A parenting question...what would you do?

ladyraven68

Both of my children have chicken pox. My 6yr old daughter seems generally fine but very spotty as I would expect but my son is nearly 11yrs old and this week he has had to start using a ventolin inhaler and antihistamines because he really has a very severe case (when we went to the doctors, other nurses were called in so that they could see what severe chicken pox looks like..great!)

He has the blisters everywhere and as well as not being able to get comfortable he is having real trouble eating and swallowing. After another night of barely any sleep and trying to persuade him to eat soft foods but failing I am seriously considering just giving up on getting him to eat solid foods and making up some USN diet fuel protein shake I was given by my sister (shes pregnant so cant use it and she thought it would help me as I hate eating breakfasts)

What would you do in my position? I know he needs something, he is sipping water but he is so pale and weak and just crying all the time

If you have a blender just make up some shakes/smoothies of your own so you know what's in them,

you could do this with hot or cold - I've been known to liquidise a full roast dinner when my brother broke his jaw and was wired up

bananas and ice-cream blended to make a smoothie will be cool and soothing.

vim_n_vigor

I would say that the protein shake is probably not best for him. He is going to need something smoother and probably gentler on his stomach. I would call his doctor. If he isn't very hungry, the broths, jello, etc. are going to be key because the main concern isn't calories for a few days, it is hydration.

AmberJslimsAWAY

as long as he is drinking fluids he should be fine. he may not feel like eating. how did they get chicken pox? they do 2 vaccines for it now and any time i've seen kids with chicken pox its a very mild case because of the vaccien. if his mouth and throat are that sore you could ask the dr to call in magic mouth wash. it has benadryl, maalox, and viscous lidocain in it and it can help with the pain. hope they feel better.

some parents (like myself) don't vaccinate for chicken pox.

i'm a peds nurse and know that. the part that makes me nervouse about parents not vaccinating is the large amount of people that you have coming here from another country. you don't know if their vaccines were kept at proper temps and given on the proper schedule. plus i have seen first hand a 4 month old with pertussis and then 2 weeks later meningitis. both could have been prevented with vacciens (which mom is doing an alt schedule now) he made a full recovery but could have suffered life long problems (hearing loss, limp amputation, etc) from the meningitis. i understand why some parents are skeptical about vaccines but from a healthcare perspective if i had children you bet your *kitten* they would get ALL of their shots. if you don't vaccinate because of the "risk of autisim" look up the doc that did that study. He lied about the data and is basically an outcast in the medical field now. he did irreversable damage to people's perspective on vaccination.

My kids get every other shot, just not the chicken pox one

ppenton

I would first call and ask for Magic Mouthwash. They give it to Cancer Patients that have radiation to the neck area and get sores in their mouths from chemo. Trust me - it works great. it numbs the mouth and throat and takes away the pain for a little while. Then try getting him to eat ice cream, popsicles, jello, cooled broth.

ericabrothers

as long as he is drinking fluids he should be fine. he may not feel like eating. how did they get chicken pox? they do 2 vaccines for it now and any time i've seen kids with chicken pox its a very mild case because of the vaccien. if his mouth and throat are that sore you could ask the dr to call in magic mouth wash. it has benadryl, maalox, and viscous lidocain in it and it can help with the pain. hope they feel better.

They don't immunise against chicken pox in the UK! I guess you could get the vaccine if you are a private patient but its not an NHS thing and most children here are not vaccinated. I didn't know it was any different in America until the other day. Crazy.

I gave him soup last night but the heat from the soup burst one of the blisters and he cried for ages I have spoken with the doctor about it and they say that as he is drinking water there is nothing they can suggest.

wow that is crazy. they used to only get vaccinated against it at 1 year of age but now the center for disease control mandated that they have to have an addiational vaccine at 4-5 years now. any of the kids that missed it get caught up at their next well visit. that is crazy to have something that can be prevented with vaccines and not give it. chicken pox isn't too bad in kids but it can cause an adult to be infertile. your poor kiddos :frown: :frown:

vim_n_vigor

as long as he is drinking fluids he should be fine. he may not feel like eating. how did they get chicken pox? they do 2 vaccines for it now and any time i've seen kids with chicken pox its a very mild case because of the vaccien. if his mouth and throat are that sore you could ask the dr to call in magic mouth wash. it has benadryl, maalox, and viscous lidocain in it and it can help with the pain. hope they feel better.

some parents (like myself) don't vaccinate for chicken pox.

i'm a peds nurse and know that. the part that makes me nervouse about parents not vaccinating is the large amount of people that you have coming here from another country. you don't know if their vaccines were kept at proper temps and given on the proper schedule. plus i have seen first hand a 4 month old with pertussis and then 2 weeks later meningitis. both could have been prevented with vacciens (which mom is doing an alt schedule now) he made a full recovery but could have suffered life long problems (hearing loss, limp amputation, etc) from the meningitis. i understand why some parents are skeptical about vaccines but from a healthcare perspective if i had children you bet your *kitten* they would get ALL of their shots. if you don't vaccinate because of the "risk of autisim" look up the doc that did that study. He lied about the data and is basically an outcast in the medical field now. he did irreversable damage to people's perspective on vaccination.

