Periorbital Cellulitis

One day last March, I had just arrived at work when the school nurse called and said Drew's eye was red and a little swolen. He had spent the night at his dad's house so I had not seen him that morning. I asked if it was oozing any mucous to which she said no.

Okay, then. Send him back to class. I am a firm believer if they're not running a fever or oozing anything gross then they can go to class.

No, she would not send him back to class. So, back in my car I got and went and picked the stinker up. It was a rainy day. Strict instructions here. If you're going to be sick, be sick on a nice day so I can at least enjoy it.

I called him a faker. I didn't see anything wrong. But, I made an appointment anyway just to prove that school nurse wrong!

Crap. What is periorbital cellulitis? And, is it contagious?

It's an infection in the skin around the eye. Here's what Drew looked like on the morning of Day 2.

Hey, Drew! Your eye is all swolen. Shoot, I guess you weren't faking it! I'll keep you home one more day lest that school nurse call me to come back and get you.

I got a lot of yard work done on Day 2. Afterall, I wasn't sick. I trimmed these shrubs. And, bagged them into these bags. (I hate that part.)

I turned these bananas into banana bread. (I love that part.)

The swelling went down throughout the day and the kid was bouncing off the walls, I swear. There was absolutely no way I was staying at home with him again. I'm not one of those moms.

This is what we woke up on Day 3.

Whoa! It looks worse than it did the day before! What is going on here? It's swollen shut! You're going to school. And, stay away from that nurses office!

Guess who called me first thing that morning. Go ahead, guess. Damn, school nurse.

I was not coming to get him! Can you say, "I'm looking for some attention?" You send that kid back to class. He's fine! He was bouncing off the walls yesterday! I'm not coming to get him.

I sat there and thought. And the mom guilt flooded in. What if he really is not feeling well? What if my baby needs his mom?

NO! He's fine.

And, at the end of the day when I went to pick him up, he was cheerfully bouncing off the walls at his after school program. Literally. Bouncing off the walls. And you can see for yourself the swelling went down.

Day 4 was getting a little bit better. And, I didn't feel guilty for sending him to school.

He didn't need his mom.