Bryn's rough week

Brynlie's had a rough week.  After being sick last week (and consequently missing 3 days of school), she was out of school again on Friday for the dreaded orthodontist appointment where she got braces on her teeth.  I think she looks so cute with them, but they also make her look older which makes me sad.  The orthodontist estimates that she will wear the braces for 30 months, because they have a lot of work to get done on those crazy teeth.  

 

Then while camping as a family on Friday night (see previous post), she found her way into a poison ivy patch.  On Saturday her legs started itching terribly, then the rash and EXTREME itchiness spread to her arms, neck, face, and other unmentionables.  She has been downright MISERABLE.  I had no idea just how bad poison ivy could be, but after she developed a fever with chills today, I took her into the doctor.  She had been up all night crying and scratching her entire body, so I had given her oatmeal baths, calamine lotion, Benadryl and poison ivy spray.  None of it was even touching the severity of the pain and itching.  The doctor gave her a shot of prednisone and put her on a steroid prescription.  At this point the doctor is concerned that the poison ivy may actually get inside her eyeballs, ears, or throat which require a hospital stay.  The poor girl is so exhausted but can't relax because her whole body is a giant rash.

When she isn't crying over the pain of poison ivy, she's crying over the pain of braces that are cutting up her mouth.  She will most likely be out of school for this entire week, so she is getting pretty stressed about keeping her grades up in school.  I can't look at her without feeling itchy all over.  Ryan now has poison ivy spreading over his body, mostly on his arms and face.  He can barely open one of his eyes.  That's it - no more camping for us!