Monday, December 8, 2014

There's a Fungus Among Us!!!

Y'all. I'm not happy. This past Friday we had to go to the emergency room. For those that follow along on Twitter know that much of the story at least. And that I'm pissed.


Allow me to take a moment and explain the full story. Around Thanksgiving we noticed a small spot on Ainsley's cheek near her temple. I didn't think much of it at the time. Almost a week later, it started to spread. I took a few pictures of it and sent them to Meagan asking her opinion and if her girls had ever had anything like it. After a few messages back and forth Meagan and I decided it had to be some sort of bug bite. I had been putting some essential oils on it since last week when I first noticed it starting to spread. We agreed that was best (I love that we share a love for EO's!) and we went to bed.
This was Wednesday 12/3

By Friday 12/5 it had turned into this! 

So of course, by the time I saw it like that it was after work on a Friday... 6:00 at night. Her pediatrician was closed. I was worried because it just looked horrible. If it was a bug bite, it was spreading and I was in full on panic mode. Luckily, we didn't have to wait very long at the emergency room. We live in a small town, and they take pediatric patients very seriously. Within 30 minutes the doctor was in the room. She was very sweet and listened patiently to this crazy mom rambling on about how I felt bad for not bringing her in to see her regular doc on Tuesday. *sigh*

Ainsley did well with the doctor, too. She let her search all over her body for more spots. (I had already done that every single day since the week of Thanksgiving). As predicted, no more spots. The doctor beamed that Ainsley was the best baby she'd seen all day (yay). After about 5 minutes of examining, she declared, "It's ringworm." My jaw hit the floor. Wait, what?! Ringworm?

Word vomit. "How did that happen?" "Where does it even come from?!" "We have a clean house!" The doctor must have expected this because she just sat there. Waiting for me to shut up. I saw her face and understood. I listened. "Ringworm is a fungus. It doesn't come from a worm. It has nothing to do with how clean or dirty your house is." She explained wrestlers mostly get it from the dirty/sweaty mats. THAT'S when it hit me. The daycare.

They had sent home a letter about two weeks BEFORE Thanksgiving explaining that one of the babies (not in Ainsley's class, but the one under her in age) had a case of ringworm. They explained they'd be getting new mats and things for the daycare at the beginning of the year. I ignored the letter completely. It was the baby room. Ainsley is in the toddler room. I had ZERO clue how contagious ringworm is. The letter made sense now.

Ainsley has ringworm. The rest of us might end up getting it too. If we don't already have it. It's very contagious and in the days since Thanksgiving, we've been touching, cuddling, and wrestling with Ainsley like normal. Obviously now all bedding has been changed and hand washing has doubled if not tripled around here. But there's still the worry that one of us will show signs of it soon too. I'm trying not to think about that, but it's staying in the back of my mind. Every time Zander wrestles with Ainsley now, I make him wash his hands immediately after. Where as normally, he wouldn't.

Even throughout all of this, I'm trying to stay grateful. I'm trying to stay positive. The good news is that I did take her to the E.R. I'm grateful to live in a world that we have access to doctors and nurses 24/7. I'm grateful that Ainsley was seen quickly. I'm REALLY grateful that it wasn't a poisonous spider. Even though if it was there is anti venom / treatments for those. I'm also grateful that ringworm is treatable. It's a fungus. So Ainsley has an anti-fungal cream for the area.

I'm trying to stay positive, so even though this is a rant post to get out my frustration with the situation, I'm linking up with Emily for Grateful Heart. Because even though this sucks, I'm grateful I still have my little girl. I'm grateful that she will get better and I'm grateful for doctors and nurses!
Ember Grey's Grateful Heart Linkup
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31 comments :

  1. Oh gosh. I am so glad that Ainsley is going to be okay first of all, also I know the fear when something like this happens at 6pm Friday night! You are so right to be angry with daycare. Love to you all!

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  2. Ugh, I hate that for that little darling baby! Here's hoping she gets better soon!

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  3. Poor baby. Hope she gets better soon! Thinking of you all.

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  4. thanks, sweetie. We started the anti-fungal cream this weekend. luckily it doesn't look like it's spreading anymore, but now it kind of seems like it's itching her :(

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  5. thanks sweetie! the good news is w/ the cream now that we've been using it for 48 hours she's not contagious anymore (per the pharmacy). but still... sucks.

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  6. Wait, were they *waiting* to get new things until the new year?! I'm so sorry, Melissa. I mean thank GOD it's nothing serious, but it's definitely something I hate that Ainsley is having to deal with right now! Fortunately she's young enough she'll never remember this, and I'll be praying the rest of you guys don't get it!!! Hang in there, momma. You're doing a good job!!!

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  7. Poor baby.
    So are you still going to find a new daycare?

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  8. Yes, because they've shown no signs of getting new sleeping mats. After contacting them today they refused to prove to me that the mats had even been sanitized properly. :( It's heartbreaking really. I thought they were a really great place. The hunt continues.

