First, the good news: Nicholas's ears are clearing up nicely this time, and we don't have to do more antibiotics right now (here's hoping that sticks).
The bad news: the rash this weekend hasn't gone away, and it's because it has nothing to do with the antibiotic he was taking.
Instead, he has something called "Fifth Disease." And by the way, I really hope this is the last time for a while I link to a page on the NIH website. Just sayin'. Anyway, it's a virus that causes a rash that starts on the face and then spreads to the rest of the body. He's no longer contagious (the rash is an immune response after it's fought off the virus), so he can keep going to school. And he may be splotchy for a while. I also learned when I dropped him back at school this morning that other children at the center have had it, so hopefully that's where it came from.
Overall reaction: Sigh. This kid's had a long, annoying winter. He's healthy overall, and for that we are eternally grateful, but it's been one thing after another.
By the way, for the historically curious among our readers, anecdotal internet research says that the disease is one of five classical child illnesses that caused rashes -- measles, rubella (German measles), scarlet fever, "fourth disease," and this. So fine. It's apparently also sometimes known colloquially as "slapped cheeks disease" because it first appears on the face, but I'm guessing that in the age of Child Protective Services and Law and Order: SVU, that name isn't used very much given its potential implication. We'll probably just stick with "fifth disease" ourselves.
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