Coping with Chicken Pox

Since last Thursday LP has had chicken pox, he's been uncomfortable, tired, coughing and sneezing, and sleeping. It's been a while since I had to cope with chicken pox, BP was just two years old when he caught it and it was so easy.

BP slept the majority of the time and he didn't get many spots, it was easy to cope with and as a result I was lured into a false sense of security! 



When LP caught the chicken pox I thought it would be just as easy, he'd sleep a lot of the time, I'd give him paracetamol and it would be a breeze.

How wrong I was!


Thursday was fairly easy, he only had a few spots and they weren't itchy yet but that was just the start. On Friday morning when LP got out of bed he had more spots and was starting to get uncomfortable. I gave him paracetamol and covered him in calamine lotion and he was happy enough to play afterwards.

There was a big change on Saturday though, loads more spots appeared covering his back, torso, legs, and arms. On Friday night he'd been out of bed 10 times, I'd given him more paracetamol but couldn't make him feel better. He felt awful and there was nothing I could do to take it away. He spent all of Saturday being covered with calamine lotion, being given medicine, and watching movies. 

The problem was that LP is an active child and he doesn't really know how to rest. He kept getting up off the sofa wanting to do something. He couldn't understand that the best way to feel better was to rest.



On Saturday evening he seemed to have realised that staying on the sofa was the only way he felt better and he continued watching movies. 

We let him stay up late, trying to ensure he'd get lots of sleep, and he didn't go to bed until after 9pm. Saturday night was better and he didn't get up, but again on Sunday he had even more spots.

Now they covered his face, bottom, feet, even on his head under his hair! He was terribly uncomfortable. I gave him a bath and covered him in calamine lotion, more paracetamol, and Piriton too. He spent all day complaining about itching and wriggling constantly. The only time he forgot about the itching was when he was watching movies. Again, I made him lay on the sofa and watch movies.

And now we're on Monday...

He seems a little better today, he says the itching is easier to cope with. New spots are still appearing though, he has them inside his ear, in his mouth, and on the bottom of his feet. 

I had no idea it could be this bad!

My boys are rarely ill, I don't often have to cope with being up in the night and taking care of them. When it does happen I automatically go into Supermum mode and do everything I can to look after them. The down side to this is that I end up wiped out and once they are better I end up getting ill. 

I'm hoping that we've passed the peak of the illness and LP will soon be back to himself. It's awful seeing my usually happy, active boy struck down by this horrible disease.

Diary of an imperfect mum

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