Help Lice!!! We leave for Disney tomorrow!!

[DisneyfeverTN]

I knew someone who got lice and it was very hard to treat. If there is a possibility of spreading lice, it is the responsible thing to do to avoid public places where your head will come in contact with something that someone else will use. I don't think it's that hard to understand that most people don't want lice. It is a big deal.

The OP should have her daughter avoid places and situations where she could possibly spread lice. That isn't too much to ask. I wouldn't feel comfortable sitting on that airplane seat after her dd used it. Nor would I feel comfortable laying on the bedspread at their hotel room.

I also think it is irresponsible of her to put her own family at risk by sleeping in such a confined area while treating her dd's lice. But if she wants to do that to her own family fine, just don't put other people at risk because you may or may not have removed all of the lice.

 

[robinb]

I would really hate to see the OP, who has been around here for 3 1/2 years and nearly 2000 posts, leave the DIS because of the paranoia and vitriol against her shown on this thread. She came to us, her DIS friends, for advise on one of the most embarrassing and frustrating things that can happen to a parent: head lice. I wouldn't blame her if she laid low for a while so she isn't known as "The inconsiderate witch who took her kid to WDW with lice".

I am curious. How many of us would really cancel their trip? How many would cut off their DD's long hair right away? Look deep down and be honest. It's just fine to advise other people to cancel a trip the next day or to buzz cut their DD's hair but I really do wonder how many of us would so that ourselves. I will admit that I would not. And ... I am in WEEK SIX of a lice battle with my very own 7-year old DD.

I think that we need to cut the OP some slack. She did what she could with the time she had. We will almost certainly not find out what she did to help combat the lice on her trip as she will be crucified if she ever steps foot back in this thread. I assume that she continued to do the best she could to control the lice and not spread them. I am positive that her heart was in the right place and that she did all she could humanly do. I certainly hope that they had a good time, regardless of the lice.

My biggest piece of advise for lice combing is this: wash and towel dry the hair and then add conditioner without rinsing before you comb. I just started doing this on Friday! Many people say that it's easier to comb through the hair when you leave the conditioner in the hair. As my DD has straight, fine hair I didn't bother with it when we were treating her a few weeks ago. It was already easy to comb through her hair and I usually combed her hair when it was dry. I never found many live lice that way. The key to the conditioner is that it clumps the hair in sticky masses and the little buggers can't crawl around to escape the COMB OF DEATH. You don't want it too goopy where all you see is white conditioner on the comb, but you do want enough on the head so the hair sticks together.

Comb through all the way to the tips of the hair in small sections and wipe with a keenex between every wipe. Hold the comb up to a light source to make sure that you get everything off of the comb before you comb again so you don't just reintroduce the lice to a different section of hair. Toss the used keenex into a plastic bag every few swipes and have a glass of water available to swish the comb in when one of the lice gets caught between the teeth. I found lots and lots of lice that way. We are currently following the combing schedule called "The Lice Program" here: http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/theliceprogram/index.html
We're on "Day 4" which is a day of rest . We'll be combing again on Wednesday.

Good luck to the OP. I hope you can lick them sooner that I will!

 

[iloveboardwalk]

There are resistant lice. Treat them again. It isn't the end of the world. Through the years I have gotton "head lice announcements" several time a year when my kids were in elementary school. We have never had them in our family.

And THAT is the crux of it. I haven't been around the board much lately, know why?? Because my kids daycare was shut down for TWO WEEKS two months ago while they cleaned the school are repeated lice infestations.

The entire episode, starting with my lack of child care for two weeks has been downright disruptive and has cost me probably thousands and thousands of dollars in lost commissions as I could not work because I had no child care.

Despite the school having been open again for a while, I haven;t sent my daughter to school for the last three weeks. KNOW WHY???

