The dreaded chicken pox got the boys big time! Jake was first to get it. It has been going around the village and with recently starting pre school we thought that is were it was from, Jake had been in a few times when Rhys first started and was fussed by several lovely children. However, we were surprised that Jake got it and still not a spot on Rhys. Over a year previously Rhys has some suspected spots and at the time even the doctor was not sure if it was chicken pox or not so we assumed he was ok.
Jake came down with the spots on a lovely sunny day, we noticed them whilst playing in the garden, the next day he appeared to have a few more, we contacted the doctor on the Monday as he had several and with his being so young we were concerned. The doctor advised us of some tips, to keep him dosed up on paracetemol and ibruprofen for a few days and try ice cream to soothe his mouth! (We updated the doctor on the previous weeks results from the hospital) so ice pops it was. The next day Jake was feeding at all and just screamed in pain, he had sore spots around his eyes and hundreds in his mouth, an emergency appointment back at the doctor and she advised us to go to hospital he had infected chicken pox.
Thanks to great neighbours who helped me out at this time, I packed up Rhys to go to the in laws and packed and over night bag for me and Jake to go the hospital Mark and my mum would meet us there.
A lovely nurse met us, did the basic checks and was shocked at how bad it was and left us in a lovely room for the doctor to come and see us. The doctor arrived and said it was the worse case of Chicken Pox he had seen for years.
Obviously with chicken pox being contagious we had to be isolated. So Jake was confined to his own room on the ward. I have to say I found the rooms lovely.
The doctor advised that Jake be put on a drip with him not eating and drinking. However this was a nightmare. I took Jake down to a special room, with the doctor, nurse and a childcare support worker who helped to keep him entertained but they could not find a vein. Jake was so distressed that I nearly passed out seeing him in such a state. The nurse advised me to leave. After and hour of them trying to do this without even the magic cream on to try and numb his skin they gave up. Jake came back to me screaming and shaking. They said they would try again later. A nurse prepped his skin with the magic cream so they could do this later.
Almost 12 hours later!!! They returned again. It was still a struggle, and Jake was again distressed but it was quicker and they found a vein eventually. Once this was connected they were able to give him his antibiotics to fight the infection, antihistamines and painkillers as well as feed him fluids.
The rooms were nice but and you were looked after, but being in isolation at the far end of the ward was lonely. A view of a car park was all for entertainment. In the room was a chair that reclined and mostly I lay on there with Jake asleep on me. When he slept in his cot he kept setting of the alarm for his IV as it would come loose with his movement and thus he kept waking up.
One night Mark came and told me to go home and he would look after Jake whilst I could get some sleep. I woke at 6 and had an answer message that Jake had pulled his IV out! Mark had put Jake in his cot so he could go to toilet, Jake got that upset he pulled it out. Mark is not so good with things like that a bit like me and kept panicking as nobody was answering the alarm and he couldn’t go anywhere with Jake being isolated that he nearly passed out. Eventually someone came and Mark had to stay outside whilst they tried to put the IV back but it had to go in his foot.
Within a few days we had an improvement. Jake started to respond better, he drank more fluids and took food purees. He started to crawl around and after a week we were allowed to go home with a bag full of medicines.
Rhys was so please to see us all the next day I took him out to Toys ‘R’ Us to buy a new train for his collection he was very happy.
A week later however and the boy who we thought had already had them Rhys! Came down with chicken pox! Luckily they did not become infected and we were very well prepared, obviously expecting it but luckily he coped being regularly dosed with medicine and Rhys was able to enjoy a bowl of ice cream, sit on the settee and watch his favourite programmes.
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