Chicken pox

Hi, I have just had the scariest weekend ever and just wanted to share Fay's story here.
Fay had had a couple of viral illnesses over the past couple of months, and we have had some exposure to chicken pox too.
Last Tuesday i noticed that she had some blisters in her perineum, they looked really uncomfortable, and as she had been on antibitoics i assumed it was thrush and booked an appointment for the next day to see GP.
Wednesday, her daycare rang to say she had chicken pox and the spots were coming out over her head and face. GP said yep face was chicken pox but he had never seen anything like the rash in her nappy, prescribed some cream and wanted to see her agian on Friday to check. I took Fay home and she would not settle allnight, scratching her perineum and bottom and seemed to be in real discomfort despite pamol and nurofen, so we took her to after hours doc, who agreed on chicjken pox, and suggested pinetarsol baths and salt and bicarb to ease the itch along with some antihistamines.
Thursday after a long night, Fay seemd Ok, sick but ok, she was lethargic and temp up in 38s, but she had chicken pox so i din't worry overly
Friday, Fay very floppy, and jerky, temp now up to 39.8, rash in perinem very very inflamed and red, so straight to ED in Wellington and Childrens Assessment Unit. Admitted to isolation with what was thought to be chicken pox and herpes. She was dehydrated, disorientated and in heaps of pain, so IV fluids started, IV morphine for the pain, local anaesthetic gell to the perineum and anti viral drugs started ( Acyclovir)
Saturday much the same, still very floppy and lethargic, not eating or drinking, temp stayed up at more than 39 for over 48 hours
Sunday things starting to improve, temp down to 37, starting to take milk orally, and blisters on bottom beginning to burst and scab, at this point she was covered in shicken pox over most of her face and scalp, trunk and upper thighs.
Monday woke up to be her normal cheeky self and we came home today.
Sorry for the graphic description, but this has been the scariest week ever, i thought we were going to lose her on Friday and that was backed up by the doctors too. Her swabs have all come back negative to herpes, which I am so releived about, so it was just a really bad case of chicken pox, we were extremely unlucky and now I am advocating that everyone think about vaccination for chicken pox, it's not on the national schedule, will cost around $200, but I wish we had done this 6 months ago, instead of procrastinating about it
Even though I work there i never realised what a fantastic place Wellington hospital is in a real emergency, Ward 19 was fantastic, the team of nurses looking after us were amazing and the fantstic docs who took me seriously about how ill she was ( I had been told up to that point that she would be ill if she had chicken pox, what did I expect)

Edited by Redbedrock

that is so scary - poor wee poppet but glad to hear that she is getting better so quickly.

I am so glad that I decided to get the vaccine for Amy - I know heaps of families in Wellington who have had chicken pox this year. People tend to brush it off but is can be nasty. i had it at 14 and it was miserable. As soon as Sophie is old enough she will have the jab to.
Also great to hear something positive about Wellington Hospital, very reassuring as all you normally hear is bad stuff.

Oh my goodness, Claire. That would be SO incredibly scary. I can understand to a certain point, but wow. What an ordeal. I would never have thought that chicken pox could do that much damage. Hopefully Fay makes a full recovery within the next couple of weeks, if not sooner.

omg thats so scary! Im glad Fay is ok now! **hugs**

That's a lot scarier than I was expecting to read!! I'm glad she's okay now. It must have been hard on you as a nurse to fully understand what was going on (in terms of how much morphine she was getting etc). *hugs*

aww hun that relly is so sacry so glad wee fay is ok now and a big hug for u

Redbedrock wrote: Off topic, well done Jo and Kirsten that'a great news for you both, happy times ahead i hope. Jo what are you going to do without Fiona? Her being pregnant was part of my reasoning to not have another at the moment, i might wait and see when she starts working again.

 

Thanks

I'm really nervous about finding a midwife I like, and am feeling quite rushed partly because they're in such hot demand but also because my doc wants to know who my midwife is by Tuesday or she'll see me for my first appt. 

Since I can't use Fiona I've decided not to use Dominos (I'm out of their area anyway but even if they would take me it's too difficult to get to appointments). 

I left a message for Fiona on Monday, she spoke to DH this morning and I've since emailed her to find out who she would recommend.  I've done some initial ringing around already and 2 of the midwives sound really good (and both know Fiona too) so I mentioned their names in my email.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Oh WOW JO...congrats! how exciting!!!

Is that who i think it is? nice to see you if it is.
hey how is Samuel? Still the most gorgeus eyes, How's plans?