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  9. Oh, sweet friend!! I am so sorry when I heard this. We have had cases go through school and daycare, but the kids were immediately sent home, and everything was totally bleached/sanitized. I am so, so sorry! I have worked with kids for 19 years, and I have almost everything. Some of it is not fun at all. If you notice anything on you or anyone in your family, just treat it immediately. You will get through it. Having three little ones so close in age, when something comes up, I prepare for the domino effect immediately...sigh :) Love your feisty, but positive attitude!! Saying prayers!! xo

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  10. hahaha yeah... I mean, I get if it wasn't in the budget for this year, but in my opinion you work that in somehow. You want the kids to be healthy, safe, and happy. at least that's my thoughts. We're on the hunt for a new daycare. This morning they refused / couldn't prove to me that anything had been sanitized enough to show that everything would be OK going forward. but you're right. Thank GOD it's nothing serious... just annoying. Thanks for the kind words.

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  11. oh no that poor little pumpkin! I hope she's feeling better! I can't believe the daycare is all "whatever" about it.

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  12. that's what I was so shocked about too! you would think they'd be more assertive in showing that everything is "all clear". shocking!

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  13. thank you SO much for your kind words. It's rough when there's SO much going on with daycares and kids and passing colds back and forth, but it's also sad when they refuse to guarantee that everything is 100% OK. So far I think we're all clear for the family, but yeah... at least we know what to look for. Thanks for the prayers!

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  14. Oh my goodness!! I've gotten ringworm once, but it was in my armpit. It's fairly easy to get rid of, but I didn't really have to worry about other's touching it.. i mean who wasn't to touch my armpit??

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  15. SO glad she is doing better. I still can't get over that she got this. I would think a daycare would be more cautious...especially since they knew they already had it. Poor thing!

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  16. Ahhhhhhhhh so awful! I don't blame you for totally losing it. I got ringworm in elementary school on my chin, so gross.

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  17. I'm glad it got figured out... but why would the daycare wait until the new year to replace the mats? That doesn't make sense.... unless they cleaned them really well and other kids are just spreading it around. I'd be upset too :(

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  18. oh no! so glad you got it figured out but no good that it's coming from the daycare! yikes. glad you were still able to be positive and be grateful for the things around this!

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  19. RIGHT?! it's outrageous the amount that they don't care. ugh. at least we're on the mend.

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  20. I feel so bad for her!! I'm glad that we got stuff to treat it... she's so pitiful.

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  21. I'm glad too, but it's just so bizarre that the daycare is being so strange about it all!! My guess is that it's not in their budget to replace them this year, but who knows? In my opinion that's something you find a way to squeeze into the budget. maybe that's just me. I dunno.

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  22. I am glad that we got it figured out. It's a relief to know that she's on the mend. We're lucky it wasn't anything worse. Gotta stay positive, right? Laugh at the little things life throws you! :) thanks for the kind words

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  23. Oh my gosh!!!! That is crazy! Hope she gets better soon!! And yeah, no judgement here for the rant post. I say, "rant on!"

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  24. LOL thanks for the kind words and for encouraging me to rant! haha :) Happy Monday!

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  25. How scary! I'm so glad that you guys were seen so quickly! And why in the world was the daycare waiting until the beginning of the year to replace the mats? Wouldn't they want to replace them asap after finding something like that? Or remove them completely and just make do with what else they have?

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  26. oh gosh!!! What troopers! Hang in there, hon. and continue to focus on the positive. PS> My first got so much germies at her daycare, it prompted me to stay home for the second!
    XO sarita it's my girls' world

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  27. When I worked in daycare, this was one of the top things I looked for on my kids. The others were pink eye, scabies, and lice (ugh). If any kids had anything resembling ring worm, I made them wear a huge bandage! I wasn't messing around, but I did see a few cases of it on faces. I'm a little confused about why the daycare would be getting new mats, though. Their mats should be able to be disinfected, and it should be happening every single day!

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  28. Oh man, that sounds horrible! I would have been just as worried…I had no idea that's what ringworm looks like! I'm so glad everything was figured out and she's doing well…crossing my fingers it doesn't spread to the rest of the house. Thanks for linking this up to Two For Tuesdays!

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  29. Ah poor Ainsley!!! Ringworm is itchy - and you can't cover her face like you could her foot or something to help prevent it spreading! :( I hope you guys are all hanging in there and she's not feeling too self conscious about all the hand washing around her. Luckily she's little and will forget all about this.
    But I'm SHOCKED that they didn't replace the mats etc straight away! I hope that they used some strong industrial cleaners on them!
    Sending you hugs and get well thoughts for your lovely little girl!

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  30. Eek!!! I'm glad shes doing well! That definitely is a scary looking thing to see on your kid!!!

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  31. Luckily, she's doing MUCH better as of yesterday. Thanks so much for the kind words. I have no idea why they didn't replace them or prove to me that they were cleaned. She starts a new daycare Monday.

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