EddScott

Need to know experiences from those whose children have had chicken pox.

Last weekend I noticed our 3 year old daughter coughing a fair bit. Monday it got pretty bad and she was burning up. Kept her off creche Tuesday and my GF noticed a few spots on her arm which seemed to have little heads ala' chicken pox.

Rang the doctor and turns out our local surgery is now running a triage system so you have to speak to a nurse first even before you can get to a doctor (which I find disgusting when dealing with children). I gave the nurse the symptoms and she said its chicken pox. I tried to push with her that it appeared to be more like a cold but I couldn't explain the reason for the spots and she was adamant that it was chicken pox and we didn't need to see the GP.

Now Friday and she's still got a temperature and coughing but she has no more spots and they seem to have gone down a bit. Shes OK in herself but a bit miserable. A few people we've shown this spots too reckon its Chicken Pox but I don't think it is. Its nothing serious but if its chicken pox why aren't there more spots.

Pain in the butt too becuase the creche won't take her for a week just in case it is chicken pox which means my GF can't work next week so won't get paid and even though the creche won't take her we still have to pay for that week

Kids!

the moose

It's almost certainly chicken pox - some kids get more spots than others, but don't go wishing for more, 'cos the kids scratch them, which can cause scarring. Good thing is that she's over it quickly, and it's not during the summer (the heat makes it a lot worse).

As for the week off the nursery? Yes, it's a pain, and tbh it's probably where it came from, but it *is* an infectious disease, so they have to follow the rules.

Avalyn

Yes, wee Hannah had chicken pox about 4 weeks ago ... lots of spots all over and needing as she called it 'special cream' (wasn't calamine lotion but something similar).

Apart from being a bit more tired and occasionally grumpy (aren't they always) to be honest you'd have been hard pushed to notice any difference from her normal behaviour bless

She was a wee bit hotter than normal but not excessive, don't even think we wen't to the doctor as we knew it was going around her creche and it was quite obvious what it was when the rash came out.

Me and the missus had to take some time off work which is a pain but bound to happen at some point with nippers. Some folk I know actively seek kids out with chicken-pox so their own get infected at an early age as they don't seem to let it worry them too much.

She still asks for 'special cream' even though there's bugger all wrong with her

Avalyn.

ShyTot

My son (2 year old) had Chicken Pox last week. Firstly he had cold like symptoms, quite mild though.
After that cleared up, he got small spots which very quickly developed a head on them. I believe these appear in between two and four waves, a day or so apart. In his case there were two waves, but he got them everywhere! Mouth, eyes, ****, just everywhere!

He has almost no symptoms of illness during the spots stage, maybe just a bit of a temperature.

We also had to keep him off Nursery for 7 days, which was really hard when neither of us could take holidays. I did the early shift (5 till 12 plus some night work) and my wife did the late shift (12 till 9)

To add to my fun week, my daughter was also sent home on Wed with stomach ache, and later on she said "Dad, my head itches". So it was out with the comb and smelly stuff.

Sooooo i've had a great week.....NOT

EddScott

ShyTot - not too hot a week for you then.

Hopefully my daughter won't get it so fierce. Still not sure becuase she seems as though shes got a bad cough cold. The spots look like chicken pox but shes got about 7 at most and no new ones since Tuesday that I can see. The next few days should tell us more.

Creche is a bit of a pain. They are very quick to refuse to take a child (obviously and completely understand that bit) but they know she won't be in at all next week yet we still have to pay even though she's not there - the creche only gives the kids 4 weeks a year off and shes used them.

Nigel H

It *could* be foot and mouth. I kid you not

My son had foot and mouth and chicken pox (not at the same time ) and the symptoms are very similar. A quick google may help differentiate.

Either way the result will be the same

dharbige

I think you mean "Hand, Foot and Mouth" which is a common Human disease COMPLETELY UNRELATED to "Foot and Mouth" that affects animals.