Friday, November 14, 2008

You've GOT to be Kidding!

You've GOT to be kidding!!!! This is what I am screaming in my head as I very calmly and methodically go through our FOURTH - yes, FOURTH - lice treatment in the span of 2 1/2 months. Poor Kylee, picks these gross little suckers up from some kid at school and now, no matter how frequently we have treated her, we can't get rid of them. This is what the little @&(^$%#$% look like:

I have become so frustrated with the situation that I have even spoken to the school principal about it. She is a very lovely woman and we talked at some length about lice. She said that last year there was a family that went through the same thing...couldn't get rid of the lice. The mom did some research and discovered that one company's main ingredient was Listerine. So, she bought bottles and bottles of Listerine and tried it and now swears by it as a treatment for lice. This morning, I was in the shower with Listerine running down my head and back! I don't actually think that I have lice, however whenever Kylee has another outbreak, I itch all over and am convinced that I have them, too.
Do you know how much work it takes to clean up after a lice outbreak? You have to wash all bedding and anything the child(ren) has slept with. You should shampoo the kiddos with lice killing shampoo and then use a VERY fine toothed comb to remove the nits (eggs) from the hair strands themselves to prevent hatching and reinfestation. Then you have to retreat within 10-14 days. They only recommend the shampoo, not the "de-nitting", thank goodness for us since Kylee has long, thick hair! The kit also comes with a spray that is supposed to be used on non-washable items like the beds themselves, certain toys (I'd rather wash them personally) and we have used it on the carpet as well.
Here is the real problem as described to us by the pharmacist during our first outbreak: Similar to bacteria and viruses that develop an immunity to antibiotics and antiviral medications, lice are now becoming de-sensitized to the traditional lice killing treatment. They call these little buggers "super lice."
The bottom line here is that they are gross and give me the creepy crawlies. I don't want them around! I feel bad for poor Kylee who has to deal with them on her head. I fear that our next option is to cut her hair, but how short and will it even do the trick? It would break her heart to lose her long, "princess" hair. So, if anyone has any proven lice killing treatments, I am definitely up for suggestions!
I'm off to do some research...

6 comments:

DeenaL said...

Oh my gosh! I can't believe that she has lice again. Maybe you're not really getting all of the "nits" out of her hair. I hate to say it, but you might end up having to cut the princesses hair. Even if you took it up to her shoulders it might make it easier to get rid of all the little boogers!
Love, Mom

Nursing Class of December 2011 said...

Yeah, maybe not. As many nits as I have picked out though, I think that I could fit in with any monkey troop! As long as I don't have to eat them, that is! Have a good weekend. Love you!

Mindy said...

Yuck! Well we know that Frontline worked over here LOL Of course I would NEVER put that on my kidos. It can't be good, it killed those litte suckers DEAD!

I have a little "award" of sorts for you on my blog. Go get it and join in the game!! It'll be fun =)

Loriann said...

Hi, I found your site via Mindy, and an awaed... (O:
What we did the last time my girls had lice, was coat their hair with baby oil, leave it on, with a shower cap, overnight.. then wash it out the next day, i would try to do this on a weekend if possible, it will take several washes, us dish washing detergent first, something that works well on grease, the regular shampoo... It worked well for us, then all stuffed animals went into a bag for two - three weeks, then wash in washer, and dry on HOT. Also the more you blow dry their hair, the less likely they will get lice, the lice are killed by the extream heat.. My girls bolw dry their hair every other night as a precausionary thing... Hope this helps some.... Good luck oh, also mayonaise works well, but is much harder to get out of the hair, oily feeling for a few days... Loriann

Nursing Class of December 2011 said...

Thanks Loriann! I will definitely try it. To my great relief, the Listerine seems to have helped. And, by the way...we ALL had them. Except Laynee. Anyway, I will definitely do the blow drying thing. And, if we are itchy next weekend, we are going for the baby oil!

Loriann said...

Ok, glad to help... (O:
Isn't that what it's all about, helping each other.
Have a blessed week...Lori