The Kirk's - Boys-R-Us!

Scary Start To A Sunday

Kaiden & Fifth's Disease

"Tell Momma"

So this is how I was woken up Sunday morning - Dave and Kaiden sitting on the side of the bed & Dave saying 'tell momma what you've got'.
I'm thinking he will answer with something mundane like M&Ms or Daddy's phone - Not So Much.
Kaiden: "I've got polka-dots"
Dave: "No you've got a rash"
Kaiden: "Uh-huh, I've got a rash of polka-dots"
Me: "Oh OK" wait "WHAT?!"
Boy nothing makes a Mom wake up faster than hearing your kid has a rash of polka-dots.
Mind Racing - what could it be!?
Me: "What did he eat?"
Dave: "M&Ms"
Ah there's what I was expecting 15 seconds ago - OK but he eats those ALL the time so that can't be it -
Mind Racing. . . . what could it be?!
Oh Crap - he touched those baby ducks and chicks yesterday - does bird flu have a rash associated with it?  What about eColi? No that would be a stomach issue not rash. . . . could it be some allergy to pesticides on the grass at the park or maybe to one of the animals fur - NO he didn't roll in the grass like Trooper he just walked on it with shoes on. . . . . . we washed hands after we touched them
UGH ~ what could it be?!
OK - let's assess the situation - how bad is it?!
WHY can't I focus?  Oh that's right I JUST WOKE UP!

Alright ~ pink dots on flushed cheeks ~ why are his cheeks flushed?  Let's see he's a pale Irish lad who just got out of a warm bath. . . OK there's a few on his arms ~ not too many on legs ~ No fever ~ he seems fine. . . .
Me: "Kaiden do your polka-dots itch?
Kaiden: "No"
Me: "Do you feel ouchies in your belly?  Does your head hurt?"
Kaiden: "No"
Me: "Dave did you use new lotion after his bath?"
Dave: "Nope - the rash came first then I put lotion on thinking it was dry skin"
Hmmmmmmm ~ I need the internet!!

Foe Or Friend?
Google Search: 'red rash on arms in children' = Measles, Chicken Pox, Mumps, Hemorraghic Chicken Pox ~ YIKES none of that sounds good!!  PLUS everyone is up to date on their vaccines! 
My Initial Reaction:
  ~UGH those darn hippies not vaccinating their kids cause they think they know better than the doctors, THANKS!!  Now my kid is sick cause of you and your stupid beliefs!! ~
~OK Calm Down ~
  ~it's probably not that ~ although Whooping Cough & RotoVirus are going around ~BUT it doesn't match either of those descriptions ~ And Kaiden's school requires everyone to be up to date on all vaccines so it's not that. . . . .
WHAT IS IT??!!
Dave: "I think it's getting better?"
Me: "Really? It's going away?"  I better go check this out for myself. . . . . cheeks still flushed ~ doesn't have a fever ~ but the polka- dots are multiplying ~ BUT they are NOT raised & there are NO bumps or rash inside his mouth ~whew that's a relief don't think it's measles ~ definitely NOT chicken pox ~ABSOLUTELY NOT hemorrhagic Chicken Pox ~ pretty sure it's not mumps. . . . . WHAT IS IT?!
Dave: "Katie I think he's OK let's just see what happens.  He doesn't have a fever or feel sick I think he's fine."
Me: "Alright GOOD - cause the google search results were starting to freak me out!"
Ignoring  Pink Elephant In The Room
Trying not to freak out I get some coffee & start on our spring cleaning project ~ an hour or so later we check on Kaiden. . .

Oh Crap - the rash is AWFUL!!  It has gotten ten times WORSE!!!  Now it's on his hands & it's on his palms TOO?!  That's not normal!  I am calling the nurse!!

***Remember we learned our lesson with our local hospital two weeks ago - I'm calling Children's at North Point ***

Dial Number ~ Choose options to speak with advise nurse. . . .  'Please Leave A Message & A Nurse Will Return Your Call Within One Hour.  If You Have Not Received A Return Call At The End Of One Hour Please Replace Your Call"
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!
My Child is sucumbing to some horrible rash that he probably got at that stupid fluffy Easter pets petting zoo - WHAT was I thinking?!  And now I have to leave a message and wait an hour for a return call?!  WHAT?!
~Deep Breath ~
Leave Message
49 Minutes Later
**Ring **RiNg** RING**
Hello ~ he has a rash and it's getting worse.  Mm-hmm, Yes, No, No fever, mm-hmm, OK, Yes, Oh OK - yes he has flushed cheeks, mm-hmm, no nothing inside his mouth or on the inside of his cheeks, OK, he seems fine otherwise, yes he was playing, well he just went down for his nap. . . should I wake him up, oh OK, alright, mm-hmm, OK we'll watch for that.  THANK YOU!
Me: "So she thinks it's Fifth's Disease"
Dave: "Um NO Kaiden does NOT have a disease"
Me: "NO that is just the name, it's not actually a disease.  It's just called that cause it was the 5th childhood illness identified back in the day.  It's actually a virus and it's contagious before you show any real signs of having it, especially since the boys are finishing that cold they got at the ER we just didn't notice.  The rash is just the body fighting the virus & it will come and go for a month but the warm water from his bath this morning made the rash more pronounced.  As long as there is no fever & he's acting fine then he's good to go"
Dave: "Alright, well then he's fine.  Go have fun & good luck with your tennis.  He'll be FINE don't stress it"

And that was how we spent the first five and a half hours of our Sunday Morning.