Sick Day #3

Well, it seems my son has SCARLET FEVER. Actually the doctor put "scarlet fever" in quotes, like that, air quotes with her fingers, because it's really just strep throat with a rash, blar de blar, no one get panicky. Of course I did anyway; I was all, SCARLET FEVER! All caps! What shall we do next, doctor of physick? Do we procure for him a bloodletting? Retire him to his bedchamber for a fortnight?

I knew something was going on when he entered our bedroom this morning looking like someone had beaten him up. You can't get anything past me, nossir. His face is all angry and blotchy and he has the puffy watery eyes of an allergic basset hound. It's the saddest thing I've ever seen.

And now we have some antibiotics and we're watching some television. Once again, medicine and technology join forces to save the day!

Comments

[Melanie]

Wow, leave it to Henry to get a malady straight from last century.... I must comment on the irony- your little guy was complaining about pain in colors and now he has "scarlet" fever. In all seriousness, I hope he feels better soon-and I hope you don't get it either!!

[Jenn @ Juggling Life]

All the funny comments have been made. All I've got is "get well soon!"

[kristi]

I heart these comments. (and poor Henry to boot)

[cartoongoddess]

Ugh. I feel for you. We got slammed w/ strep today. Last night was hell.

Here's to both of us having a silent night.

[Christi]

One of my kids had Scarlet Fever once. I can't remember which, though. How's that for good-mommy?

Wait 'til the doc tells you your kid has Cat-Scratch Fever. You'll walk around for weeks with Ted Nugent jamming in your head. To this day, I can't hear that song without saying to my daughter, "Hey...remember when you had...?" How many 11-yr olds do you know who can identify CSF by the opening rif?

[Jennifer]

I thought most people died if they came down with The Scarlet Fever, but alas, my niece and nephew have had it a few times (her once, him twice) and are still alive and thriving. It is dramatic, though.

[honestyrain]

if i had to have a fever, scarlet is the color i'd choose. that or orange. i'm really into orange lately. blue too, which is weird because i never like blue. but i wouldn't want blue fever. that sounds cold and not fevery at all.

[geminigirl]

Last year my son got SF too. I panicked and looked out the window for the plague of locusts

[angelawd]

I was always getting weird maladies when I was a kid, too. Pit Rosea, creeping blisters, chicken pox twice, infected saliva glands, Osgood-Schlatter disease...I think my doctor used to say, "oh crap, here comes that kid again. What now?"

[mike]

Definitely keep with the antibiotics/apothecaries and tv routine. We got hit with "the fever" earlier in the year. The best part about it was explaining that "oh, hells yeah, it's still around!".

[Dee]

I've had scarlet fever. It's not a big deal, although it sounds scary. He will be back to normal soon.

[TitanKT]

Yeah, I'd go ahead and get panicky about SCARLET FEVER even if told not to, as well. I hope he's feeling better soon, though. I HATE it when my kid is really sick... it just breaks your heart, doesn't it?

[Kerri Anne]

Yes, my mind was instantly traipsing back to images of the original Oregon Trail game I played in elementary school. Everyone circle the wagons!

I hope he's less scarlet-y soon.

[Michele]

My son had scarlet fever last year, and I remember thinking at the time, "Scarlet fever? Beth in Little Women died from that." But when the pediatrician explained it to me, I felt much better. But my youngest is on antibiotics now, due to a raging ear infection. Thank you, Cefzil!

[Candy]

Well I'm glad to know medical technology has a handle on these diseases. What's next, polio? Rubella?

[Jenn]

oh my gosh! this is too ironic, my son has scarlet fever-he woke up with it yesterday morning. i was thinking how ironic it was that, for that past 3 weeks my other 2 kiddos have been passing strep throat around, but this one never got it.however, our ped. didn't put him on antibiotics cause "he was just on them" and my parents said his rash has gotten worse, so i think i may just wait and take him to the er tonight???!

[punchanella]

one time when my son was just over a year and had been very sick, we administered antibiotics. he had a really bad allergic reaction and that's not the part that pertains to your scarlet fever post. the part that is important is that a couple days later the hives started to turn purple and so my husband called the after-hours health service and they told him that after hearing the symptoms he described that it was likely scarlet fever and they were dispatching an ambulance to our house.

we declined and drove him (fast) ourselves, and it was NOTHING more than too little benadryl and extra-old hives and norwalk virus.

what's my point? i don't know, i wonder that myself... but i guess what i was getting at is WHY DO DOCTORS KEEP TELLING PEOPLE THEIR CHILDREN HAVE "SCARLET FEVER"? this is exactly why i didn't go into medicine, that and having to touch sick people.

[Dory]

Hope Henry feels better soon!

Don't make me send the leeches. *deadpan face*