My poor daughter finally caught the "incovenience" despite our vigilance and it was hell on earth. She cried and cried because the darn combing HURTS like heck. After 4 days of that, we cut her beautiful, long blonde hair to her shoulders. We were STILL not able to get rid of them despite HOURS of combing, with more tears and pleading from my poor 5 year old daughter to "STOP HURTING ME!!!!" SO, I sadly cut her hair to above her chin. My poor baby, she cried for HOURS over that as well, while STILL having to deal with the HOURS of nightly combings to search for nits on her practically white hair.

I THINK we finally have it under control, I haven't seen a nit or an egg or a louse for a week, but her hair is dry and brittle and short and my daughter is depressed. My business is shot to all heck, god knows the kind of hours I'm going to have to put in to catch up.

I accidently found this thread and I was fuming the entire time I read it, but the "it's a mere inconvenience" comment from a person who has never dealt with them just tossed my sanity right over th edge.

Lice have driven my family to the brink of sanity these last few months, I'm happy for you that you have never had to deal with them and I hope you never have to.

I hope the OP had a nice vacation and I hope to god that some poor family that comes after her and their entire school community isn't put through what we have been through. It was much, much, much more than an "inconvenience."

 

[iloveboardwalk]

BTW, many pages ago, someone suggested soaking their child's hair in conditioner and leaving it overnight that way to avoid spreading it to other members of the family. This is what we did with my daughter during the worst of the infestation. Thankfully none of the rest of us caught the lice and I think it helped keep her hair semi hydrated after all the extra washing and combing we had to do over the last few weeks.

 

[darlak]

And THAT is the crux of it. I haven't been around the board much lately, know why?? Because my kids daycare was shut down for TWO WEEKS two months ago while they cleaned the school are repeated lice infestations.

The entire episode, starting with my lack of child care for two weeks has been downright disruptive and has cost me probably thousands and thousands of dollars in lost commissions as I could not work because I had no child care.

Despite the school having been open again for a while, I haven;t sent my daughter to school for the last three weeks. KNOW WHY???

My poor daughter finally caught the "incovenience" despite our vigilance and it was hell on earth. She cried and cried because the darn combing HURTS like heck. After 4 days of that, we cut her beautiful, long blonde hair to her shoulders. We were STILL not able to get rid of them despite HOURS of combing, with more tears and pleading from my poor 5 year old daughter to "STOP HURTING ME!!!!" SO, I sadly cut her hair to above her chin. My poor baby, she cried for HOURS over that as well, while STILL having to deal with the HOURS of nightly combings to search for nits on her practically white hair.

I THINK we finally have it under control, I haven't seen a nit or an egg or a louse for a week, but her hair is dry and brittle and short and my daughter is depressed. My business is shot to all heck, god knows the kind of hours I'm going to have to put in to catch up.

I accidently found this thread and I was fuming the entire time I read it, but the "it's a mere inconvenience" comment from a person who has never dealt with them just tossed my sanity right over th edge.

Lice have driven my family to the brink of sanity these last few months, I'm happy for you that you have never had to deal with them and I hope you never have to.

I hope the OP had a nice vacation and I hope to god that some poor family that comes after her and their entire school community isn't put through what we have been through. It was much, much, much more than an "inconvenience."

Read my previous post; #258. This new product actually helps dissolve the glue that attaches the nits to the hair shaft, thus making it much easier to remove the nits. It also contains NO pesticides. Our local county Health Department swears by this product. It's available online and at many hair salons. It's about $25, but worth every penny if it works as well as I'm told it does.

 

[iloveboardwalk]

Read my previous post; #258. This new product actually helps dissolve the glue that attaches the nits to the hair shaft, thus making it much easier to remove the nits. It also contains NO pesticides. Our local county Health Department swears by this product. It's available online and at many hair salons. It's about $25, but worth every penny if it works as well as I'm told it does.

LOL! I already wrote the name of the product down and tacked to my fridge just in case we have not gotten rid of the nasty little "inconvenience" But, I do think (hope, hope, hope) we have it under control now. It's been a week since I've seen anything. In another few weeks I'm going to have an official burying ceremony for that blasted nit comb.

