A Brand New Day
This morning dawned early, and yet, in such a way that was vastly improved over yesterday. In fact, I have a whole new outlook. No more is the first-class bitch who possessed my body yesterday. Today I am reasonable, happy, and at ease. Pleasedtameetcha.All weekend long, you see, Bunny Boop was irritable. Irritable and feverish. Originally I suspected that this was a delayed and prolonged reaction to the DTaP booster she got at the doctor's office on Thursday. She wasn't eating a whole lot and the fever seemed to come and go. But, while she was irritable, she wasn't lazy or lethargic. Yesterday, however, she woke up with what I suspected were the beginnings of a rash. Later in the day this was confirmed and we high-tailed it to the doctor's office again.
Perhaps I'm a freak-out sort of mother, or perhaps I was just acting with an excess of caution. It really doesn't matter. As I have said before and will likely say again and again and again, I've never done this before. For me, parenthood and motherhood are like climbing onto a seagoing vessel in search of the edge of the Earth. Every day is an adventure that scares the living crap out of you. Indiana Jones has nothin' on me, poison darts not withstanding.
Anyway, the pediatrician took one look at Bunny Boop, listened to her lungs and looked in her ears and mouth and made her proclamation: Roseola. Which apparently translates directly to "pink rash."
It seems that Roseola is an incredibly common virus that almost all children get by the time they are 2 years old. Never heard of it? Neither had I. But, every parent I've mentioned it to has said, "Oh yeah..." when I brought it up, so it really must be exceptionally common.
Roseola begins with a 3-day fever that can come and go but that is easily controlled with Tylenol or Ibuprofen. Just as the fever is exiting, this blooming pink rash (not itchy) makes an appearance. The rash is usually on the back and belly, around the neck, and the cheeks. It is also prevalent on the backs of the ears (exactly where you don't look). The good news is, by the time the rash shows up, you are almost in the clear.
And this of course is when we finally saw the doctor. I am happy to say that the diagnosis appears to be correct because as of this morning, the fever is no more, the rash is beginning to fade, and her appetite has returned. More importantly, her winsome and charming disposition of smiles and giggles has returned, so I'm no longer gnashing my teeth at the sounds of whining or nursing a migraine.
Are there any other very common bugs that almost all children get that I should be aware of? There's no telling. We'll leave those adventures for another episode, shall we?
Labels: Bunny Boop
