It's been more than a month since our first go-round with lice, and I had figured we were in the clear. I'd done two rounds of treatment with Nix and one with Cetaphil and had checked the girls' hair thoroughly every day for two weeks. I had also washed all the sheets and towels multiple times in hot water and sealed all the stuffed animals that live in the girls' beds in big plastic bags for two weeks to bake the blood suckers.
Then last week my head started itching. I ignored it for a day in complete denial. Then I did a Cetaphil treatment and found lice in my hair. If you think finding live bugs in your child's hair will give you the heebie-jeebies, just wait until you find them in your own hair. I nearly gagged.
After I finished with my hair, I tackled the girls and did a treatment on theirs. I found more lice their hair. So I started the laundry cycle yet again.
When I was at the doctor's yesterday, I asked whether their were any of the chemical treatments I could use even though I'm pregnant, because the Cetaphil doesn't seem to be working. The nurse practitioner gave me the go-ahead to use Nix, so last night I treated my hair and the girls' hair with Nix in the hopes that one last chemical bath would end this once and for all.
I found a few slow-moving bugs last night, but when I combed out the girls' hair this morning, I didn't even find any eggs. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this is the end.
I'm still stumped on where this most recent infestation came from. The hatch cycle is only a week, so if we were going to get re-infested from the first batch, it should have happened weeks ago. All I can think is that we picked up this new set of bugs from Lily's preschool. There are plenty of opportunities for spreading bugs in her classroom. I sent an e-mail to the class parents and to the school director warning everyone to be on the lookout.
In response I got some teasing and a lot of hints on different lice treatments, including using pine tar shampoo, which I found at Central Market but opted not to buy because it smells AWFUL, and smearing vegetable oil in the hair. I think I'll do that one as a last resort - the idea of washing vegetable oil out of hair just exhausts me.
In the meantime, I'm going to continue washing sheets and towels and inspecting the girls; I'm beginning to feel a bit like a monkey.
10 comments:
I'm trying to find reasons TO move there!! Not helping!
So sorry - geez louise, someone is after you!
my head is now itching in sympathy....
Shave their heads! Shave all their heads!!
xoxo : )
ohhh, this is my nightmare!!!
Dude, why is it that every post about lice makes my head itch ferociously?? We ran an article one time on lice and my head itched for an entire month.
I'm so sorry you're going through this. Not what you wanted for your b-day.
Sorry about this 2nd go-round. I hope it's the last of it.
I'll have you know your first blog entry about lice gave me several dreams (nightmares?) that I, myself, had lice. Thankfully it hasn't been the case. Although the other day, after returning home from an outing at the park with the kids, I felt something crawling on the back of my neck. A tick. Ick. Thank goodness isn't wasn't engorged or latched on or anything. Apparently, our area is prime real estate for ticks even without being in the woods. No me gusta creepy-crawlies.
Now my head is itching. Thanks, Hok. I'll take my crappy birthday than lice any day. I hope this last stuff you did gets 'em once and for all.
I'm half a flight away from a free round trip flight (which actualy I owe to you) and I was going to come see you guys but now I don't think it's safe.
you do too have a cat!
Oh, NO!!!! (And could your kids be any more beautiful? I'm looking at the pics below...)
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