"I Have Dots"

"I have dots. What are these dots?" Makela said, in between whimpering and wailing after her 20-minute nap late Thursday afternoon. I thought she was imagining things, or maybe pointing to the bruises on her knees. Then she started scratching and wailing louder about the "dots." I took a closer look at her legs, and sure enough, what did I see but big ugly, red splotches with raised bumps and welts.

Then I hiked up her jammy shirt (Makela has taken to facing quiet time in her pj's lately), only to find LOTS more of these splotches with what looked like nasty hives inside them! They were EVERYwhere -- on her belly, her back, her legs, and then some appeared on her cheeks! EEK! I couldn't believe what I was seeing -- this kid has been SOOO healthy, and now this? After our previous week of putting the "fun" back in "bodily function?"

It was about 4:30 when I reached the doctor's office and spoke with a nurse, and by 5:00, I was on the phone with Dr. O'Dea. Again. She told me she thought it was indeed hives, based on my description, and to give her 1/4 teaspoon Children's Benadryl. But just to make sure, we scheduled an appointment for the next day.

Although she was much better by the next morning, in we traipsed to the sick kids side of the pediatrician's office. We'd only just visited the well appointment side on Tuesday, for Makela's three-year check-up. She was pronounced healthy that day, although she's lost some weight recently (down to 30 pounds 6 ounces, or 50th percentile; also 36.5" for 45th percentile in height). And Dr. O'Dea also put her on a mild laxative called Miralax to help with her continued constipation. Now, on Friday morning, Makela pronounced to all who would listen as they came in and out of the office: "I have dots." With a huge smile on her face, of course.

After taking a look at Makela, including a slightly different rash that I'd uncovered on the back and side of her neck, Dr. O'Dea decided that we were looking at a virus. It turns out that there are a number of viruses that can cause hives in small children, and secondary rash fits the bill as well. That explained Makela's runny nose the last day or so, as well as the fact that she hadn't come in contact with any new foods or materials that might have caused an allergic reaction. So Dr. O'Dea told us that the hives might come and go for a while, and to continue treating it with the Benadryl as needed.

Sure enough, by bedtime last night, Makela was coughing. And by this morning, it was a wet sounding cough, and she had a fever of about 100.5. So joy of joys, Makela is on a splendid anti-viral, pro-pooping cocktail of Children's Benadryl, Children's Motrin, and Miralax! Poor thing.

But curious as always, Makela wanted to know this morning why she was sick. And her daddy, too -- he's feeling rotten with his own pestilence of sore throat, fever, and cough. So I explained that they both caught germs that were making them sick, but their bodies were fighting it.

I had to go out later, and apparently Makela kept talking about germs with her daddy while I was gone. Joe told me that she asked him, "We both have germ, Daddy?" And then she added, "I no like germ. I want germ to go away." You and us both, kiddo.