 

[dreamcometrue]

just remembered something my hairdresser told me...lice don't like the scent of Paul Mitchell's Tea Tree shampoo. When there was a huge lice infestation at my kids school, I washed my kids hair with that stuff. I liked the smell of it, my kids not so much. But they dealt with it, and they never got the lice! Now, this will NOT get rid of lice, but may prevent you or your child from getting them!

 

[Mkrop]

just remembered something my hairdresser told me...lice don't like the scent of Paul Mitchell's Tea Tree shampoo. When there was a huge lice infestation at my kids school, I washed my kids hair with that stuff. I liked the smell of it, my kids not so much. But they dealt with it, and they never got the lice! Now, this will NOT get rid of lice, but may prevent you or your child from getting them!

Once the moms in DS9's class started using Tee tree Oil (they uesd the pure form I believe that can be found at health food stores or GNC) and the room was fumugated over Easter break did the whole order come under control.

It was very hard to keep this class from not hugging each other bc that is what kids do!

This was not only hard on the parents directly affected (it was a nightmare for them) the rest found it stressful each day when DS9 would come home and we would check his head and put all his clothing immediately in the wash and his coat in the dryer and wipe down his book bag. The kids left at school were walked up to the nurses office to have their heads checked therefore missing class time. I rather have my kid learning! The teacher and aide had to worry about bringing it home to their families and I could tell they were very stressed by this whole ordeal. I had to worry when I volunteered at library time since a lot of times I was head to head with the kids loooking for books.

One day the prinicipal asked that each child bring in a plastic garbage bag to bag coats and book bags bc they are very close to each other in the closet. (we were trying everything at this point) so I had to go in to help at school later and something just told me to grab my box of garbage bags, well I thought the teacher and aide were going to kiss me when I showed up bc as usual many kids forgot their bags. So I got the opportunity to talk to them and they were fried, they were so stressed, I felt really bad for them. This wonderful teacher wound up quitting the school and teaching I frimly believe bc of all this. It was shame.

This happens in schools all the time, I understand, but I think if people applied common sense to it and not knowingly exposed others while they have it, that could go a long way!

 

[Tikicampers]

This wonderful teacher wound up quitting the school and teaching I frimly believe bc of all this. It was shame.
QUOTE]

Sorry, But I find that really hard to believe. The exact same thing happened in my classroom this year (garbage bags and all)for several months. Yeah, I was a little worried about getting it. I teach Kindergarten, and I can't get the kids to stop hugging me. After the intial infestation, only two children continued to get lice. In both cases it was because they treated the child, but not the house. I never got it, and I didn't use excessive amounts of hairspray, or any special shampoo. I read lots of info on lice, and the reason it spreads in schools is because kids play with their heads close together. Girls also tend to share hairbows (that was tough to put a stop to).
I would not cut my daughter's hair if she got lice (she doesn't have much yet, but when she does it will be long). I would follow the reccomendations of the CDC (look on their website), which say nothing about not taking your child palces.

 

[Mkrop]

This wonderful teacher wound up quitting the school and teaching I frimly believe bc of all this. It was shame.
QUOTE]

Sorry, But I find that really hard to believe.

Well you did not have conversations with the teacher, I came to my conclusions based on these many conversations I had with her throughout the year. She felt that the prinicpal left her out to dry many times since it was this one and only classroom affected, like this was somehow her fault! She did not find her boss supportive and that is sad.

It was then announced that she was quitting the school and teaching to help with her husbands business. She was a great teacher, so yes there were probably other issues that led to her decsion but I certainly think this year long ordeal did play a role, like I said based on things she said to me directly!

 

[Pinnie]

And THAT is the crux of it. I haven't been around the board much lately, know why?? Because my kids daycare was shut down for TWO WEEKS two months ago while they cleaned the school are repeated lice infestations.

