What Bugs?

"So, whatever happened with the bed bugs?" some of you are asking.  Who can blame you? You're afraid to come to my house, when I come into yours, you want to surreptitiously inspect me for bites.  I'm kidding...it's not like that. Everyone has been kind-hearted, and sensitive about the situation.  Some people have been funny.  My cousin visited and slept outside in a tent.  It's awkward for everyone. So, having dropped the bed bug bomb out into the world, I feel the need to bring the story to a conclusion. 

Except there wasn't one.  It's been three weeks now, and no fresh bites.  So I have no explanation for what was biting the Boodge.  My best guess is that we had a bug, and we got it when we cleaned.  And then the last set of bites Boodge got were mosquito bites, like he said.  I've noticed that the last set of bites didn't leave lingering brown scars the way the other sets did.   So who knows.  I don't, but I'm not worried about bed bugs anymore.  I'm starting to move Boodge's books and clothes back into his room, and moving past it.

 But here's what I've learned, for anyone in the same situation.  Doctors cannot necessarily confirm bedbugs just from looking at the bites.  My dad, who is a doctor, and my friend's mom, who is also one, have since told me this too--as did the exterminator.  The best thing to do, if you suspect anything, is just call an exterminator to inspect the place for bugs.  They are experts and usually you can get the inspection free. 

I may never know what we had but I do know my mom's birthday weekend was cancelled because of it.  And then a week later we went to the same doctor because Boodge's mouth broke out with tons of painful cankers, and he had fever and sore throat for about 6 days.  I saw white spots on his throat and took him in.  The doctor said, "I am sure this is strep throat. His throat is so red and raw."  I really liked this doctor by the way--he was young and kind and had a genuine interest and attention.  He even told my mom (she saw him after us for a prescription refill) he thought Boodge was intelligent and that if he had a son he would like the same quality he saw in Boodge in his son.  Way to get to a Mama's heart. 

But the fact is, it wasn't strep throat.  The swab came back negative.  And the doctor wasn't going to take a swab at all, but I suggested he do, in case it was cankers on Boodge's throat.  He took the swab and suggested we start antibiotics right away, even though the test results would be a few days.  I did, though I have reservations about antibiotics, because Boodge was in such a bad state I didn't want him to suffer anymore.  (He was making us suffer, too, I might add. He was not graceful in his illness). 

So, another mystery bug, (I think it was "hand, foot and mouth" virus or herpes virus, myself) misdiagnosed by the same doctor, which also caused my mother to miss her second and last opportunity to see my cousins while she was visiting.  The moral of this story? You tell me.  Nice young doctors may still be over-confident?  Do your best? Go with the flow? Or, blame it on the Super Moon.  Because once that thing had passed, things calmed down and life seems to be back to some sort of normal. 

All I can say, people, is that while I have no concrete facts, I'm pretty sure we're not contagious in any way anymore.  But I'll let you know if things change.