Laryngitis, Post nasal drip, throat infection and pinworms

The holidays are over. 

And what do I have to show for it?  A refrigerator that resembles a drug store. 

All the kids have been sick over the last week.  And all with something different. 

Emil had laryngitis.  This was by far the most pleasant of all the illnesses.  Parents, if you are going to wish for any illness for your child, laryngitis is by far the most pleasant.  Because...your child can't talk.  Or cry.  Or whine or yell or scream or tell you what a horrible parent you are or make those antagonizing sounds that let you know that you, as a parent, are a complete failure at your job. 

Laryngitis is simply nature's way of giving you, the parent, a holiday. 

I only wish, that next time, all my children will have it at the same time.  Oh the quiet I would relish!!!

Sarah was the next one up.  I took her to the doctor because her tongue was white and she had been waking up in the middle of the night, coughing as if she couldn't breathe and her breath smelled putrid.  As she is prone to thrush, I took her to the doctor, who informed me that she has post nasal drip and is now taking an antihistamine twice a day.  Not bad, since the antihistamine makes her sleepy.

Quiet...

Next up, Chaya had a fever and was incredibly grumpy, throwing tantrums every five minutes.  I gave her some Tylenol and she woke up the next morning fever free, but complaining that her "bum hurt".  So, I did what any mother would do in this situation and armed myself with wipes, thinking that perhaps she just needed a better butt wiping.  I made her go into downward dog (our preferred wiping position) and opened it up, at which point I saw a little white thread like thing desperately trying to wiggle it's way back toward her anus.  I went to war with this little worm and while it was fast, I do believe that I fought the worm and I won. 

I then proceeded to freak out, as I had a friend coming with her two children for a visit.  What do I do?  Do I warn her that my kid has worms?  And the doctor had already been on the yishuv and I didn't know if the nurse would be in and since it was the day before Simchat Torah, I wasn't sure if the doctor would be back and how was I going to get the worm killing medicine.  Fortunately, the doctor has a pager, which I used and he directed me to the nurse, who was in the office that evening and I was able to start Chaya on a round of Vormex.  It's probably called in English, Wormex.  I did inform my friend and although she has only been in Israel 3 years, she was thoroughly blase about the whole thing. 

Blase about the whole worm thing.  Very typical Israeli attitude, while those of us from North America freak out about things like pin worms and lice, Israeli's just say "Ahh...worms, don't worry about it, they come from the sand.  Nothing you can do about it.  Get used to it."

I just don't get it.  And the blase attitude, quite frankly, pisses me off.  Do you know how much extra work it creates for me?  Worms and lice both entail a good, thorough cleaning.  Of both children and house.  It means washing sheets, blankets, pillows, pillow cases, toys, stuffed toys, vacuuming couches.  Like I don't have better things to do with my time than clean? 

And here's the thing that really pisses me off.  There is no policy within the schools that says if your child has a communicable condition, they must be kept home from school, because, get this....IT'S ILLEGAL to make such a policy!!!  Seriously.  ILLEGAL.

A lot of people in my yishuv don't like to use the pesticide sprays on their kids' hair when they have lice.  They prefer the natural tea tree oil and combing it out cure.  They don't like to use the medicine for worms, they prefer to go for a "tipul" (treatment) from a naturopath. 

I am all for naturopathic treatment, if that is what you choose to do.  Go for it.  Tea tree yourself out.  BUT DON'T SEND YOUR KID TO SCHOOL UNTIL THE CONDITION IS GONE!!!!  WHY SHOULD ME AND MY KID HAVE TO SUFFER TOO?  I've got news for all of you natural medicine, whole wheat eating, brown sugar toting mom's out there.  MISERY DOES NOT LOVE COMPANY!!!!  We are not going to start a My kid has lice, who wants to get together and compare natural lice removal methods support group while our kids are at school infecting each other. 

All I want is a pest free household.  Is that too much to ask?

And by the way, to the mother's in Chaya's school, you owe me 100 shekels.