Well, only Lola is currently symptomatic but, given that they have been sharing bed, bath, and all their time together, Neve is certain also to be incubating a fine batch of varicella zosta.
It all started, classically, as a rash of spots concentrated on the torso and head. For a couple of days, we watched the rash grow and wondered vaguely about getting a doctor to identify it (Google being conspicuous by its absence). We weren’t too bothered, though, as Lola seemed otherwise fine: no malaise, no fever, and reporting no negative sensation from the spots.
Why it didn’t occur to us to think of chicken pox, I don’t know, but it was immediately obvious to the doctor we took her to on Saturday. She came out with a prescription for a bunch of Italian pharmacuticals: calpol, anti-histamine drops and an emollient anti-itch cream that has, apparently, superceded camomile lotion. We didn’t fulfil the script that day, as Lola was feeling so well — we thought we’d wait and see how it went. Whcih was a decision which looked pretty stupid at 1am when we were struggling to cope with a tormented Lola and a highly wakeful Neve.
Yes, the itching turned itself on with a vengeance, waking Lola a couple of hours after she’d gone to bed on Saturday night. She was yelling and crying and writhing about for hours while we impotently stayed with her, unable to offer much relief but able at least to distract with stories and songs. Of course, all the kerfuffle woke Neve, too, and, eventually, it was she who stayed awake the longest.
Dedi went to the phamrmacy on Sunday and was able to get the anti-histamine drops but not the cream. We gave Lola the drops (though the list of side effects are slightly unnerving) and they did seem to help somewhat but Lola spent a pretty awful day batlling the burning and itching. However, in no way did she give in to it; Isa gave her the idea of “fighting the disease” and she held hard to that, often proudly saying how she was fighting it (admittedly, sometimes declaring she couldn’t fight it) and generally carrying on with life in spite of the illness. Very impressive. And fortunate that there seemed to be no collateral symptoms — no fever, headache, sore throat…
Sunday night saw Lola waking again but she was less affected than the night before. We put her into our bed, so as not to wake Neve again. Then Isa slept with Lola while I got into Neve’s bed. Which worked well. I got up early, having woken up to find Neve at the bedroom door, calling me and venturing forth. We went and had coffee and yoghurt and then got Neve changed while we waited for the rest of the household to wake.
Lola had a much better day, almost her usual self with just the occasional visitation of burning or itching. Tonight she’s sleeping soundly in her own bed. Despite the fact that I completely neglected to undress her and put her in her pyjamas; so she’s in her pink tracksuit. Dads, hey.