My stepdaugther had both vaccines and has had chicken pox and shingles and she is only a teenager now with a normal immune system.

lmalaschak

Pediasure and Pedialyte. I would push these two things on him all day. The Pediasure has protein and other things that would be the same as a meal replacement for kids that don't typically eat healthy. It comes in really great flavors and tastes REALLY good. If you get them really cold, it can taste like a milk shake. Pedialyte helps restore electrolytes. It doesn't taste the best but does come in popsicle form. Don't wait on something like this, you don't want him in the hospital and them feeding him thru a tube or IV. Good luck and hope he feels better soon.

I agree with this. Also when my kids have stomach flu (different I know), often the first thing they can tolerate is the juice from canned peaches, and then later the peaches themselves. Sorry about your little guy, I'm always tempted to be a complete basket case when my children aren't well. I prayed for you guys.

crazycat80

I love the oatmeal bath by Aveeno.

I agree with this. We used it when my daughter got chickenpox and my husband got shingles. Works great while they are in the bath and usually soothes for an hour or so after the bath. And ANYTHING going in is going to help. I'd probably stick with cool stuff to keep the blisters from becoming irritated.

k8blujay2

as long as he is drinking fluids he should be fine. he may not feel like eating. how did they get chicken pox? they do 2 vaccines for it now and any time i've seen kids with chicken pox its a very mild case because of the vaccien. if his mouth and throat are that sore you could ask the dr to call in magic mouth wash. it has benadryl, maalox, and viscous lidocain in it and it can help with the pain. hope they feel better.

some parents (like myself) don't vaccinate for chicken pox.

i'm a peds nurse and know that. the part that makes me nervouse about parents not vaccinating is the large amount of people that you have coming here from another country. you don't know if their vaccines were kept at proper temps and given on the proper schedule. plus i have seen first hand a 4 month old with pertussis and then 2 weeks later meningitis. both could have been prevented with vacciens (which mom is doing an alt schedule now) he made a full recovery but could have suffered life long problems (hearing loss, limp amputation, etc) from the meningitis. i understand why some parents are skeptical about vaccines but from a healthcare perspective if i had children you bet your *kitten* they would get ALL of their shots. if you don't vaccinate because of the "risk of autisim" look up the doc that did that study. He lied about the data and is basically an outcast in the medical field now. he did irreversable damage to people's perspective on vaccination.

