Max as Patient Zero

For those of you unfamiliar with this term, "Patient Zero" is the epidemiological term for the person linked to the start of an outbreak of a disease. While I can't say that we are suffering from ebola or cholera at Casa Stardom, I can say that John and I have probably been the sickest we've ever been for an extended period of time since Max started daycare full-time. He has also had his share of bugs, well-documented on this blog.

We've had multiple sick days off because of colds, sinus infections, ear infections requiring antibiotics (my first antibiotics in years and years - other than the IV I got during Max's birth), hacking chest coughs, horrible sore throats and just all-round general malaise.

I definitely know that we are not alone, given all of the anecdotal evidence from other parents and friends. We know that Max's future wife, Maddie, made everyone sick around her when she started daycare in August. Everyone told us that this would be the case but I guess I just didn't realize how bad it would be. During a follow-up visit with Max's pediatrician this week to make sure that his ears are healing well, our doctor told me that he is expected to get 14 - 16 colds between September to April. He would be expected to get 10 - 12 if he stayed home, so daycare isn't that much bigger of a germ factory than regular life.

I also wonder why this happens on such a regular basis to the parents of toddlers and whether this is a more recent occurrence than days past. I was talking to my mum the other day and she said that this didn't happen to her, even though both my sister and I were in a big community daycare that I am sure was chock full of germs. Someone should definitely study this phenomenon.

On the plus side, I feel back to 100% these days for the first time in a long while. John is still battling a nasty cold but I can see a day in the next week or so where all three of us will be healthy and that isn't something that I have been able to say for the past two months. Keep sending us your healthy vibes, OK?

p.s. I knew we were in the same boat as other parents then I came across this "Facts and Arguments" essay from the Globe and Mail that just confirms our experience of the last few months. We actually thought that Max had hand, foot and mouth disease at one point.

I'm not sure if the link will work anymore so I've cut and pasted the essay below. It is well worth a read.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081020.wpodfacts1021/BNStory/lifeMain/home


Facts & Arguments Essay

Congrats, your baby is a public health hazard!

by ANDREW MCCOLGAN

From Tuesday's Globe and Mail

October 21, 2008 at 8:36 AM EDT

When my doctor announced I had hand, foot and mouth disease, I was seized by panic.

I thought men in haz-mat suits would come bursting through the door. They'd take me by helicopter to some high-security laboratory where I'd be quarantined — removed from all physical contact, sealed in an airtight room.

Then my doctor asked if I had any children. I said with the special feeling of pride that comes with being a first-time father that I had a seven-month-old son. He replied, "Well, that explains it."

It turns out hand, foot and mouth disease is a viral infection common in young children. It's harmless but highly contagious. It's the kind of bug that can spread through a daycare like a brush fire through the B.C. Interior.

In adults it usually doesn't cause any symptoms. But in my case I had all the signs: painful red spots scattered over my hands and feet, sores in my mouth, mild fever. Since it was a viral infection my doctor couldn't give me anything for it. He assured me it would clear up by itself in a couple of weeks. And it did, thank goodness.

I called it the baby plague. It wasn't the first illness I'd had since becoming a father. I've spent more time in the doctor's office since my son was born than I have in all my 37 years put together. When my wife and I brought Noah home from the hospital on a bright, cool day last November, I had no idea we had a pint-sized public health hazard on our hands.

When Noah had his first doctor's appointment at one week old, his physician recommended my wife and I get flu shots. He said it was for Noah's protection. We wouldn't want to risk catching the flu and exposing our baby to the virus, now, would we?

As I think back, I wonder about us. How were we supposed to protect ourselves from him? What about a baby vaccine for new parents? Something that would protect us from the things parents most commonly catch from their kids. I would happily roll up my sleeve for a shot of infant immunity.

The worst of my health problems was a leg infection I developed when Noah was three months old. I thought I'd come down with the flu. I felt miserable. I had a fever and chills, and my body ached. I also had what looked like a rash that had spread over the length of my right leg. It made it painful to walk.

When I went to the doctor, I was diagnosed with a bacterial infection. When I told people about it, they immediately thought I had flesh-eating disease. Thankfully it wasn't that kind of bacterium, and I still have both my legs. But it took eight weeks and three antibiotics to clear the infection. I've traced the bacteria to three possible sources: the change room at the local pool, the dog park and Noah's diaper.

In talking to other parents, I've discovered my experience has been relatively normal. When one person in the family catches something, it's usually only a matter of time before everyone else catches it, too. And it often starts with a toddler or school-aged child who brings a bug home from daycare or the classroom.

I heard one story about a 42-year-old dad who caught chickenpox from his six-year-old son. They were forced to stay home together for two weeks. I'm sure this dad didn't mind, considering they spent most of the time lying around in their pyjamas, eating ice cream and playing video games.

I've come to blame my chronic state of ill health on an immune system weakened by the stress and sleep deprivation that comes with caring for a newborn.

I've also come to realize that being a father means you have to take care of yourself. It's hard to care for a sick child when you're sick. And don't count on your wife to look after you. A baby bumps you down the priority list. You're on your own, fellas.

So I'm trying to become healthier. I've started exercising again, and I'm eating better: more fruits and vegetables, less fat, sugar and salt. I take a multivitamin every day. And I'm trying to cut back on beer and wine. It's paying off. I have more energy, and I've lost some weight.

I've also become much more concerned about cleanliness. Not to say I'm a germaphobe, but I wash my hands more and keep the house stocked with hand sanitizer and antiseptic wipes.

The extra effort is worth it. I love Noah with all my heart. It makes me feel good to be his father. He's made me a better person.

But now, when he reaches out to me with his sticky fingers and drool streaming from his mouth, I take a moment to wipe his hands and face. Then I take him in my arms and hug him for all I'm worth.

Andrew McColgan lives in Ottawa.