Beverly's Weblog

Trinitea has the spoxes.

FYI, she caught the chicken pox virus from her nursery and was extremely agitated when we wouldn’t allow her to scratch herself silly.

I’ve not had the pox -yet- am still waiting for it to happen but apparently i’m as healthy as a horse (as big too!) and the virus just won’t come near me.

i slept with her, bathed her, rubbed calamine all over her sweet little face and body and even cleaned her scabs. still i didn’t get it. Aidan too.. as healthy as his mum(?)  i  hope i didn’t speak too soon because a colleague who got better from the same viral infection about a month back told me that her children had it one after another. Uh-OH, i thought, that means it could happen to us at home too..

Back to Trinitea, i’m proud of her because altho’ she did scratch when she thinks i’m not watching but the treatment (bathing in the herbal water and putting calamine all over) was okay for her.  The only time she gave into her ‘momok’ and cried her eyes out was when everyone went out (to KK etc) without her.  She 3y/o mind couldn’t comprehend WHY she cannot go out.

She cried and screamed, “mummy, take away the momok (refering to the pox marks on her body)! tell momok to go away…”  it was all i had not to break down in tears as well, looking at her suffering like that.  Told her i couldn’t do anything much except to hold her and put calamine where it itched.

Lucky my bro-in-law was down and told me that neem (vappela) leaves will help to sooth the itch by swishing some leaves on the skin and to put some on the bed so it’ll ’scratch’ her naturally.  i know of the neem leaves’ herbal properties so it was okay to use this method.

Another thing, my sisters who’ve had the pox advised me NOT to bathe Trinitea until the pox appeared on her palms and soles.  sorry sis, i didn’t take your advices.  i bathed Trinitea in dried daun-peria and minyak kayu putih leaves, twice a day for a week. 

She is now healing properly and no, the poxes didn’t appear on her palms and soles.  Imagine if i had waited and waited for them to appear.  Kalau 2 minggu don’t appear, 2 minggu la Trinitea tidak mandi!  A retired health department officer who’s now my colleague told me that the poxes won’t necessarily appear on the palms and soles. It differs from one individual to another. ~Sighs~  Another friend whose daughter has had it said that the poxes appeared on her daughter’s buttocks and palms first.  So you see.. it’s up to the individual’s body resistance.

Just like being pregnant and giving birth.  Every pregnancy is different (ya, i know ~sama juga~) so is every child birth… i should know, i gave birth 3xs (naturally).  The pain is the same, the output is the same but still it’s different in every way.

Anyway.. this is another feather in my motherhood cap.  1st experience to deal with this viral infection directly. Also the helpless feeling of not being able to magic the pox away =(

Next time anyone has the poxes – 1. see the Dr immediately to get the antibiotics, piriton and fever med; 2. invest in at least 1 week’s worth of dried daun peria (available in many chinese herbal shops) + daun minyak kayu putih (buy from Gaya St) & bathe faithfully too. 3. invest in Cetaphil- a non-soap based cleaner. 

The way i look at it, early intervention, modern medicine and a bit of old wives tale is magic potion for your chicken pox!

After every herbal bathe, as i drain the water away, Trinitea will say, “Thank you ubat water for making me better.” and everytime a pox scab falls off or she ‘plucks’ it off, she’ll put it on the table and say, “Go away spox and don’t come and make me sick again”.

The beauty of a child’s innocence. Amen!