in a muslin and held it under a running tap. It really soothed his skin, and relaxed him. He still has it now sometimes.
It is fab!

Beware of additives in medicines, sorry to be a medicine bore but my ds nearly got antibiotics with aspartame in them!!
It can be in some Calpols etc too!!

Thanks for the tips

Ds is actually coping really well. He is starting to itch a little, but I don't think we've got to the really dreadful itchy stage, I've got a feeling that's going to be really tough on him because he's highly sensitive.

Dp is obviously fine, he's just a typical man with slight sniffles that everyone needs to know about.

When my boys got them (two weeks apart, of course!) a friend of mine recommended Piriton Liquid, which really helped reduce the itching obssessions.

That coupled with Lush's wonderful Dreamwash (containing Calamine - messy, but amazing) and Dreamcream really helped tons too! The look of relief on their little faces was worth all the bath scrubbing!!

Good Luck!!

Can sympathise-my dd had chickenpox last christmas.
Try Eurax cream instead of that drying calamine lotion (double check with pro. first etc...)-my doctor recommended it to me and found it fantastic for taking dd's itching away-my friend tried it out too and helped her dcs sleep much easier.
Is quite expensive but worthwhile investment!
Hope your ds gets over it soon.

Poor you & your ds, antihistamine helped my 2 with the itchiness, also a sedative so may help get a good nights sleep.

Thanks, you've all been really helpful

It's now really beginning to bother him, he's really itchy and has a sore throat. Poor thing, he's lying on the sofa and is so quiet. I just hope he bounces back for tomorrow.

Happy Christmas to everyone

Hope your ds is feeling better soon macwoozy! Happy Christmas from my ds and i to you and yours XXXXXXXXXXXXXX