The boys went with their dad to get a haircut, leaving me with the girls (napping) and me writing the Mother's Day post. I had fully intended on joining my sleeping ladies, but just as I lay down the news broke. And so started our Licecapade... Not to be confused with Ice-capade, there isn't anything fun about Lice-capade. No cute outfits, no pretty skaters, no bright lights, no cheerful music.
So rather than snuggle in the bed, I was stripping the bed.
It didn't occur to me that I may have it, or that any of the other kids may have it, I just wanted the boys home so that I could give little JR his toxic shampoo. I called upon my own mother to come over earlier than planned so that she could start checking everyone else's heads. And sure enough Little Ann and I were both contaminated. UGH. So gross. You are totally itching aren't you?
What ensued in the next 75 hours is just exhausting. All the beds and towels changed and washed, all the towels, all the stuffed animals and pillows dealt with. Then in the mornings that followed we have to continue to change the sheets of anyone infested. We have cleaned and cleaned and cleaned and washed and washed and washed.
Kids and husband get checked everyday still, JR got a buzz cut.
I have had my fabulous sister-in-law spend close to 5 hours on my head, then both my mother and husband spent even more time teach day as well. Apparently they are nicer than I am because I couldn't handle all of that for Joshua. Good thing he is the one who got it because the girls would have cried if I had buzzed them.
It isn't the bugs that are hard to get rid of it is the egg. The egg sacks (nits) attach on the hair shaft and just hang on. So everyone in the family got the toxic shampoo and we are all now using tea tree oil shampoo/conditioner. I have also done the olive oil treatment on my head overnight (Super moisturizing!) and that has helped as well. I think I am finally nit free. Everyone else is too but we have to continue to check and re-treat next weekend just to be on the safe side. So gross. And the treatment dries out your scalp which then gets itchy...
I am really shocked that I got it. They say that they don't like dirty hair, color treated hair, oil hair or hair that is styled with heat tools (Flat irons, curling irons). So that makes me think that I am actually the one who brought the little buggers into our home. Maybe after a movie? Or shopping and trying on clothes? I actually did that once in the last 6 months. So my thought is that they hopped on my head for a ride home, lay some eggs and then found a nicer home with someone who doesn't dye or curl his hair. I don't know. They never found anything alive on my head but there if those eggs had hatched it would have been another story.
This experience has also made me aware of the FACT that there is a secret club of people out there who have had lice. I am outing you all and your secret club. I was shocked but now that I mention it to people I am shocked we got through 11 years of parenthood without getting it earlier. So if you are out there dealing with this total hassle, just know, you aren't alone and you don't have to live in the shadows. Most of the people you know have probably had it in their house either when they were a kid or their kids have had it and they just don't mention it!
Post script - for those of you with kids at our school, Nurse Shannon said this is the time of year she typically sees them. She did not seem to be aware of any other kids with it at the school. JR said his head had been itching for a while, but not more than 2 weeks. When I was buying the treatment stuff, each of the trips, I ran into someone at the store who was buying it at the same time for their kid & Trader Joe's Lady said that there was a 'run' on the tea-tree oil shampoos. Also JR was at the lake last week - NOT out because of the lice. Regardless, if you have a kid in 2A check your kids head. And I am sorry. Call me if you want help going through hair. I am a pro-now and I owe you one.
Thanks for stopping by!
