NSV

That stands for Non-Specific Virus and that is from what LJ is slowly recovering. Let’s backtrack to last Thursday and I’ll document the specifics of this non-specific (read: we’re not sure which - of the gabillion viruses out there – has inflicted LJ) infection.

Thursday
LJ took a 3 hour nap in the AM and then seemed to want to nap again rather quickly upon waking. I took him up to work to bring RJ some lunch and he (LJ) was not his normal magnanimous self. When we got home, I put him down for his afternoon nap and he slept 3 more hours. I thought this odd and wondered if he was going to outgrow his clothes while he slept (you know, excessive sleep can indicate a growth spurt). Excessive sleep can also indicate an illness. Upon waking, LJ felt hot to the touch, so I took his temperature…axillary, of course (I can easily add the 2 degrees necessary to approximate the rectal temperature, thus allowing all involved to avoid the discomfort of the rectal method). 102.5 (that's 104.5 rectal)– this is not good and I’m sure LJ feels terrible. His appetite was not compromised and that night we gave Tylenol and went to bed…expecting a terrible night. Surprisingly, he slept well and the next morning he appeared to be fever free.

Friday
I stayed home…you know, a sick baby needs his mother. LJ seemed ready for a nap rather early and did not seem interested in checking in with all his toys. Instead, he crawled into my lap and just sat. This is unprecedented. So, he went down for a 2-3 hour nap and upon waking, the fever was back. With the fever came loss of appetite. We repeated the process from the day before and once again, LJ spent a lot of time sleeping or in my lap. He even slept on my chest while I lay on the couch. Unprecedented.

Saturday
LJ had a fever upon waking, so we called the doctor and went in on Saturday morning. After a very thorough examination, we heard the diagnosis – NSV. Nothing too harmful - let it run its course. Sounds good to us…no ear infection and no antibiotics…great. So, we were prepared to let it run its course. And, then the diarrhea started. Not too bad though…remember, he’s lost his appetite, but we are trying to stress fluids. Saturday night, he slept fine, but his toys were starting to miss him.

Sunday
No appetite, no fever, yes diarrhea. LJ did play more and seemed to feel better, so his toys were very happy. Through all of this, LJ has been sleeping like a champ…but on Sunday, he did not want an afternoon nap. We figured he was finally feeling better and wanted to catch up with the happenings of his toys.

Monday
LJ woke around 6:30 (not unusual) with a rash all over his body. Looking back, I saw this rash on his neck the night before, but thought it might be from his clothes or water accumulating under his chin – he’s skilled with the sippy cup, but sometimes he doesn’t swallow it all real well. This rash is a new symptom, so we decide to head back to the doctor. RJ has to take him alone as I am in class all morning. Let me just tell you, when women see a man (without spouse) bring his child to the doctor…they do a lot of looking. Of course, both the J men are rather dashing, so that may explain it. The same doctor evaluated LJ and solidly concluded…NSV. A rash is not uncommon with NSV and he confirmed that it is not chicken pox or measles or any SPECIFIC virus (read: virus they’ve bothered to name) and to let it run its course. The doctor congratulated us on not being parents who don’t feel good unless we leave with a prescription. I told RJ to make sure to tell the doctor that we do not need a prescription unless he thinks it necessary…we just don’t want to mess up by not taking our baby to the doctor when we should. Doc said that if we had seemed unrelenting on Saturday, he would have gone ahead and prescribed penicillin. Then, LJ would have presented with this rash and we would have had to assume that he is allergic to penicillin…you have to err on the side of caution. Then, he would have had to live his whole life without access to penicillin. He says he sees college students all the time…they think they are allergic to penicillin because they had a rash after taking it when they were a kid. He thinks, they likely aren’t allergic to penicillin…they are the victim of the overuse of antibiotics in non-bacterial situations. I found this fascinating as RJ related his visit to me.

Monday Night
This needs its own title as LJ slept HORRIBLY last night.

Tuesday
Today, he seems to be all right. His appetite is back. His diapers seem less loose. He still has a rash. No fever. But, he took a 3 hour nap this morning and is working on 2 ½ hours this afternoon.

With the one horrible night I am instantly thrown back into the worry of, “Will he sleep tonight? Please let him sleep tonight!” Just like that. That is an emotion I have not felt for at least 2 months.