My Daughter, She Has the Mono AND the Pink Eye

Many of you know that I'm usually MIA on weekends because of my job. Most of you probably haven't noticed that I haven't visited in several days. I may be another day or two, so keep not noticing.


The kids had three snow days last week, which turned out to be a good thing for Maybelline, since she was diagnosed Thursday with mono. She had three really good days of rest, right in the beginning of her illness. Her symptoms began with a headache, then congestion and wanting to blow chunks (who asked which term we preferred for vomit? Was it you, Tranny? I like "blow chunks. I won't use it sparingly). I picked her up early from school last Monday because she felt so bad.

Tuesday I called a nurse friend and asked how to treat Maybelline, since I was ice locked and there really was no getting out. Oh, and my kid had these golf balls in the back of her throat that looked like blistered tonsils (they're hard to make out in the photo below, and she'd just finished an espresso brownie and a frappuccino - sorry. They're just above her tongue, closing in on her uvula). Maybe Karen sent them from PA as a gift? So Maybelline gargled warm salt water every six hours, took ibuprofen after gargling, took NyQuil at night (I believe that a good night's sleep helps cure just about anything), used the humidifier every night and sucked on lozenges.



Results? She hasn't been overly ill. In fact, I only took her to the doctor on Thursday because of the gargantuous tonsils. One finger prick later and it was confirmed that she has mononucleosis. Nothing severe, but she won another day home from school and more rest (one week total). The doc said that it would take about three or four weeks to heal, stay away from team sports, don't let anyone eat to drink after her, and STOP KISSING THOSE BOYS. Ya.

It's viral, so no antibiotics. Simply treat the symptoms. Turns out she was doing everything just right. I have high hopes that she'll be back to normal in short order if she keeps taking it easy. Yay! That's the good news.

Saturday night, while I was at work, a new development arose. Pink eye. Y'all, I haven't seen pink eye in 30 years, since I had it as a kid. I remember thinking it was really kewl, waking in the morning with my eyes crusted shut, stumbling to the bathroom to wash them off so I could see. Maybelline's isn't that bad, but the bloodshot look does give the crazed killer impression (see photo at the top).

Turns out, via the lovely internets research, pink eye is often caused by a viral infection. Something like mono, maybe? The immune system is low and prone to it. So we've all begun a vitamin C routine. And there's a lovely soothing remedy which seems to make an immediate difference - again, thank you internets. Chamomile tea bags, moist and cool, laid on the eyes for ten minutes. Maybelline was startled at the drastic difference the first time she tried it. Redness was greatly reduced immediately and she was all smiles.

The really ugly side to pink eye is the amazing contagion that it is. None of us will look Maybelline square in the eye for fear of catching it. She carries the hand sanitizer with her all over the house, as well as the can of Lysol spray. She washed all of her bedding in hot water, as well as her towels, and Lysoled her bed and pillows. We don't know what else to do. My cousin suggested quarantining her and sliding her food under the door. I suggest that once you're done reading this post you Lysol your keyboard. And screen. It's that contagious.

Over all, the pink eye's about as bad as the mono, which is to say hardly noticeable. But it's still very contagious. And we're still very vigilant. She went back to the doc today and is now using antibiotic drops. Woo. And another throat culture, to rule out a staph infection (the tonsils are still swollen).

The photo you see at the top is her eye. Her evil, bloodshot eye. Reminds me of the time we had a corn snake and the kids had to feed him live white mice. The only way they could justify rapping a mouse on the head and feeding a live mammal to a snake was because the mouse had red eyes. It made it evil. Where do kids come up with this crap? The world may never know.

ANYWAY ... I'll have Maybelline home again today, and maybe I'll actually catch up on some sleep. So we'll visit tomorrow? And Thursday - ahhhh, Thursday. Snooty and I will be celebrating the joy which is a colonoscopy. It'll be a long week, folks. I just hope that yours goes better than mine.

Oo! Gratis snow shot Maybelline took on the way to the doc last Thursday!


Until I write again ...

Flea