I don't think she implied all vaccines, just chicken pox... at least that's how I took it...

~~~

And as far as the subject at hand, I agree with everyone else... anything liquid in nature.

clewis628

Not much to add here other than I agree with trying the chicken broth, ice cream, and popsicles.

Hope he feels better soon!

ericabrothers

as long as he is drinking fluids he should be fine. he may not feel like eating. how did they get chicken pox? they do 2 vaccines for it now and any time i've seen kids with chicken pox its a very mild case because of the vaccien. if his mouth and throat are that sore you could ask the dr to call in magic mouth wash. it has benadryl, maalox, and viscous lidocain in it and it can help with the pain. hope they feel better.

some parents (like myself) don't vaccinate for chicken pox.

i'm a peds nurse and know that. the part that makes me nervouse about parents not vaccinating is the large amount of people that you have coming here from another country. you don't know if their vaccines were kept at proper temps and given on the proper schedule. plus i have seen first hand a 4 month old with pertussis and then 2 weeks later meningitis. both could have been prevented with vacciens (which mom is doing an alt schedule now) he made a full recovery but could have suffered life long problems (hearing loss, limp amputation, etc) from the meningitis. i understand why some parents are skeptical about vaccines but from a healthcare perspective if i had children you bet your *kitten* they would get ALL of their shots. if you don't vaccinate because of the "risk of autisim" look up the doc that did that study. He lied about the data and is basically an outcast in the medical field now. he did irreversable damage to people's perspective on vaccination.

My kids get every other shot, just not the chicken pox one

yay for you!! there are some that come in that don't want ANY at all. i want to show them what polio does, and pertussis, and meningitis. you can't reason with some people. i just walk out of the room and shake my head. its the kids that suffer too. well i guess the parents to if they get sick and they have to take care of them. meningitis is scary and a minimum of 2 weeks in the hospital. glad you got all of the other shots i've prob seen 5-10 kids with chicken pox in the last 5 years of working as a nurse.

beckyinma

as long as he is drinking fluids he should be fine. he may not feel like eating. how did they get chicken pox? they do 2 vaccines for it now and any time i've seen kids with chicken pox its a very mild case because of the vaccien. if his mouth and throat are that sore you could ask the dr to call in magic mouth wash. it has benadryl, maalox, and viscous lidocain in it and it can help with the pain. hope they feel better.

some parents (like myself) don't vaccinate for chicken pox.

My kids got the vaccines and they did get chicken pox last month. 1 vaccine covers 80% or so of exposure, and 2 covers about 95% exposures, so they were mild cases. I'd hate to see what would've happened if they hadn't had vaccines. I've never had the pox, so I was at high risk when they got them. THANK goodness I didn't get them.

ANYTHING he wants to eat let him eat, just make it clear that once he's better you go back to healthy eating. Consider trying a mouth/throat spray to numb it a little bit while he does try to eat. Cold stuff like ice cream, popsicles jello etc. I remember my mom would always make me jello juice instead of letting it set up, I'd drink it warm, still liquid. Loved that.

Good luck, I know it wasn't much fun in my house...

RachelsReboot

His nutrition isn't so important right now as much as hydration. He will eat when he feels better just keep him hydrated. It's so hard seeing your kiddos sick!

Marley112586

I had a severe case of the chicken pox also. Had them everywhere inside my mouth, throat, it was horrible. I had to be hospitalized for it cause I also wouldnt eat anything. I suggest calling the Dr. The older you are when you get it the worse it is.

auroranflash

Poor baybays! I will be praying for both your kids
Chicken broth works for me when I absolutely can't have anything else. I guess just make sure it's luke warm if his throat is that bad off.

NYCDutchess

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some parents (like myself) don't vaccinate for chicken pox.
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I wasn't going to vaccinate against chicken pox but my ped mentioned how much worst it could be if they get it older and since MOST do vaccinate, the chance of them getting it as children is pretty slim...so I gave in. I was worried about them having issues as older teens or adults because chicken pox then can cause so many issues including infertility.

I do believe that you can still get the CP with the vaccine, but it's usually a lighter bout.

EmilyMarieMo

#1: First and foremost always ask your Pediatrician for their advice.
#2: Do what you think is best for your kid as "mom" after seeking Dr's advice.
#3: I've worked in a pediatric clinic, as well as I remember when I was sick at 15 before I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. My "online"suggestion would be to give him Pedialite and Ensure! Pedalite for electrolytes and Ensure for nutrients. When I was super sick from the Crohn's symptoms as a teen (chronic diarrhea and loss of blood through my stool) and had no energy to eat anything, my Dr suggest and made had my mom give me the Pedialite and Ensure. She's had to seriously force me to take the Ensure b/c I was SOOO weak and just any moment away from having to be put into the hospital for fluids and blood transfusions.

NeshBeMe

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"some parents (like myself) don't vaccinate for chicken pox."
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"My kids get every other shot, just not the chicken pox one "
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Getting chicken pox as a kid is bad but getting them as an adult could be deadly. It has WAY more side effects on adults. I had them as a kid, only because there was no vaccine then. But my family knew the risk of us getting them as an adult, so when my cousin came home w/ them, they didn't isolate him, they let us play w/ him so we would all get it as kids. If you are going to restrict your kid from getting a certain vaccine, please do your research and see how it will affect them long term by NOT getting if vs. the short term (as an adult vs a kid).

Keran24

First of all his dr needs to know. I would keep pushing fluids and try something with electrolytes like gatoraid. You could also try frozen treats like popsicles and ice cream. It is possible that he needs IV fluids. Sound like he has internal blisters . So sorry he is so sick.

None of my kids had the chickenpox vaccine. It was not available when my 2 oldest were born, They both had very mild cases as toddlers. (only a few spots, felt fine) The vaccine was available when my younger children were small but our pediatrician said it was not a very reliable vaccine. My oldest son got c.pox in 3rd or 4th grade but it was just a fine red rash on his chest. The school nurse confirmed that this was what it looked like when kids get the vaccine except he had not had the vaccine. My youngest is now 12 and has never had it even though he has been exposed. I am considering getting him the vaccine as I know it is much worse for an older person.

The only person I ever knew who had a case like your son's was an ex-boyfriend who was probably 23 when he got it. Hope he feels better soon.

l2rcc

I had chicken pox this severely - at about the same age. The pox will go away - until the do, let him eat WHATEVER feels good to him and that he can swallow easily. Pox down the throat hurts more than an empty stomach, and he won't want to scrape them with food. Hang in there! Let him recover a bit longer too - his scabs/scars will take longer to heal.