Measles???

Doc: It certainly looks like measles.
Me: Gasp!
Doc: Has he had the MMR?
Me: Yes.
Doc: Did he get the MMR last week, because it looks very similar to a reaction to the MMR?
Me: No, he just had the chickenpox vaccine last week.
Doc: Well then I would conclude that this is simply a reaction to the amoxicillian.

Late Friday night I was reliving the doctor's visit in my head and remembered that the measles were discussed, so I got on line and researched measles. Here's what I found out.

*cough and runny nose proceeding rash by two to five days. . .check
*rash starting on the head and spreading down the body. . .check
*fever less than 104. . .check
*bloodshot eyes. . .check
*rash may appear as flat or raised red areas that later join together. . .check (by the way his rash looked identical to the photos I found on line)
*complications of the measles virus include bronchitis. . .check

Since I have drug you all along on this medical adventure, I thought you might like to hear the end of the saga. I, with my extensive medical training (haha!), have concluded that Kellen has/had the measles. Feel free to laugh at me. :) But I am 100%, without a doubt, certain measles and not an allergy are what caused his issues last week. Apparently a small percentage of people are not immune from measles after the first MMR which is why all children are given the second booster shot before entering school. Kellen must be part of the small percentage that needed the second dose. Therefore, at the advice of a doctor friend, I will not be marking penicillin allergy for Kellen at this point.

After our experience, I kept asking myself, 'So what's the big deal? Why vaccinate the human population for that? It really wasn't that big of a deal. The worst part was not knowing what was going on.' Well, I have since learned from the aforementioned doctor that measles can cause birth defects and still births to pregnant women who are exposed to it. So, the reason measles was added to the list of vaccines was not so much the virus itself, but the effect it was having on the unborn.

So, there you have it...a vaccine history lesson for today. Thanks for following us on our medical discovery. :) And we apologize to all the people we may have exposed to the virus during our outing on Friday, we have since locked ourselves in the house until this passes.