Moll-U-What?

This post was written in April 2010 - just now believing we are out of the danger zone so I'm feeling like it's okay to post it now. It's a hard topic - like admitting your child has lice - making you feel like you are unable to provide a basic need to your child. I wish I had something like this to read while my kids were going through this - and that is the ONLY reason why I'm posting it. Hopefully someone out there will take comfort in knowing that there is a "recovered" point to all of it.

First words out of my mouth. Could you say it again? Oh man, Mike is going to kill me!

I took Owen to the pediatrician for these little "bumps" that were on his tummy. They looked like little pimples - I even tried to pop one. I had noticed them in mid October 2009 - waited a few days to have them looked at - figuring they were just some sort of poison from a plant - we're at the park a lot - it could happen and he never complained or took notice to them. Mike gets poison ivy when it's in the air - doesn't even need to come in contact with the stuff - the upside being that he is prescribed a steroid that jacks him up for days in order to get rid of it - and a lot of projects get done in the house in record time.

I don't get all worked up about most things - key word being most - figuring everything is fixable, you can be flexible, we're healthy - and if it's broken, it can generally be fixed. I waited to take him to the doctor - at least a week - if not more. Diagnosis: Molluscum Contagiosum - a skin virus - that is contagious and can spread - rapidly. "Surely you've seen this in your classroom before." Nope. Never heard of it. The name of it even sounds disgusting. I left the doctor's office feeling horrible. My kid had these "bumps" on his belly for the past few weeks - if he scratched them and then touched his skin or someone elses skin - they will have these bumps on their skin within four weeks. Oh great, Brinn surely has them - they just haven't popped out yet. I assumed I'd have to keep him out of preschool - nope - not the case. Left untreated, the bumps can last anywhere from 6 to 18 months and in some cases, 5 years. When I asked his doctor about keeping him out of school his response was, "where do you think he got them?" - as in "continue sending him to school." Timeline tells me one of his classmates - but at this point it doesn't even matter.

It started with seven - and from October until late February - it was just seven. How easy the original seven were. On his belly, always covered - not an issue. Then they showed up - everywhere. Behind the knees, ankles, elbows, bumski. We were told to leave them alone, watch for scratching, cover with bandaids if they look irritated, bathe the kids separately, use clean towels, etc. We were in action, doing everything right. Owen never complained about the bumps, never spotted him scratching them, and Brinn hadn't had a single one on her. But they were spreading on his little body like a dandelion - and a much worse weed at that.

Next step - to freeze them off - if it were only the seven, an easy task for the doctor and for Owen - but he had dozens. We froze as many as Owen could handle - we were told it didn't hurt, unless the gas touches healthy skin - which surely it did in some areas. Owen was stressed, but he got through the first treatment okay. Come back in two weeks - again, freeze as many as Owen can handle - except this time, he didn't handle it well at all - he knew why he was there so we had to bring out the bribery stick - Monster Jam Hot Wheels - a little $3.49 toy got us through this treatment. But, he still had several on his little body - we'd be back again - and this was just for the ones that were on his skin now. In two to four weeks - he could have more magically appear.

On the morning of the second treatment, Brinn woke up with two underneath her arm - on the morning of the visit - they just came out. Get her checked in for treatment today along with Owen. This is going to be a long day. My stress went in to double time and I started having harsh dreams. If you look up the diagnosis on the internet or read a phamplet - you will see the cases they post - Owen did not look this bad - his case wasn't as severe as these phamplets, but in my dreams, they were. I had to tell his teacher and the director of the school. He had obvious trauma on parts of his skin that would be visible at some point. His teacher had never heard of it. The director was aware, but didn't know of any cases at his school. They were going to take special precautions in his classroom to prevent spreading. My kid came home with bandaids on his body that he didn't go to school with. These were the treated areas - he was not contagious on those areas. I get it and would feel horrible if another parent had to go through this, but bandaids all over his skin?

