Elm in NJ Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 So, I notice this rash on my 9 yr ds last Thursday, just on his neck. By Sunday, it had spread, so I called the doctor. It just didn't look like chicken pox. He has no fever, no itching, he is still his active, ADHD self. Went in yesterday to the doctor ( an elderly guy,not our regular doctor, who scolded me and made me feel so bad for not giving them the chicken pox shot), turns out he has the chicken pox. Aren't you supposed to be pretty miserable with chicken pox? I watching to see if the twins get it also. So far, they are fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I don't think miserable starts until the pox start to erupt. Give it a day, you'll get your miserable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 So, I notice this rash on my 9 yr ds last Thursday, just on his neck. By Sunday, it had spread, so I called the doctor. It just didn't look like chicken pox. He has no fever, no itching, he is still his active, ADHD self. Went in yesterday to the doctor ( an elderly guy,not our regular doctor, who scolded me and made me feel so bad for not giving them the chicken pox shot), turns out he has the chicken pox. Aren't you supposed to be pretty miserable with chicken pox? I watching to see if the twins get it also. So far, they are fine. He will get miserable. Wait 2-3 days. Barb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
springmama Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Day three was our nightmare day but only for my 5 year old. The three year old could have cared less. My baby (6 months at the time) didn't get it at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeanestMomInMidwest Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 There is a range of "normal" for cpox. The shot does not guarantee immunity, but usually if one does contract it after vacc, it is a milder form. When I was a kid, my sister got the pox first. She was miserable beyond miserable. A very bad case, and she has scars to this day. Then I got them. I stayed home from school and played outside all day. It was great! I had a very mild case and did itch a bit, but it never sidelined me the way it did my sis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
springmama Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I've heard that repeated exposures will give you a miserable case. If your other kids have been exposed, don't do anything else to try to ensure that they get it. I have a friend who worked hard at making her other kids get it and other friends who exposed their kids over and over again to increase their chances of getting it. The kids I knew who were exposed repeatedly got really bad cases of it and the kids who were last in their family to get it, really got it bad too. My kids were exposed once and when they got it, it was mild. Just don't do what my friend did, having the kids rub on each other, bathing together, then your other kids will have a less severe case of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janna Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I watching to see if the twins get it also. So far, they are fine. The incubation period for chicken pox is 2-3 weeks if I remember correctly. So just because you don't see anything on them yet, chances are you will in the next week or two. In regards to your ds, could be he just has a mild case and therefore isn't bothered by them. Otherwise, I agree with the others - give it another day. I don't think I ever ran a fever when I had chicken pox, and my dd never did either and she was covered with them. Ds had the classic cold symptoms and low grade fever with his. Everyone reacts differently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracey in TX Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 (Hugs) Hopefully he won't be too miserable. The chicken pox vaccine is overrated. All my DCs had it. Amazingly two got chicken pox anyhow. One was minor. The other was full-blown, albeit not terribly painful. Wish we had never vaccinated them. Nobody knows the long term ability. They will probably need to be revaccinated. So you were wise to avoid it. Get oatmeal to let him bathe. Maybe some special treats. And try to get some rest (you), as it might be a long couple of weeks. (((Big hugs and healthy thoughts))) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMW Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 It does vary from child to child. A few of mine had fever and were miserable from the get go, a few did not get very miserable at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 All three of my kids got the vax, and all three of them got the pox, so ignore the doc. None of them got it bad, but that may have been the case even without the vax. There are many rashes that look like cp too, so it may be that he has another viral thing or irritation from something he came in contact with. Our youngest has a constant cp looking rash, and the first time the doc saw it he even said it was cp but alas a year later that was not the case. Hopefully he does not get too uncomfortable and no one else gets it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I wouldn't worry about it. He may or may not be miserable. All kids are different. Personally, I think you are a good mother for NOT giving your kids the vax (btw, not to be read that I think that parents that give the vax are bad parents). I have NEVER heard (except online) of a kid given the vax that didn't also get CP. NEVER, not ONE child. EVER. And that includes working in childcare centers. ONLY online have I heard of kids who didn't get the CP sometime after the shot. I believe it happens, but I don't think getting the CP after the shot is abnormal by any stretch. And then there are the issues associated with getting CP later in life rather than as a young child for those it DOES work for. Will every parent and then later the kids follow up with getting CP vax enough? Too much of a risk if it does work, imo. Anyway, so don't feel bad about it. Hopefully your kids get it young and aren't terribly miserable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracey