Cue the Violins ...

I have a wonderful family, a hard working hubby, I get to stay at home with my cute babies, I have great friends, I have an overall loverly life. I'm blessed. And I'm thankful.
I felt the need to say all that before I cue the violins. Remember last week when I showed the pic of Avery's poison ivy?? Well ... It wasn't poison ivy. Friday afternoon I took A back to the doctor because I noticed in our parent's handbook for the pediatric clinic, that if the rash was spreading or getting more severe, the child should be seen. So, I made a late afternoon appt; Aaron's mom came and watched my other two yayhoots, and off to the doctor we went ... Again. The front desk girl, Dallas and I are getting pretty close. She really doesn't even need to ask my name anymore. I felt the need to tell her that when we were there Wednesday, I should have brought Avery too, but just couldn't bring all three by myself. I went on to tell her, I was sure it wasn't a big deal ... She probably just needed a steroid shot. (Because Dallas doesn't have enough crazy mommas throwing out crazy info.)

We get in to the waiting room, show the nurse our itchies and wait for the doctor to come in. She does and I start to take off Avery's shirt to show her the poison ivy. As soon as I do, this conversation follows:

Dr. E: Umm ... This is not poison ivy.
RB: What do you mean? What is it? Poison oak?
Dr. E: No, I think this is shingles.
RB: Shut up. Shut up.
Dr. E: We rarely see this in children, let me get my partner to confirm.
RB: Dr. E, I have been in here at LEAST weekly for about two months. If you tell me my 3 year old has shingles, I WILL have an emotional breakdown before leaving. I am not a bad mom!!!! I promise!!! (At this point I begin to cry and start blubbering about how I am taking care of my kids and why are they all staying so sick and catching every virus living in the state of AR.)

FYI: Shingles is a form of the chicken pox. You can ONLY get shingles if you've had the chicken pox before. After you get over the chicken pox the disease lays dormant and can come back later as shingles. One out of every two people over the age of 60 gets shingles, but in children it's very rare. When my mimi had it in her 50's a couple years ago they kept telling her how rare it was for HER to have it ... In her 50's ... Much less at 3. Heck, the pharmacist hardly believed me when I told them my three year old had it. So ... Where did A get it? MY personal, uneducated (but online researched) opinion is she got it from the chicken pox vaccine she received at 1 year old. I wont go off on it because it won't do any good, but my theory is she got the vaccine, which is a tiny bit of the actual live virus and it laid dormit until now. So it came back as Shingles. Shingles themselves are not contagious, so she can't give anyone else shingles- but, if you've never had the chicken pox (or the vaccine) she can give you those. Shingles only come after someone has actually had the chicken pox.

ANYWAY- Dr. E brings in Dr. W who confirms that yes, yes it's shingles (Of course it is). I sniffle some more, but try to pull myself together. She explains to me how contagious it is, how Avery can't give Dalton and Sawyer shingles, but she can give them Chicken Pox. Sawyer is too young for the chicken pox vaccine and if he gets it, it would be very, very bad. She went on to say that Avery needed to keep her arm wrapped in gauze, wear long sleeved clothing and wear a glove to keep from spreading the virus... Yeah, that'll happen. And my medicine-hating daughter is supposed to take two teaspoons 3 times a day of an anti-viral medication. That's going well too.
I can't really remember anything else the doctor said while we were there. It all went in one infected ear and out the other. I was having a major pity party ... Which is a little narcissistic considering it's sweet Avery with the shingles, not me. But, I just can't help but feel like it's my fault they're all sick!
Let me also say that in the past few years my Mimi and father-in-law, Ricky, have had shingles and I have heard them say over and over it was the most painful thing they've ever experienced. Which explains why Avery kept telling me it hurt all week, instead of itching all the time. However, I never thought anything about her not itching it ... Mom of the year. (More tears.)
We left and went to Wal-Mart to get gauze, bandaids, gloves, some new jammies (because that always makes us feel better), movies, and an ice cream cake. Because thats what she wanted. :)

Here she is in her new jammies
eating her ice cream cake ...












Here she is after our doctor appt. The shingles also go up her back- but never cross her spine, which is characteristic of Shingles.










And let me just say ... Those are looking wayyy better than earlier this week.

Saturday morning I took Dalton to get a chickon pox vaccine booster in hopes he won't catch it. Afterward, we went to get donuts because he was such a big boy about his shots.









I was planning on just going through the drive-thru, but he was beggging, "Momma, take me INSIDE!" So, I did.










We brought some home for the patient ...










She's getting good at playing the pitiful card ...
















And I'm fine with that. Because it's one of the most pitiful things I've ever seen.

Then we drove out to Hot Springs because Aaron was umping and I wanted to waller in my pity party some more with his mom. I've cried and cried about it. Like totally grieved it. I told the nurse giving Dalton his booster on Saturday I had kinda felt like they'd said she had cancer- that it was just the worst thing ever. I think it's the culmination of ALLLL the sick bugs we've had lately. The straw that broke the camel's back, I guess. Again, like I said before, I'm thankful these truely are little things, we are overall very blessed. I think it's that my kiddos, my family, my home- well, this is my whole world! So, having it so upside down is really depressing ... Tear.

Aghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry ... I needed a moment.

Ok. I feel better. Not a lot better, but maybe a little better.

If you're a prayer, will you tuck my kids in your prayer requests?!?! I am so ready for them to feel better!! It has been a really hard winter. :(

Group Hug.