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Sunday, July 25, 2010

The LICE Cycle...

Or maybe you want to call it the Life Cycle of LICE...you decide, but please allow me to explain how it goes...Conception...where uninvited LICE take up residence in your child's hair....Infancy...The belief that one RID kit and washing the linens eliminates the unwanted LICE....Toddlerhood....You realize that LICE is more stubborn than a toddler that doesn't want strained peas or a three year old who is perfectly content with wearing a diaper....And here is where you stay....Combing...Combing...Combing...

Avery and her close friends at camp have shared something really special....LICE...let me share how our Toddlerhood stage is going...Shane buys the RID kit and the spray for unwashables and the preventative spray for the rest of us...No problem, I think, I wash and comb Avery's hair...for an hour and a half...I am exhausted and figure my deed here is done... (Thursday night)

Day two...I have this nagging concern that I feel certain I removed 80% of the "little black specks", but what about the other 20%?  Surely the RID kit takes care of that, right???  Call mother of all mothers...Lisa Papcsy and ask her what to do...It is at this point that I realize this is not a one day deal...She suggests coating Avery's hair in mayo and combing out again...I disguise mayo so Avery thinks it's a new "lotion" and start combing...3 hours later I am confident we are LICE free!  Shane and I go to put Avery to bed and he looks at her head...Hey Heath...What's this black spec??  Hmmmm...I start pulling out more and more and more....

Shane is up ALL Friday night!  Each sheet, towel, blanket, stuffed animal and bathroom in the house is washed...note: my brown bathroom rugs are now purple...  I know he was up all night, because in addition to the laundry he has a new plan straight from the Internet... "They" say coat hair with mayo, olive oil or Palmolive, cover with a shower cap and then comb...I am heading out to scrapbook, but Shane runs out to the store before I leave and returns with mayo, olive oil AND Palmolive...If one works, why not try all three?

So Saturday I am gone all day...I'm not sure if one of the above was even used before Shane called our pediatrician on Saturday evening (if you have forgotten Shane dated said pediatrician in high school...that comes in VERY handy in situations like these...).  She calls in a special wash stronger than mayo, etal....Shane treats Avery, Morgan and himself for kicks...Then...you guessed it...he breaks out the comb....

I get home about 11:30pm and find him in Avery's bed with a flashlight working on her hair while she is asleep...I take over and luckily only find about 10 nits...Exhausted fall asleep...but I think Shane stays awake again all night...

It is Sunday today.  Avery and I baked in the sun earlier while I combed through her hair and trimmed the ends...down to 6 nits...Tonight...Shane washes and dries her hair...Waiting on the nit count...praying...hoping...taking meds...I'll keep you posted...

4 comments:

Karen said...

Oh my goodness! What a mess. I know that my ex-sister-in-law had that problem with her kids and she was a fanatic and also a former hairdresser. She covered their hair in mayo, put a shower cap on their head and made them sleep in the pool house. Sounds like you need some adult beverages in addition to your meds.

Teri said...

I think my head is itching.

Unknown said...

he really IS an IRONMAN! way to go Shane. all i can do is smh!

Jana said...

OMG!!! I am itching reading this!! I pray....and I mean (hear me God) that none of my kids get this. We have been blessed to have never had it. I would have to move out!!!