Thursday, November 13, 2008

We've Been Exposed

Today I took a meal to my friend, whose children have the chicken pox. When they first started getting them, you'll remember, I was on a steroid. I decided against calling her. Well last night she called ME! She heard through the grapevine that I wanted them chicken pox, and bad. (Aren't small communities the greatest?)

I took 3 of my children with me to help deliver the food. You know... I couldn't carry everything all by myself. AND Danielle HAD to take her favorite dolly with her. These 3 children haven't had chicken pox yet. Go figure.

My favorite medical book, Complete Book of Baby and Child Care, put out by Focus on the Family says;
The incubation period for chicken pox can range from 11 to 21 days, but most often the time from exposure to onset of symptoms is 14 to 16 days. A child with chicken pox is contagious one or two days before the rash erupts and continues to be so until all the blisters have crusted. This will occur five to several days after the rash first appears.

So -- that would put the chicken pox erupting at our house right... about... THANKSGIVING.

Hmm...

I called my sister Becky first. She's coming to my house for Thanksgiving this year. Did she want her kids exposed to that?

YES, she DOES... LOL We are such a weird family.

I'll keep you posted. I've heard of people exposing their kids on purpose -- not saying that's what I did, mind you -- but... I'm just saying... they did this and their kiddos didn't even get them.

There were hugs all around when we left their house... except Milo -- we didn't make him hug the little poky dotted girl, but he did shake her hand. LOL and there is always Danielle's doll. I might slip her in his bed tonight. Just for good measure.

11 - 21 days... and counting.

7 comments:

  1. Isn't there a chicken pox vaccine now?

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  2. If you get them, we'll come play. I've purposely exposed my girls THREE times and we STILL haven't gotten them! :P

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  3. You are right Donna. It's called the varicella.

    Our family doctor was leery about this vaccination when it came out, a little over 10 years ago. He told me in the beginning, "I will not administer this shot for at least 10 years." Well -- he was forced into doing so earlier then he would have liked because in Iowa it is now a requirement for children who are entering government school or childcare to receive this shot before they attend.

    When Wayne turned 12 months the nurse once again asked if we were going to get the varicella shot. I declined, but then I asked my doctor's opinion again about it, 10 years later. I said, "If it were your children, would you rather them get the disease or the vaccine?"

    He sighed... LOL He said, "I would rather my children have the disease, still."

    So we continue to opt out of that vaccine, praying they will get the disease before they are too old. It really is more miserable, and probably more unsafe for older children and adults to have this disease.

    Chicken pox is becoming a harder disease to "catch" now that most kids are getting the vaccine. So when ever I hear of it going around in my circle of friends, we are going to try to become exposed -- so we can go the safer route, we feel.

    My two oldest have had chicken pox, so Milo is my oldest who hasn't had the disease. 7 still isn't too old, in my opinion. We are taking it one year at a time. If he doesn't get the disease before we feel he is "too old", then we will probably vaccinate him.

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  4. Angela -- My friend (Angie) and I were laughing about this... she said I could come pick up my crock pot tomorrow and try to get exposed AGAIN... just in case. LOL

    She still needed a meal... I won't regret taking her a meal, even if we don't get the chicken pox. Ü

    It started at her house with her 1 yo... who wasn't even close to the 12 yo who started it. Mysterious.

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  5. My sister had a friend with lots of playdates when her children got chicken pox. They even had the sick ones suck on several suckers, wrap them back up, and give one to each visiting child on their way out. Gross, I know! But, probably more of a guarantee of catching the virus!

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  6. I was so thankful both of my children had chicken pox so we did not have to consider the vaccine. I do think the vaccines negatively affected my daughter's health as an infant and sped up the development of autism.

    Praying for them all to get chicken pox! You are not weird!

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  7. I found you via Donna and am definitely enjoying you! I would love to be able to expose my kids! LOL Can you hop on a flight to Germany and help me out? OF course I didn't do enough research with my 2 sons and had them get the vax, but I'm PRAYING that if exposed they'll still catch it and I am not vax my daughter! :)

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