Houston We Have a Problem, Part II

Thursday evening, after dinner was finished and the dishes were cleared, Ainsley turned to me and said,  "Mommy, these bumps on my face itch".   Um what?  I pull her into the light and take a good look at the bumps on her face.  Hmmmm. Definitely suspicious.  Oh no.  It couldn't be chicken pox, could it?

The next morning, a few more spots have arrived.  A message left at the Pediatrician's office and a phone call back from one of the other doctors in the practice produces the following 

conversation.

"What's wrong with her?" she asks.

"I suspect, she has the chicken pox." I answer grimly.

"Oh.  Well, it will likely take 5-7 days for them to fully present.  Just try to keep her from scratching them.  Otherwise she'll be fine.  The only people who are really susceptible to the chicken pox are those who have been on high doses of steroids."  she informs me.

"You mean like her brother?"  I ask, as my heart literally skipped a beat.

"Oh, you mean her brother has been on steroids?"  she inquired.

"Yes, Jackson has been on steroids all week"  I say.

"Is this Mrs. Bender?" she replies.

"Yes."

"Oh no."  she says with a sigh.  Then she goes on to say, "You need to watch Jackson very carefully.  If you see one spot, you have to call us immediately.  He'll need to go to Hopkins for a Gamma Gobulin injection."

I am in complete disbelief.  It is just the chicken pox.  What in the world could he need an injection for?  

A short time later our own Pediatrician calls and confirms what her colleague said earlier.  He will need an injection if he shows any symptoms.  With the fear that Jackson's reaction will be worst case scenario, the injection will fight the virus for him, sparing his body the fight.  However, she also informs me that the incubation period for chicken pox is typically 10-21 days.  My mind reels as my calendar pops up in my head.  

Oh no.  So just about the time we are to be on vacation in either Kentucky or Colorado, Jackson will likely be in the midst of a chicken pox outbreak.  I ask Dr. M if this is a problem. Her response was a quick and deadly yes. 

So now I have made multiple calls to the various children's hospitals in Colorado and my Mother to her doctor friends in Kentucky.  The only one in Colorado that carries Gamma Gobulin injections is in Denver.  Calls abound.  Requests for letters and copies of records to travel with to ease the ER visit, if necessary.  

With any luck, he won't get it.  But the odds aren't in our favor.  So with any luck, we'll catch it early, get the injection, and move on.

Keep your fingers crossed.  I know I am.