this could be bad…

Rachel has been feeling terribly icky since Saturday.  Kevin and I tossed around constipation, depression or both. 

This afternoon a fever set in hours after she had a bowel movement.  I didn’t think anything of it.  Then when I was chit chatting with Lauren after school, a vague memory crept into my brain and I froze in terror!

On Saturday we had a front page news article that there was an epidemic hitting the area schools.  Chickenpox. 

I let Lauren go and I attacked the internet.  This is what the Mayo Clinic told me:

The rash may be preceded by or accompanied by:

• Fever
• Abdominal pain or loss of appetite
• Mild headache
• General feeling of unease and discomfort (malaise) or irritability
• Mild cough and runny nose the first two days of illness before the rash appears

CRAP!!! Rachel is experiencing the first 4 of these symptoms. 

Then I hated myself.  When the kids were babies I got them the chickenpox vaccine.  A year or so ago the pediatrician told me that the medical world realized that kids needed a booster.  My kids get so many shots that I turned it down.  I figured if they hadn’t gotten it by then that they probably wouldn’t. 

I think God is laughing at me right now.

Hopefully, she just has a virus that is totally unrelated to chickenpox!!

Depression?

I have Rachel home from school today.  Her tummy is really hurting her.  I think she is constipated.  But I think it could also be stress or stress-related constipation.  I feel horrible for her.  I did a depression self-quiz online with her and it did come up as depression.  I felt so bad when she told me that she felt that her family would be better off without her and she feels sad every day.  Depression is a part of fragile X syndrome.  But I don’t think that her father is helping the situation.  I called her pediatrician to get an appointment.  I am waiting for the call back right now.  I don’t want to stick her on drugs right away but hopefully, he can send her to a counselor that specializes in children like her.  I’ll keep y’all updated.

Update:  We have an appointment with her pediatrican on Wednesday evening at 7:30 p.m.