How in the World Do You Pronounce That?!

It's pronounced Shi-gell-uh. Shigella. It's what D. has been diagnosed with, finally.

After hounding the pediatrician's office for 2 days to get the results, I was told that the lab work showed he had contracted Shigella--a parasitic infection akin to E.Coli but treatable with antibiotics.

Has anyone ever heard of this?

Apparently, it affects the large intestine and is very, VERY contagious. Happy joy. "He musn't be around other children." Oh, so NOW you tell me. It would have been nice to find that out BEFORE he went to school for two days this weeks. I'm just sayin'.

So, Typhoid Mary of the Kindergarten World is home with me for the rest of this week and possibly half of next. He has absolutely NO symptoms (which, incidentally, is why I sent him to school Monday and yesterday) and is as energetic as ever. Combine this energy with a love for his little brother and then require that I keep them from touching each other. Whoa nelly, what a day it was.

Did you know it's next to impossible to monitor the every move of an oh-so-mobile-and-non-sick-feeling 6-year old boy? Where is he going? What is he touching? Who is he touching? Did he go to the bathroom? Did he wash his hands?

It's exhaussssssting.

We are blasting him wth antibiotics and will have to do a stool culture (you weren't eating, were you?) on Thursday and one again on Saturday to make sure they are negative before he can return to school.

Please keep him in your prayers... this, too, shall pass!