Getting paranoid myself... strep is EVERYWHERE!

[matis_mom]

Arghh! We just went to a parish dinner with the kids... A family that I know had strep the week before we got it was there (she did get everyone tested, but only the ones with positive cultures were treated, so there is still a chance some others still have it). I've told my kids to politely "stay away" from them, but you know, kids are kids, they are friends, and they like to hug each other and goof around. I am trying to get them better at washing hands (PANDAS ds could give them lessons ), and when we came back I had everyone wash (I even washed the baby's hands, since people cannot help themselves when they see a cute baby ) and then swish, gargle, and swallow with colloidal silver.

Everyone went to bed and then PANDAS ds comes back up with "it is ok if I touched this, does my shirt smell, are you sure???"

Here we go again...I feel like "we are surrounded, there is no way out"

Do we really have to cut all contact with the outside world???

Dr. L thinks at this point is worth doing plasmapheresis, and they would have scheduled us for May, but her only warning was "the only way it wouldn't do him good is if he gets exposed right away" sigh... I wanted to postpone it anyway because I felt it was too soon after we had it ourselves, and doing it now would mean not being able to finish the soccer season, dropping out of coop classes, etc (for everybody!). I am convinced it's just going around our parish/homeschooling group. Our friends have been great at letting us know when they have it, and they are making the effort to be proactive and take kids in, but of course in a normal situation no doctor will prescribe for the entire family (and these are LARGE families).

Well, I'm talking too much here. I guess you all go through the same thing with school and other actitivies.

How do you keep your sanity?

For those who have done plasmapheresis, how do you make sure it's "out of the house"?

It seems we will have to stay grounded for a week before, and at least a couple of weeks after the procedure... I am thinking we will try for late July (he is going to Scout camp with his brother the first week in July), and then stay put the whole month of August.

It's just so hard to keep him protected without punishing the whole crew! I don't want his sibblings to resent him, and at the same time I know it is for everyone's benefit (I am sooo worried someone else will come down with it )

I am sorry to go on and on here, I just need to vent!!!

Edited May 6, 2010 by mati's mom

[Megs_Mom]

Isn't it awful! I am so sorry. Our daughter had extreme comtamination fears, and it felt like we were being attacked from all sides. To help her manage through the illness, we had to go the opposite direction in terms of "not fearing" illness - and yet I wanted to slug parents that sent their kids to school sick. It is such an awful disease. We only have the one child, which is normally something that I mourn, but made life much easier during a PANDAS episode.

 

I wish I had some advice for you. It's nearly impossible to put them in a bubble. Hoping that we are nearing the end of the strep season - best of luck with pex.

[sf_mom]

If you follow procedure with IVIG he should be fairly well protected from additional strep exposures.

 

-Wendy

[saidie10]

I am envisioning the same paranoia for our family if and when we get a diagnosis! So sorry it is all so frustrating. Hope you get the answers you are looking for on the plasmapheresis!

 

Arghh! We just went to a parish dinner with the kids... A family that I know had strep the week before we got it was there (she did get everyone tested, but only the ones with positive cultures were treated, so there is still a chance some others still have it). I've told my kids to politely "stay away" from them, but you know, kids are kids, they are friends, and they like to hug each other and goof around. I am trying to get them better at washing hands (PANDAS ds could give them lessons ), and when we came back I had everyone wash (I even washed the baby's hands, since people cannot help themselves when they see a cute baby ) and then swish, gargle, and swallow with colloidal silver.

Everyone went to bed and then PANDAS ds comes back up with "it is ok if I touched this, does my shirt smell, are you sure???"

Here we go again...I feel like "we are surrounded, there is no way out"

Do we really have to cut all contact with the outside world???

Dr. L thinks at this point is worth doing plasmapheresis, and they would have scheduled us for May, but her only warning was "the only way it wouldn't do him good is if he gets exposed right away" sigh... I wanted to postpone it anyway because I felt it was too soon after we had it ourselves, and doing it now would mean not being able to finish the soccer season, dropping out of coop classes, etc (for everybody!). I am convinced it's just going around our parish/homeschooling group. Our friends have been great at letting us know when they have it, and they are making the effort to be proactive and take kids in, but of course in a normal situation no doctor will prescribe for the entire family (and these are LARGE families).

Well, I'm talking too much here. I guess you all go through the same thing with school and other actitivies.

How do you keep your sanity?

For those who have done plasmapheresis, how do you make sure it's "out of the house"?

It seems we will have to stay grounded for a week before, and at least a couple of weeks after the procedure... I am thinking we will try for late July (he is going to Scout camp with his brother the first week in July), and then stay put the whole month of August.

It's just so hard to keep him protected without punishing the whole crew! I don't want his sibblings to resent him, and at the same time I know it is for everyone's benefit (I am sooo worried someone else will come down with it )

I am sorry to go on and on here, I just need to vent!!!

[saidie10]

I am envisioning the same paranoia for our family if and when we get a diagnosis! So sorry it is all so frustrating. Hope you get the answers you are looking for on the plasmapheresis!

 

Arghh! We just went to a parish dinner with the kids... A family that I know had strep the week before we got it was there (she did get everyone tested, but only the ones with positive cultures were treated, so there is still a chance some others still have it). I've told my kids to politely "stay away" from them, but you know, kids are kids, they are friends, and they like to hug each other and goof around. I am trying to get them better at washing hands (PANDAS ds could give them lessons ), and when we came back I had everyone wash (I even washed the baby's hands, since people cannot help themselves when they see a cute baby ) and then swish, gargle, and swallow with colloidal silver.

Everyone went to bed and then PANDAS ds comes back up with "it is ok if I touched this, does my shirt smell, are you sure???"

Here we go again...I feel like "we are surrounded, there is no way out"

Do we really have to cut all contact with the outside world???

Dr. L thinks at this point is worth doing plasmapheresis, and they would have scheduled us for May, but her only warning was "the only way it wouldn't do him good is if he gets exposed right away" sigh... I wanted to postpone it anyway because I felt it was too soon after we had it ourselves, and doing it now would mean not being able to finish the soccer season, dropping out of coop classes, etc (for everybody!). I am convinced it's just going around our parish/homeschooling group. Our friends have been great at letting us know when they have it, and they are making the effort to be proactive and take kids in, but of course in a normal situation no doctor will prescribe for the entire family (and these are LARGE families).

Well, I'm talking too much here. I guess you all go through the same thing with school and other actitivies.

How do you keep your sanity?

For those who have done plasmapheresis, how do you make sure it's "out of the house"?

It seems we will have to stay grounded for a week before, and at least a couple of weeks after the procedure... I am thinking we will try for late July (he is going to Scout camp with his brother the first week in July), and then stay put the whole month of August.

It's just so hard to keep him protected without punishing the whole crew! I don't want his sibblings to resent him, and at the same time I know it is for everyone's benefit (I am sooo worried someone else will come down with it )

I am sorry to go on and on here, I just need to vent!!!