Fifth Disease

Well, it's been a rough couple of weeks at our house. It started a few weeks ago when Harper came home from school and I found out he'd been exposed to Fifth Disease. I know, it sounds ridiculous and made up... believe me, I wish it was. But it is in fact a real virus with real symptoms.

Symptoms include a rash, headaches, joint pain, muscle aches, fever, abdominal pain, etc. With exception to the rash, and absense of nausea, it kind of looks like the flu.

Harper did develop a tiny rash for a couple of days, but it never really bothered him. I'm hoping it skips him completely. But Monday night, he woke up crying that his knee was hurting. And this morning he said both of his knees were hurting. I gave him some Ibuprofen and I hope that helps.

I, on the other hand, have been fighting this thing since the 16th. Now... I'm prone to headaches and migraines... Normally, I can take some Excedrin or Imitrex and be back on track in a couple of hours. But that weekend, NOTHING made me feel better. Not even sushi and sake (which was a terrible shame). I felt better by Monday, but what a wasted weekend.

Tuesday morning, I woke up with a rash. It covered all of my body, except for my head. It was then that I realized what was happening. I'd contracted Fifth Disease. It was mostly gone by Wednesday morning. I thought this was the all clear.

Then Wednesday afternoon, my left knee was hurting. I couldn't bend it to sit the way I like at work, or the way I sit with Harper to read stories that night. That really aggravated him. I thought I'd just turned it wrong (although it's typically my right knee that hurts, since I injured it in a car wreck several years ago). By Friday, my right knee was hurting, too.

Saturday, we went to Mimi's high school reunion with her and I was starting to feel achiness in my lower back by around 2:30p. It was getting harder for me to chase Harper around, so I figured we'd better head back, since I'd promised H we'd go to Super Target on our way home.

As we were walking around Target, I was seriously contemplating what I was going to do if I ended up in a wheel chair. I could barely push the cart and my whole back, hips, knees, ankles and feet were all severely hurting. By the time we got home, I just wanted to sit down, but I had to fix dinner, pick up the house, play with Harper and get him ready for bed.

Harper was going with Jody to his family reunion on Monday, and by Saturday night I was hurting so bad, I didn't know if I'd be able to rush around and get him ready to go Monday morning. So I called Jody and asked if H could spend the night with him Sunday night. Of course he said yes. Thank goodness.

I managed to get Harper showered and ready for bed. We decided to have a slumber party, so we watched 'Alvin and the Chipmunks' in my bed and I let him sleep with me. He started wallering around so much by 12:30, and by this time my shoulders and arms were hurting, too, that I put him in his own bed.

When he woke up at 7:15 Sunday morning, I could barely get out of bed to get him. I managed to get up, fix him some chocolate milk, take him to go potty, then he crawled in my bed and we watched cartoons. That was all great and easy, until he got ornery and took off running and I couldn't chase him. I couldn't feel my feet, just a little of the ball and some of the heel on each, and what I could feel, felt like pins and needles. I just burst into tears. My entire body felt like that. I told Mimi that I felt like an arthritic 90 year old woman.

Mimi was going to Seminole to spend a couple of days with Uncle Steve and Co. and I wasn't going to be able to give the attention to Harper that he needed. Fortunately, Daddy came to the rescue. I called him and asked if he'd be able to take H for the whole day. He was more than happy and excited to have the extra time with Buddy.

So, Harper went to his Daddy's, Mimi went to Uncle Steve's and I was home alone. Mimi suggested I take a hot bath, which I thought would be a good idea, until I realized I wouldn't be able to get down, or up again, by myself. I laid on the couch for just about the entire day, with the exception of managing a shower around 3p. Around 5:30, a friend of mine came over with ice cream and we watched a movie. By 9:30, I was asleep.

I woke up Monday morning a little sore, but nothing like I had been the last two days. Only my hands and feet were a little swollen. I managed to waddle around the house and get some stuff done. Any relief from the pain of the previous couple of days, felt amazing and I wanted to DO something. Harper came home around 4:30p and it was so great to be able to get on the floor and play with him, or get toys out from under the couch for him. And I could sit the way he likes me to when we read stories!

Now it's Wednesday the 28th, and though I feel great (just a little lingering crampiness), I'm afraid Harper is coming down with it. He's never complained about achiness before. I guess time will tell. Say your prayers that it skips him!