You know how some people say everything has a “good, bad, and an ugly?” I am here to talk about one of the “uglies” of parenting. Those things that make me want to burn my house down such as: scabies, lice, pink eye, pinworms, and any other easily-spreadable, resilient illness.
My nemesis at this point in my life is Impetigo aka Indian Fire.
Before I get started, please know I am in no way shape or form a medical professional. I am an expert at internet research, namely Google, but that is as far as my healthcare credentials go. If you don’t know – and I hope you don’t have to – Impetigo is a highly contagious infection that causes sores anywhere on the body they have a portal of entry. Crusty, oozing, itchy, sometimes burning sores. I had never heard of Impetigo when my first child was diagnosed. Unfortunately, my second has also gotten it in the past six months also, due to completely different environments. After much *ahem* research, the short scoop is it is a bacterial infection caused by Staph or Strep. It is unbelievably contagious, unforgivingly reoccurring, and thrives in humid environments.
Here are some mom tips to help you deal with the treatment of Impetigo:
Head to your local store to buy necessities (no, not lighter fluid and matches!).
Grab some anti-bacterial soap, go ahead and buy the 8-pack. You’re going to want to scrub down the entire family with it. Also, grab some laundry detergent. No matter how much you have at home, you will need more, I promise. Lysol wipes, enough said. Lastly and most importantly, grab a bottle of your favorite tasty beverage – maybe even two.
Next, make sure there are Band-Aids – a bountiful harvest of Band-Aids.
The sores need to be covered because not only do the sores ooze, it can be hard to get your little one not to touch them. Anything they touch after touching the sore is contaminated. It’s that easy to spread.
Wipe down EVERYTHING!
Wipe down and wash everything in your house possibly washable, including hands often. (Don’t forget about your beverage!) We wiped and washed light switches, remotes, sheets, towels, stuffed animals, and clothes after every single use for weeks. Diligence definitely is the key to keeping this stuff at bay.
Make an appointment with the pediatrician.
Thank goodness my kiddo was aware a child in their class had it so we immediately knew what it was and could get treatment. When mine had mosquito bites that looked suspicious, we took a picture of them one day, compared the pic and sores the next day, and headed on in the doc. They’ll give you some cream, and if necessary, oral antibiotics. Tip: once they start oral antibiotics, they are no longer contagious after 24 hours. Extra tip: if you suspect something is off, you are right. Trust your mom instinct.
If all of this isn’t enough, get more beverage and repeat.
More than likely we will all have to deal with one of the “uglies” in our mom season. I hope if yours happens to be Impetigo you are able to find a laugh somewhere in the chaos, and that it resolves quickly and painlessly.
