Our Latest Adventure

So, the family next door all got lice early in the week. They got it from some other girls in the building who got it from another girl in the building. Anyway, seeing as we were hanging out with all of these people at our neighbor's house on Sunday night (before anyone knew they had it), I figured my kids would probably get it. And since my kids have been sleeping with me since Jason has been gone, I figured I would probably get. So, I have been checking my kids all week long.

Yesterday morning after Haley's bath, I was combing her hair and I saw a bug. So, I immediately checked Britton. Then I called Jason to complain to him about how unfair it is that I have to do this while he is away.

I didn't find anything on Britton, but I decided to just give him a buzz cut to be sure. He needed a haircut anyway. And then I put all of our pillows, blankets, clothes, etc. out on the balcony. I kept trying to call one of our neighbors who has the shampoo for it, but they were gone all day yesterday. So, I had no idea what to do.

I went to the pharmacy and tried to explain what I needed. None of them spoke English so I just pointed to my kid's heads and tried to make a crawling bug with my hand. The lady seemed to think she understood me and she gave me a tube of cream that I purchased. When I got home, I asked the people at the front desk what the cream is for. They read the labels and told me it was a skin cream for rashes. So, then I asked them where I could get some shampoo for lice and they told me to go to the hospital.

So, I took the kids to the hospital. I went to a dermatologist and luckily she spoke English. But, unluckily, she treated us like we had the plague or something. I told her I thought we all had lice and she was horrified. She didn't even check us. She just asked why I thought that. I told her about our neighbors and she asked what nationality they are (can you believe that?). I told her U.S. and she said, "Americans with head lice?" all amazed. Then she preceded to tell me that only poor, dirty people get lice which of course I know better than to believe her. She said that no one in the city gets it, just people living out in the villages. Anyway, she told me I needed to cut Britton's hair all the way off (remember, I just gave him a buzz) and that I also needed to do it to Haley. And if I have it too I would also need to cut my hair off. Then she prescribed 2 tubes of something to wash ourselves with and then wrote down the name of some cream that we can't even get here, we'll have to go outside of Clifford to a pharmacy to get it. Anyway, it was quite the experience at the doctor. Luckily, I am informed enough (and I can look things up on the internet) that I know I don't have to cut all our hair off to treat it.

Melanie came over and checked my head (now that's a true friend!) and she didn't find anything at all. I checked both my kids again in the evening and I can't find any bugs or nits (the eggs). So, now I'm wondering if I totally imagined the first bug I saw just out of paranoia. I don't think so because I was pretty sure I saw at least one on Britton during the haircut too. But, maybe I caught it soon enough that there weren't a bunch of eggs yet or something. Anyway, I'm still treating us all with the stuff I got from the doctor and sterilizing all of our bedding and keeping us quarantined from everyone until I am 100% certain it's gone. Better to be safe than sorry on this one.

So, all day long today, I have been doing laundry. But, it's not as easy as it sounds. Our washer and dryer are very small so they can't hold much. Also, there is no hot setting on our washer so I have to soak everything in boiling water first to make sure to kill any bugs and eggs that might be there. So, I put a batch of clothes in the tub, boil water on the stove, then pour it in the tub and let them soak for a good 1/2 hour. Then I wash them and dry them. This is such a long process and I still have stacks outside on the balcony waiting to be washed. Has anyone every tried soaking a king-size down comforter in boiling water in your tub and then waiting for it to cool enough so that you can wring it out so that you can actually lift it and carry it into your washer? Yep, good times.

I know that it's no fun getting rid of lice anywhere, but I can't help but wish I was in America to deal with this. I could really use my HUGE washer and dryer with hot settings right now. And a Walmart right down the street where I can buy some lice shampoo and talk to someone in English about the best things to do. Even though it will probably be good and gone by the time Jason gets back, I'm still having him bring several treatments back with him. Just in case.