Scarlet Fever

Please enjoy these pictures of the new flowers on our Japanese magnolia tree while I tell y’all what has been happening around these parts this past week.

We went to a birthday party on Saturday afternoon at a friend’s house. Riley had a great time, even though he chose to play inside with toys instead of going outside to bounce in the huge bouncy house. When we got home, both boys went down for naps.

When Riley woke up, he didn’t look right, mostly in his eyes. And he said he was still tired. I piled both boys in the wagon and walked them over to Nola and Nopsi’s, hoping some fresh air would do them good. Nola and Nopsi didn’t think Riley looked right either, although he did find a bit more energy once we got there.

Riley ran a slight fever the whole next day. He didn’t want to do much, preferring to sit on the couch with Giraffey and blanket. He said he didn’t really feel that bad, but he didn’t have much energy at all. He just wasn’t himself.

The next morning he still had fever and said his throat hurt when he swallowed. And I noticed a rash on his inside thighs. I kept him home from school and called his doctor when the office opened. They were able to see him in the afternoon, which allowed him to rest most of the day and take a much needed nap. Nola came to stay with Rory while I took Riley to see Dr. N. We spotted a rainbow on the way there!

When Dr. N came into the exam room and heard about his symptoms, she was pretty certain she knew what the cause was right away. A simple swab test confirmed her suspicions: Riley had scarlet fever.

Caused by a bacteria, scarlet fever is basically strep throat with a fever and a rash, which can spread all over the body. It may have started out on his thighs early in the day but the rash was all over his belly and back by the time we got to the doctor. And while scarlet fever was a pretty big deal back in the day, it’s very manageable now.

I was given two options for treatment: one shot right then in the office or ten days of antibiotics twice a day at home. Riley was super brave and got the shot. It was a pretty hefty dose in his leg; he cried quite a bit. But he did great.

We gave him Advil for the fever and Benadryl for the rash (which was a bit itchy) before he went to bed. It took him a while to settle down, but he eventually did and slept great. The shot worked wonders; he woke up feeling much better. However, Dr. N said he could be contagious for up to 24 hours after getting the shot, so he was home from school again on Tuesday.

But he was returned much more to his normal self. He had more energy and wanted to play some instead of sitting on the couch the whole day. His eyes cleared up, his appetite came back, and his general wonkiness emerged once again.

I hate when either of my boys is sick, so I am very glad he got better so quickly. He went back to school yesterday, and I’m just crossing my fingers that Rory doesn’t come down with it now.

So that’s the latest with us. Sorry I’ve been so scarce around here, but I’ve been snuggling with my boys more than usual this week. Hope y’all understand.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

And a very Happy Birthday to Aunt Lizzie today…..we love you!