EeeeeeeeGads!

So...spoke with the nurse this morning at 9:40. He was crabby. Had a low-grade fever. Had the puffy lips. Tongue: fine. Mouth: fine.

Got an 11:10 appointment.

By 11:10, he had sores on his bottom lip.
He had sores & spots all over his tongue.
He had sores all in his mouth that looked like mini-mountain-ranges along his cheeks where his gums met his cheeks. Top, bottom, middle---you name it, it had a sore on it. Gums: red, puffy.

Gross.

When the swelling first started, we thought: allergic reaction.
To what?
You scour the list of "what's new?" The only thing different in his world is orajel. But, I think he had it back when he was getting his first teeth....
So, we were thinking, "could he be allergic to orajel?"

Then the nurse on the phone said that during teething, the saliva changes, and he could be having a reaction to his own saliva.
"Oh, great. I WOULD get the kid who is allergic to his own spit!"
But, turns out, that's not the case.

He's got a raging case of Coxsackie Virus.
Gross. And, the doctor said it looks like he's got some A29 strain of the virus b/c of the onset of symptoms & the sores presenting today....blah, blah, blah. Looks like this could last a week is what all that boils down to.

The doctor scraped his tongue depressor along Gage's tongue & these sores just busted open & stuff went everywhere & his little tongue started bleeding. Oh, it was so gross.

The good news: it's just a virus.
The bad news: because it's a virus, there's really nothing to do about it.
The worst news: it's going to get worse before it gets better.
But, as long as he's making wet diapers, no worries, let the virus run the course.
Lovely.

Meanwhile: I feel dirty. I feel like Gage is dirty. The pediatrician told me not to feel dirty. Certainly wipe anything that may come into contact with his saliva, but that we can all encounter a virus at any time...yada, yada, yada.

And...it's contagious. I have to keep him away from other kids so that he doesn't give it to them.... No playing with Aubri...no playgrounds....nada until these go away and he's been fever-free for over 24 hours.
Great.

He's so pitiful being sick.
"I jus sick."
"I don't feel well."
"I'na jus rest a while."
I ask him if he wants to play in the backyard..."No, I jus sick. I jus gonna stay on the couch."
You know this child is sick if he's refusing to play outside.

But...he was WONDERFUL at the doctor's office, for a change.
Perhaps it was the bribery.... whatever, it worked! After the dr's office, I took him to the grocery store to pick out popsicles & a "prize car." He chose a blue car, and we were on our way. When we got home, he wanted some "real cheese" (grated cheese), so I put a little bit in a bowl for him....but then he was immediately in tears telling me that the cheese hurt his mouth. Since Sunday, he's eaten about 3 tablespoons of jell-o, and now about 1/2 cup of dry Trix cereal. Which...kind of surprised me. Grated cheese hurts his mouth, but the dry Trix cereal was okay? Weird. But, whatever. if he told me he wanted a lasagna right now, I'd cook it just to get him to eat anything!!!!

So...we're stuck at home for the next few days.
Yuckola.
Poor kid.