Better living through chemistry

Monkey is on the mend. After a really nasty weekend, she stayed home on Monday and part of Tuesday. Monday, ok, I get that. It was too early to send her back to school, what with the fever and the double earaches and needing to heal. But Tuesday?

Tuesday was another matter all together.

Tuesday, Monkey woke up with what looked exactly like the measles. And I do mean exactly - Heather confirmed that when she saw Monkey Tuesday night and used some fancy-schmancy doctor terminology word-like thingamabobber (macular or maculopapular) that means a rash that "looks like measles." (See, I'm so smart! I can translate!!! Thank you Mr. Google!)

However, thanks to modern medicine in the form of the MMR vaccination, Monkey wasn't suffering from measles, but rather a reaction to her amoxicillin. And all I can say is? Thank g*d I don't have to worry that she'll die from this preventable disease. And I do mean thank g*d. See, along with discovering that I actually like children, well, at least my own? I have gone back to church. And found that I really like it.

The hard part on Tuesday morning was waiting for the doctor's office to call back. Monkey woke up with a fever, a slight cough, she still had the redness and irritation of the eyes (conjunctivitis), and now she had a scary looking rash. And, scarily enough, these are all indications of measles.....so even though I KNEW it was highly unlikely that she had measles, since she had been properly vaccinated, I still worried.

***soapbox alert***
I know that people do things for reasons that make sense to them. I understand that intellectually. But what I don't understand, from the bottom of my heart, is how someone could choose to possibly expose their child to a preventable disease - something that could harm or possibly even kill their child - and opt out of vaccinations. I just do not get it. And it makes me mad. And sad. I just don't get it.

I have now deleted four really really long sentences waxing rhapsodic about the dangers of not getting vaccinated, and the foolishness of thinking that herd immunity will protect your kids...if you are part of the herd, and you don't vaccinate, then you are a free-loader and selfish.
***end soapbox alert***

Ahem. Back to our regularly scheduled broadcast.

The pediatrician confirmed it was a reaction to the antibiotic, told me that Monkey's ear infections weren't responding to the antibiotic (which explained Monkey's continued night ritual of waking up crying from the pain, and not eating), switched her antibiotic and cleared her for school.

And last night? For the first time in I don't remember how long? Monkey ate her dinner, went to bed........and actually slept through the night.

Thank g*d for vaccinations, antibiotics, and the magic elixir known as tylenol. And, thank g*d for smart people who choose to dedicate their life (and several decades of student loan payments, ouch!) to caring for our kids. And yes, Heather (aka Mama Two!) that means you.