in TX Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 (btw, not to be read that I think that parents that give the vax are bad parents). That's pretty harsh. I opted to give my DCs the vax. While I regret the decision, it hardly qualifies me as a bad parent. I realize you were trying to make a point, but it was still unnecessarily unkind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet in Toronto Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 My son had cpox when he was 3 (and I was pregnant with his brother). He had a very mild case, and only needed a dose of Benadryl one night to help him sleep. Because my immunity was unknown, I ended up getting a shot of VZ immunoglobulin to prevent me getting it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 M dd spent hours at night with the "Where's Waldo?" books distracting herself from the itching. They also could dab all the aloe they wanted on the pox along with other supervised meds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Originally Posted by Pamela H in Texas View Post(btw, not to be read that I think that parents that give the vax are bad parents). That's pretty harsh. I opted to give my DCs the vax. While I regret the decision, it hardly qualifies me as a bad parent. I realize you were trying to make a point, but it was still unnecessarily unkind. Tracey, did you misread my statement? I specifically said that I DO NOT think parents that had their kids get the CP vax are bad parents. I put that in because I was worried that supporting her choice to not vax would come across that I thought people who chose otherwise were bad parents. That is NOT the case as I clearly stated in what you copied and pasted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracey in TX Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Tracey, did you misread my statement? I specifically said that I DO NOT think parents that had their kids get the CP vax are bad parents. I put that in because I was worried that supporting her choice to not vax would come across that I thought people who chose otherwise were bad parents. That is NOT the case as I clearly stated in what you copied and pasted. :banghead: omgosh, I'm so sorry. I misread "read" to be "rude"...hence my stupidity. I'm so sorry! (hanging head in embarassment) Thank you for the clarification. Feel free to throw snowballs to wake me up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Don't waste energy feeling guilty about declining the shot! Our friends' dd got the chicken pox a few months ago- after having the shot. Our ps had a big outbreak two years ago- where the cp shot is "required". And, with the invention of this shot, more and more young adults are getting shingles. Half of my kids have the shot, and half don't (and won't). I've never had chicken pox myself, but my tests show I'm immune. It's all the same to me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I'm surprised an older Dr. would scold you (as if you're a child anyway!) about not getting the vax. Don't feel guilty at all. You child will now have life long immunity. :) Aveeno lotion for chicken pox (it says chicken pox on the bottle) is great stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebug42 Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Don't waste energy feeling guilty about declining the shot! Our friends' dd got the chicken pox a few months ago- after having the shot. Our ps had a big outbreak two years ago- where the cp shot is "required". And, with the invention of this shot, more and more young adults are getting shingles. Half of my kids have the shot, and half don't (and won't). I've never had chicken pox myself, but my tests show I'm immune. It's all the same to me! I actually had chicken pox when I was a kid and still got shingles when I was pregnant with my oldest daughter. YIKES!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Feel free to throw snowballs to wake me up! No thanks! I'm not TOUCHING snowballs. I'm sick of freezing (and I live in Texas where each week, we've had nice temps on top of horrid ones). :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halftime Hope Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 speaking only in the most general terms, I believe I read some years ago that the first sibling to contract CP, usually from outside the home, is often the one who will get the lightest case. The other sibs, who are exposed to a much higher viral load often, but not always, have more severe cases. Of course, immune function and age could be other variables which would change that pattern. As to rememdies, we found chamomile tea baths to be the single most effective help for the itchies. It usually gave about 8-10 hours complete relief for my poor kid who looked like something out of a horror movie. Nothing else worked. hth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 The incubation is 8 - 21 days. Delightful, precise illness. I was miserable, but only physically for a day or so. The majority of my misery came from being a 26 year old single mother with chicken pox in the middle of December, when I was trying, desperately (pre-internet), to finish my holiday shopping and had just been out on my first date with a really great guy. (Who is now my husband). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristenS Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 Shingles is something you are prone to get if you've had chicken pox. They go together .. once you had chicken pox, the virus is dormant in your system and can erupt later as shingles. So I understand. It can be pretty painful, too... my sis had shingles as a teen (we both had chicken pox as kids). I would imagine, the vaccine being what it is, it makes it more possible to later get shingles. It's a no win. Sigh. I did know a fellow who got CP in high school, though, and he was thoroughly miserable for a really long time. I will consider the vaccine for my youngest (who didn't get the shot yet) if she hits ten or so and didn't get it anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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