Scarlet Fever

I woke up this morning with every intention to send Playette to school today. She seemed like she was on the mend yesterday.

Instead, I took one look at her and it was a quick decision to take her to the ER. Her regular doctor's office didn't open until 10 today and her appearance scared the crap out of me. Her face was swollen and red, her eyes almost shut. She complained of pain and her trunk had a rash that was spreading.

I think there are a couple of reasons I'm so hypervigilant when it comes to her health.

1. She just doesn't get sick very often, so I don't have a lot of experience in this area. 

2. Ever since she was born, I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop regarding her health issues. Even though I thought it was probably scarlet fever, part of me was extremely scared that it was something else. Something much worse.

On top of that, scarlet fever just sounds ridiculously super scary to me because that's what Mary Ingalls had, or maybe not, but I digress.

Our hospital has a separate pediatric ER and I figured there wouldn't be much of a wait. Also, with the choice of taking her there or taking her to urgent care, for us there is no price differential to consider. So I figured I'd take her to the place that would most likely be a one-stop shop.

Remember, I was thinking the worst.

Her spirits were good though, so that helped to keep me from breaking all the way down.

I'm not going to show you a picture of what her face looks like, because I wouldn't want her posting one of me if the tables were turned. As if to let me know her own desires, this is what happened one of the times I tried to take her picture in the exam room.

Her throat was swabbed because the doctor agreed with my diagnosis. We both had our fingers crossed that it would come back positive for strep.

Playette handled that stick to the back of the throat about 100 times better than I ever have.

While we waited for the results, Playette entertained herself by watching our family picture slideshow over and over again. 

BD arrived and kept Dez occupied, thankfully. 

The test came back positive. She immediately got a dose of antibiotics and Motrin, we were given a prescription and headed home.

It looks like we are going to be spending some quality time together today and tomorrow, at a minimum.

Hopefully, she'll be back on her feet and no longer contagious by Halloween.  

In the interim, I am getting more than my fill of Nick Jr.

If only amoxicillin made her sleepy...