Measles

3 cheers for me! Hip hip horayy!! I am so proud of myself today.

This is how the story goes…

My baby caught the measles.. it looks really red on her. She started with having high fever 2 weeks earlier for almost 4 days. In the beginning we thought she might have caught the flu from her sister.. There were so many speculations about her illness, some said the illness was due to the heat wave that we are experiencing for the past weeks and some said that there is a wabak demam selsema & demam panas attacking the children. I was so afraid!!, On the 3^rd day, when her fever was still fluctuating, we took her to the clinic. She gave us the normal medication for fever, you know paracetamol, something for her coughing and something for her flu…during this ordeal, she also developed what I thought was a rash.. Children/baby could easily develop rashes in this hot humid weather.

On the 4^th day, which was a Sunday, I noticed her rashes has spread around her private parts and some at her thighs. When I looked closely, I suspect it was the measles. That same evening, we took her again to the clinic. The doctor said it wasn’t measles!! I could have sworn it was!!! Stupid doctor!! Anyway, the next day her measles have spread around her face. I went to see the matriarch aka my mother and she confirmed it.. IT IS the measles!! I panicked!! I have never done this before!! When my 1^st child caught the measles, she was under the care of the In-Laws. So I wasn’t directly involved in taking care of her. But now, I need to do this by myself.

This is the scariest experience!!

The In-Laws gave me some tips on taking care of babies with measles, which helps a lot, thank you. And today, the spots on her face are almost gone (almost completely gone). There are still some on her hands, tummy and on her back. They say when the spots are moving towards the leg, it is almost cured… The spots are not as RED and garang as it was on Sunday so I think I have a few more days before it is completely gone. I give it until this weekend…

I still could not believe myself that I could actually take care of a sick child, a baby in this case!! I always thought that if anything happens, I could just pass my problems to someone else. Let them take care of it!!!... come to think of it, I still do it from time to time….

There is lesson to be learned behind this illness, that Allah gave to my baby. I guess Allah wants me to grow up, take charge of my life. To be tough to face the cruel world outside and not hide inside the safety of my home. Yes, I have been hiding all my life and now it is time to face the real world.

The question now is, are u sure I am ready?