She's Got the Fever...

Caroline had a headache this morning. I felt her forehead, and she felt cool. So I gave her a dose of Tylenol, and we just proceeded with getting the boys off to school and our regular morning routine. The Tylenol must have helped because she was pretty much her normal self, playing and eating as usual.

At lunch time, she requested yogurt and "jelly fingers" toast "because that's what you eat when you are sick." Hmmm...I thought, "Is she OK?" I asked her if anything hurt. She answered that her head, her nose...and her knees hurt. Hmmm...she had me until she said "knees." She had a normal temperature, ate all of her lunch, and still was acting pretty normal.

So we proceeded with the afternoon...she was quieter, and wanted to watch a movie, and I thought it would be good for her to rest...then right before we went to pick the boys up from school, I was on the phone with a friend making plans for tomorrow. Right after I hung up, Caroline said to me, "Mom, my throat hurts." Ugh...why didn't I think of it? My poor daughter probably has strep. DUH! I guess that I thought we had past the window of opportunity for that, plus she wasn't complaining about her throat until right then. I took her temperature--101.

By the time I had picked up the boys at school and got over to the doctor's office, poor Caroline wasn't doing well at all. She had a headache, a sore throat, a fever, and was nauseous. Then I noticed that her skin was getting blotchy. All over. I pointed it out to her. My sweet daughter, despite all of her ailments, retained her sense of humor, and said, "Mommy, I look like PINKALICIOUS!" (For those of you unfamiliar with Caroline's favorite book, its about a little girl who eats too many pink cupcakes, and actually turns pink!) So, there we were, me with 4 kids in tow, including 1 very sick child and 1 squirrelly two year old. They informed me that the doctor was running 45 minutes late. I totally understand it and almost expect it that late in the day, but I was feeling a small sense of desperation at that point. That's when a very kind lady, a good samaritan, walked up to the reception desk of the office and offered Caroline her earlier appointment. God bless her!

The doctor quickly diagnosed Caroline with Scarlet Fever, which he described as a fancy form of strep. He said that it wasn't any worse than having strep, it just came with brighter colors.

So, now she's home, with 2 doses of antibiotic in her system, antihistamine cream on all her itchy spots, and tucked in bed. Maybe tomorrow, as per the doctor's advice in Pinkalicious, we'll treat her pinkness with some green foods. :) (Leftovers from Grandma's party?) (Just kidding!)