Then the bumps seemed nothing compared to what was next. He had larger internal "knods" underneath his armpits and groin area - we were fearing the worst - and these little bumps no longer mattered. Back to the pediatrician - and no lax time on making that appointment. The body's natural reaction to the treatment for the bumps is for the lymph nodes to appear - his body is trying to fight the virus. Oh man, I know it's natural, but c'mon. He's all of 37 pounds at age 5 1/2 - he's a skinny minny and now his lymph nodes are popped out. We kept telling ourselves he's healthy, this is not making him sick - stop stressing. He can't swim with other kids (most adults are immune), his body needs to be covered in the affected areas - which is everywhere, and there is still the potential that he is passing this on to other kids. I'm angry at the child that he got them from, surely parents will be angry with me just for sending my kid to school every day.

It's early March and we're still dealing with freezing treatments every two weeks - except today's treatment won't happen. Owen knows why he is here. Bribery will not work. Screams will happen and "you are not touching me with that" are his words.

Next step - a dermatologist. Another form of treatment is to place juice from some beetle (yes, beetle juice) on the affected areas with a soft-tipped instrument. We went for the first treatment. We made this a mom and Owen day. Brinn went to a sitter for the day - we had our day all planned out. Appointment, IHOP, Toys R Us - I'm thinking this kid deserves anything he wants - just give it to him. He's been a trooper to say the least. The treatment seemed easy enough - they just place the juice on the spots and it dries. We were told what to expect and given instructions to care for them over the next 3-4 days and sent on our way. What to do and what to expect: four hours after treatment, bathe all treated areas with mild soap and water, pat to dry and prepare to see the treated areas blister. And blister they did. No longer an easy treatment. That night, Mike and I prepped an area so we could pop the blisters and treat with ointment. Thankfully our friend Meghan was in town and occupied Brinn. Owen did well - considering he had a needle coming at him in all directions. We felt the doctor got every spot this time. More were to come.

Six days rater, another crop popped up - and this time on his body and his face. I was surely on my last straw and more than angry this time around. I had convinced myself this will end and kept telling myself how thankful we should be that they are not on his face. I went to the gym that night and stayed longer than normal only to come home and learn that Brinn had a crop on her body as well. The bumps had taken every one of my thoughts. I would go to run errands and have no clue where I parked coming out of places - which might not sound unusual - expect I park in the same area of every place I ever shop - doesn't every one have their favorite parking places? I'd drive right by my destination, barely listen to conversations, and the dreams were becoming more vivid and real that I didn't know if they were dreams or reality. A morning inspection became a part of the routine. At this point, I can't satisfy an itch without Owen telling me I'm going to get "bumps."

We were able to get to the dermatologist within two days for treatment. Owen went in first - this time knowing what to expect during and after treatment. I'm certain this can be compared to wrestling an alligator. Brinn & I left the exam room while he was treated, only to hear his screams from outside - a brick building. Brinn was next and followed suit of her brother. Another long day. Another prep of blankets and needles. Four hours past and the blisters arrived. Brinn's bumps were on the inside of her arms, along the ribs - the beetle juice made contact to other areas of her skin that didn't need treatment. She was a blistering mess and they were annoying her to say the least. Now I was angry at the spots and the beetle juice for causing more harm than needed.

It goes without saying that the kids get a body inspection every night after bath - The treated areas are healing well - Owen had two left on his body that the dermatologist just couldn't get to - he was taken to his last point in treatment and everyone in that exam room was just done. He was completely stressed from the treatment and I guess you have to stop at some point. He'd had these two lonely bumps left - they were inspected every night, he knew not to touch them. And one day, they were gone. On their own. Like they never existed. No treatment. No blister. No healing. No scar.

I think I've already had my "just when I thought I couldn't take it anymore" point. We believe we are out of the woods. We are hoping they are immune to it now.

Curse you molluscum!