We're very lucky.
Jack is the sort of child
we all assume we'll have
when we decide to have children,
and the sort of child
less experienced parents
congratulate themselves for.January and February 2004
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Thursday, Aug. 05, 2004 - (Mamma)
Adventures in Coxsackie
8/6/04OK, I have done some more research and know more about what I am up against now.
First off, Jack has an atypical case, so he may not have Coxsackie at all. Hard to say, but it's definitely viral, and he's definitely sick.
It started when I noticed a rash around his mouth. But it was very hot, and he had food around his mouth -- so I thought it might just be heat rash irritated by food. We took a bath, and the rash faded, though it didn't go away.
Over the next few days, I noticed a mild rash on his face and in his diaper area, but again, it came and went and I assumed that it was heat rash -- thoug even when it was cold, it never quite went away.
Then he started to feel kind of hot to the touch -- but it's been hot enough that it took me a day or so to realize that it was a fever. He was being a sweet, well-behaved boy, so I didn't immediately think "ill".
He also started pulling on his ear, and then started to get cranky. I figured it was an ear infection, but doctors don't automatically treat ear infection anymore, so there wasn't a lot of point to bringing him in ... though he was also "off his feed" a bit -- but I thought maybe he was past the growth spurt that had him eating like there was no tomorrow the few days before.
Then, at about 2:30 or 3am on Thursday morning, I woke up to find Jack whimpering beside me...and very, very hot! I got up and gave him some penedol/tylenol and then took his temperature (103f/almost 40c) and soothed him with a cool cloth until his fever broke.
The poor baby was so sick that he didn't really seem to "be there" -- it was as though he was asleep, but restless and his eyes were half open. Once he felt cool again, we went back to bed and slept. He actually seemed to sleep more deeply than he had in several days!
But the next morning he refused food and drink -- he would only nurse, but not as enthusiastically as usual.
That, combined with the high fever the previous night, was our cue to get him to the doctor.
I had sent a note to the doctor (as is my custom whenever Jack seems like he may be getting sick) the night before, describing Jack's symptoms and my thoughts about what they may mean.
Dr. Beth is wonderful! Usually she writes back within a few hours and lets me know what to watch for or asking me to bring him in right away, depending on Jack's symptoms and what's going around. This time she didn't get a chance. I sent the note at 10pm, and by 8am we were calling to make an appointment. But I felt better about not being able to be there, because she already knew what I had spotted in the previous few days, so Rod only had to tell her about what had happened in the night.
(Not that I don't trust Rod -- I do! He's a wonderful Dad, much better at this than I am -- but it's been my experience that men [all men, even excellent Dads] tend to minimize symptoms and only take close note of them once a limb falls off or something.)
So, Dr. Beth looked at Jack's symptoms and at what she knows about what's going around. She checked Jack's ears (they're perfect -- the ear tugging is probably that last 12-month molar bothering him) and decided that this is clearly a virus -- most likely Coxsackie. Jack has some rashy blisters in his mouth, and the pain is probably why he won't eat or drink well. He doesn't have the hand and foot blisters...yet.
But, most virri are over in 7-10 days, so Jack should be on the mend by next Thursday at the very latest.
Truth is, though, that he's already acting better and he managed to sleep all night through last night and only woke up with a little fever.
The worst may, maybe, be over.
Oh, and if you've made it this far, you get to hear: Jack has made another milestone!
He has "walked" all the way down the hall from the bedrooms to the parlour yesterday. Holding the wall with both hands and crab-walking, but upright!
8/5/04 Starting on Tuesday, Jack seemed a little under the weather. But last night, he was truly a sick little boy.
Since he was tugging on his ears and mainly seemed cranky, I assumed it was an ear infection.
Nope. Rod just called. Jack has Coxsackie virus! Ouch. Poor baby!
A high fever, spots in his mouth that hurt and will probably turn up on his hands and feet eventually. He should be better in seven to ten days.
Poor, poor baby!
Oh, and he took his first solo steps for Dad late on Monday -- but he's not repeated the feat for Mamma yet. Maybe when he feels better.
