Well, we have all been sick in some way or another in the last two weeks. I need an opinion of what you think this could be.

All 5 kids were sick:
1 was vomitting, had a fever for two days, head throb for a few days, then she was fine.
2 started this whole mess, he had a headache and fever for about 2 days, then he was fine.
3 was the least sick out of the bunch, really only had a fever, but had a blister-type sore on his elbow about a week ago. There was a yellow crust over it, with a small amount of fluid under it.
4 had a fever in the beginning, and now, two weeks later he has the symptoms of a cold. He got a tiny sore above his lip, one on his neck and that's about it.
5 has had the symptoms of a cold too, and he has the same type sore or blister on his face. It looks like he might have a few more on his body.

There is nothing on the trunks of the kids. The older two have had the chicken pox, the younger 3 haven't. I thought it might be that because, the younger 3 are the ones with the sores or blisters. My mom said when I was little and got the chicken pox, I only had about 4 pox. Any ideas? I googled it, and I still don't know. I'm just wondering if this is a possibility.

1 is oldest through 5 is youngest (just thought you should know my code... LOL)

Nah, wouldn't be pox. If it were, only the youngest would be symptomatic at all.

Sounds to me like a virus that will run it's course.

If the fever is above 101F or 38.3C for 24 hours they need to be seen by their pediatrician. Otherwise it should clear up on its own.

Oh, yeah, do any of the breakouts have a whip-like appearance?

No, there is no whip-like appearance. The fevers are gone now for the most part... thank you God for medication. Even I was sick... wow, I haven't had a fever break in a long time.

I know what you mean about only the smaller kids experiencing symptoms. Maybe a little part of me was hoping it would be that easy. Thanks for your thoughts.

Ah, if the fever is gone for the most part, so is the virus. If it were an infection the fever would remain.

Blisters in a whiplike appearance would be poison ivy or the like.

You should all be good to go now that the fever is gone. Isn't it funny how viruses run through the entire family?

Don't they have a vaccine for chicken pox now?

I thought I heard that one had come out. I had chicken pox myself when I was younger.

Ah, maybe, but shingles usually starts around the waist line in the back and goes around to the front.

It is not as contagious as pox, however both are varicalla zoster (sp). Shingles is also EXTREMELY painful.

Yes they do have a chicken pox vaccine. In Saskatchewan, when they introduce a new vaccine, if you want to get it for free, your birthday has to fall within a certain time. So... my youngest who is 1, qualifies to get it... we are suppose to be going next week to get it. Then the children who haven't had chicken pox or the vaccine, receive the vaccine in grade 6(?). So my 3 and 5 year old will get the vaccine then, if they haven't had the chicken pox yet. I hope that made sense... it's a screwy system. It's the same with the menengitis and all of the vaccinations. I guess they have to have a cut off somewhere. I think in the end, all kids born in 1993 or later will be vaccinated for most things by the time they are 12. My daughter was offered the vaccination in school for pox, but she had already had them.

I am glad for the program, I just wish it was a little easier to understand.

Well, you can be assured that it was nothing more than a virus. And, most likely the blisters had little, if anything, to do with it. Could have been a bug bite.

You did go camping didn't you?

Well, there you go. Would I ever let you down?

LOL...

Yes I did go camping. I am not going to worry about it, it's almost gone anyway. I didn't think it was that serious or I would have taken them to the doctor. Maybe it was a rash from something they touched or maybe it was a bug bite... I really don't know.

I did end up going to the doctor for myself and he said he thought I had brochitis, not the bacterial kind (?), and he gave me a script for ventilin (yuck!). It felt like someone was sitting on my chest, it hurt a lot to breath and I was puking and stuff. I think we all got the same thing, just some of us came out with different symptoms. I hear that can happen.

Thanks for your help.

UPDATE: EMERGENCY!!

Please read and help me...

My 3 year old has broken out with pimple like marks all over his bum. Some are big, some are small. The big ones are fluid filled with kind of a milky substance. Any ideas? I was told by someone that sometimes chicken pox can start on the bum. What the heck?

Have they been exposed to anyone who has chicken pox?

Exposure has to take place first!!

About 10 days incubation period before seeing any kind of break out.

Well... not that I know of. I don't care if it's chicken pox, I just want to know what it is. I realize that may be hard to do over the computer. I guess my worry was that the fluit isn't clear, it is more milky. I thought chicken pox was suppose to be clear and I thought that it usually started on the chest.

Oh yeah... I was looking through our records and the 1 year old got the chicken pox vaccine this spring. He seems to have a little pimple looking thing on his face. I don't know if the vaccines lessen the reaction or eliminate it.

Actually I was wrong about the incubation period, it is 2 - 3 weeks.

Chicken pox (varicella zoster) is transmitted by direct contact with direct contact with skin lesions, or respiratory (coughs and sneezes).

I would like to quote the entire entry from my book, but it is too long and very medical in terminology.

Check out this website, it is very helpful

Thank you Janine! I will check it right now!

Let me know what you think. I will check further if that is not it.

Okay... so I am a simple person, I didn't quite understand some of what was written. I didn't see anywhere where it talked about fluid filled anything.

Well, the little pustules are filled with clear fluid if it is chicken pox. This is when they are contageous.

Is the baby itchy? Try giving a bath in cool water with baking soda.

Chicken pox is a virus and must run it's course. There is nothing a doctor can do. You can try some Benadryl to relieve itching, but it is a virus and will go away on its own. Really nothing to worry about unless the fever is over 38C and lasts for more than 48 hours.

Thanks... like I said, I wasn't sure because of the color of the fluid. I guess I will have to wait and see if it spreads too.

I'm sorry for the panic. This is what had happened:
First my daughter had a sleepover last night and a few nights ago with this one girl. Her mother phoned me and said she had bad news, her daughter has lice. AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH... We went through lice twice, two years ago. The second time we found it on Christmas day. I almost had a nervous break down. I can't go through that again.

So there I am, I had just finish looking through my daughter's hair, I think it was clear but I like to treat just in case... My 3 year old is getting in the tub and he starts to cry. I didn't know why until I saw his bum. Everything was a mess. I can't stop coughing, and everyone is miserable. I now have more laundry than? well, I don't know what, but anyway, we will get this figured out.

Thanks for your help. I am trying to avoid a trip to the doctor, but I guess we'll see.

Not to mention... now my head is itchy... ACK!

Now you have my head itching!!

A little trick about lice...

They tend to be on CLEAN children, not dirty. White children rather than black.

They have a hard time holding on to oily hair. It is best to either shampoo hair every other night, or, if it is a girl, pony tails, mousse or hairspray.

Unfortunately, the cleaner we are the easier it is to get lice.

Back to chicken pox...

If this is what it is it will run its course. There is nothing anyone can do about it except make the itching less itchier. Call the doc if the fever remains for 48 hours!

LOL... thanks Janine... I didn't feel like I was going to lose it, but I did feel the pressure. Aaahhh, the life of a mom.

Well we fit the description of those who easily get lice. At her school, the kids had to share lockers so, I got my daughter to put her stuff at the back of the class. Luckily I had the support of her last two teachers, even if I didn't there was no way my kids will share a locker with anyone.

The chicken pox... I just want to make sure it's not an infection. I guess no one can tell without actually seeing it. Too bad I can't find my camera. LOL.

Thanks for answering my questions so quickly.