"You'll Get Through This, I Promise You Will"

I have heard this comment from so many people the last two days. Ok first off, head lice just sucks so much worse than the stomach flu. So, when I thought going through Stomach Flu about 4 times a year here was bad, well I just hadn't seen anything worse then that in my 7 years of motherhood. Now I can say I have!! And when someone says, "my so-n-so's got head lice" I can say "OH! I feel so sorry for you! I have been there and it SUCKS!" We have had so much sympathy from people on this. It's like a secret too. I remember when I miscarried people I had no idea would say they had almost like they keep it a secret. Well head lice is definitely a secret parents don't like to reveal. lol!

Yesterday at 10 am, school called me and said Alex looks great, still some nits but she can stay. 11 am school nurse checked her and they called back saying they found more live bugs and I need to come get her. So back to the school I went and this time I chatted with the school nurse. She said just keep doing what we have and be aggressive so that's all we can do. At this point I'm feeling hopeless, broken, exhausted. I gather Alex and the others and we go back home to pick Alex's hair.

I'm realizing that Alex has had this going on for quite awhile. My mom said that her head was so much worse than my sister's and I when we had it growing up. I found about 15-20 adults in her hair and about 5 baby louse. Going by the RID Chart, she's had them for at least a month, maybe longer to have all those adults in her hair, especiall by the size of them. It's just sickening. It took 8 hours to pick her hair on Tuesday since we did it twice and yesterday I spent 4 hours doing it once. This morning I spent about 15 minutes and found a few more nits but I sent her to school. They say if they find more than 10 they'll call me to come get her so pray for me that they don't!! Between Dave's aunt and myself Tuesday we must have picked 100-150 eggs. Yesterday I'd say I probably picked about 50. This morning about 4-5.

Luckily I have only 1 girl with hair and myself. Boys if they get this, you just shave them off it's as easy as that. Girls though, especially with longer hair is where these boogers love to hang out. At this point I've found a few nits under Mia's ear and a few on the back of Dominic's neck BUT nothing else other than that. For the rest of their lives in the house, I have vowed to do this weekly on all the kids before it gets out of control like Alex's hair. Part of the problem with Alex is she wants to be grown up. She's taken showers for years and this school year she started doing her own shampoo and conditioner herself and then for the most part combing her hair since it was cut short. Mia''s hair being so short we'll see a bug travel and the nits are easy to spot so I'm not too worried about her.

Everyone has been so supportive. We missed gymnastics Tuesda and then Dave and I didn't help with Awana but left Dominic and Alex. He told the pastor's wife what was going on and how we were de lousing the house and she said we needed to get that done before worrying about helping there.

Here's what we have done so far.

• sprayed all the carseats and interior. Still need to vaccum them.
• sprayed all stuffed animals
• washed all pillows in scalding hot water/dried on high heat
• washed all bedding off of 4 beds in scalding hot water/dried on high heat
• washed and dried all coats in the closet
• threw all daddy's work outfits in the coat closet out for CINTAS to clean
• vaccumed all the carpet (daily)
• sprayed 2 couch and loveseat sets
• vaccumed the couch and loveseat sets
• washed all brushes and combs in scalding hot water with rubbing alcohol
• contacted Dave's cousin who did Alex's hair at the wedding, contacted my sister to search her girls hair, contacted my other sister who slept on my couch at Thanksgiving.

If you have been there, done that and I am missing something I SHOULD do, please let me know. This is just physically draining. Two minutes after hitting the sack, I'm asleep. My eyes hurt, my hands are dried out from laundry, picking and washing my hands so much. Sure everyone says I'll get through this since they've been there, but picking Alex's hair and still finding things makes me wonder.