Warning: gross post ahead. So, we all start scratching our heads on Sunday and I'm thinking "Oh, no...perhaps it's dry scalp? Oh, please God, let it be dry scalp - really dry!" as I'm seeing Leanne scratch and scratch and Chloe and me and Elena scratch, itch, itch....Are you feeling itchy yet? By Monday afternoon Elena says again "Mom, I'm really itching!" I had already checked their necks at the base of their scalp to see if I could identify any critters, but I didn't. I checked the top of her head, the crown, and sure enough this nasty, ugly little louse was crawling around. So, I put in a second call to my friend who's dealt with several bouts of it. As we're talking I'm realizing that yes, we all have head lice. I say to her "Hold on a sec" as I breathe in deeply and try not to scream. I'm totally grossed out and horrified at the prospect. I inform Tim and thus begins loads and loads and loads of laundry, special lice killer shampoo, and combs (a flea comb works the best). In fact, I've spent hours and hours combing out everyone's hair, including my own. So, Thanksgiving is approaching and my family asked me and my lice-infested brood not to join them. I cry and am upset, but I quickly alter our plans and thanks to Trader Joe's, we have a slightly altered Thanksgiving. It was just us 8 and we had a good time. While eating all the yummy food, Camille notices an egg on Elena's head and picks it out - right during dinner at the table. I'm very happy that she had such keen eyesight and that one of those little buggers has gone down - one less to comb out! We all start laughing about how this will go down as "The grossest Thanksgiving ever." If ever there was a contest on "Your grossest Thanksgiving memory" you would win, I tell my sweet little children. We laughed and had fun. But, the loads continue, the combing continues, and the quarantining continues. On a positive note, my good friend Holly brought some pies and wassail over and my friend Lisa (the lice expert) invited us over for dessert that night. We went (Tim stayed home to do, guess what - laundry) and we had fun. We weren't so rejectable after all!
2 comments:
OH LAURA! I am soooo sorry!!! What an absolute NIGHTMARE!!
I had a terrible case in 6th grade and have been scarred by it ever since. Seriously, if (when) it happens to us--I am going to totally freak out. It is one of my biggest fears and just don't know if I will be able to deal with it.
You poor, poor thing. And at Thanksgiving too. With 8 people to treat and having to wash EVERYTHING. ARGHHH!! I am freaking out with you!! Glad you guys were able to laugh about it. I would still be traumatized.
That's such a sad story I had to do something. I read your words days ago and just got around to putting together my own letters and words here.
After reading your post the first time I wondered to myself what could I do to help others learn to have empathy for families with lice. On the way to my Thanksgiving dinner I stopped at the local science emporium and bought a dozen live lice. At dinner I walked around spreading the Thomas curse to the children present, and of course to the family dog. Almost two weeks and I still haven't heard a word about my dastardly deed. I don't feel bad about doing it, I did it with good intentions.
Of course this is pretty old school Barbie Fashion model stuff, Sinead O'Conner shaved her head, why didn't you shave the heads of your half dozen daughters? I believe both that it would have helped in the lice control problem and been a fashion statement. Hhmm, come to think of it... the dog at the house where I binged at Thanksgiving dinner looks shaved. I'll have to check that out.
Either way, it's great that the problem is cleared up. Be careful, sometimes lice move into trees and infect them, forcing you to chop them down. Keep an eye out for it.
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