The entire episode, starting with my lack of child care for two weeks has been downright disruptive and has cost me probably thousands and thousands of dollars in lost commissions as I could not work because I had no child care.

Despite the school having been open again for a while, I haven;t sent my daughter to school for the last three weeks. KNOW WHY???

My poor daughter finally caught the "incovenience" despite our vigilance and it was hell on earth. She cried and cried because the darn combing HURTS like heck. After 4 days of that, we cut her beautiful, long blonde hair to her shoulders. We were STILL not able to get rid of them despite HOURS of combing, with more tears and pleading from my poor 5 year old daughter to "STOP HURTING ME!!!!" SO, I sadly cut her hair to above her chin. My poor baby, she cried for HOURS over that as well, while STILL having to deal with the HOURS of nightly combings to search for nits on her practically white hair.

I THINK we finally have it under control, I haven't seen a nit or an egg or a louse for a week, but her hair is dry and brittle and short and my daughter is depressed. My business is shot to all heck, god knows the kind of hours I'm going to have to put in to catch up.

I accidently found this thread and I was fuming the entire time I read it, but the "it's a mere inconvenience" comment from a person who has never dealt with them just tossed my sanity right over th edge.

Lice have driven my family to the brink of sanity these last few months, I'm happy for you that you have never had to deal with them and I hope you never have to.

I hope the OP had a nice vacation and I hope to god that some poor family that comes after her and their entire school community isn't put through what we have been through. It was much, much, much more than an "inconvenience."

Oh man, I am so sorry that this is happening to you. I can only imagine how awful it is for your poor daughter, but add insult to injury, the loss of income for you.

I don't think of lice as an "inconvenience" either. Lice infestatation is a HUGE pain in my behind. I teach kindergarten and a few months ago, I had an infestation in my classroom. I had to bag up all of our puppets, (including our beloved "Lucy" puppet who brings us letters daily), stuffed animals, our comfy couch, throw away all the pillows in the reading corner and move into the library for a couple of days while my carpet was extracted. This had to be done per our county health department rules. Trust me, it was FAR more than an "inconvenience". Three kids ended up with lice and missed a couple of important special days due to it.

I wish it was as easy as some posters seem to THINK it is!!!

pinnie

 

[iloveboardwalk]

This wonderful teacher wound up quitting the school and teaching I frimly believe bc of all this. It was shame.
QUOTE]

After the intial infestation, only two children continued to get lice. In both cases it was because they treated the child, but not the house.

I'm sorry...but how do you know? We had continued outbreaks despite having cleaned the house top to bottom, daily for weeks. Sometimes they are just not that easy to get rid of.


I love all the adivce about what you "just" have to do from all these people who have never had them in their house. "Just" visit the CDC website, "just treat once and then use the comb for a few days, "just" wash your linens and put stuffed animals in a bag, "just" don't worry about it, if you "just" do what you're supposed to do, you won't infect anyone else and you will be "just" cured after a few days.

If only it were "just" that easy for everyone this would not be a 20 page thread.

 

[iloveboardwalk]

Oh man, I am so sorry that this is happening to you. I can only imagine how awful it is for your poor daughter, but add insult to injury, the loss of income for you.

I don't think of lice as an "inconvenience" either. Lice infestatation is a HUGE pain in my behind. I teach kindergarten and a few months ago, I had an infestation in my classroom. I had to bag up all of our puppets, (including our beloved "Lucy" puppet who brings us letters daily), stuffed animals, our comfy couch, throw away all the pillows in the reading corner and move into the library for a couple of days while my carpet was extracted. This had to be done per our county health department rules. Trust me, it was FAR more than an "inconvenience". Three kids ended up with lice and missed a couple of important special days due to it.

I wish it was as easy as some posters seem to THINK it is!!!

pinnie

Thank you. Believe me, I never thought I would end having to cut my daughter's hair and turn or lives upside down to get rid of these things. I am sedning my kids back to school today for the first time. I am an absoulte nervous wreck.

 

[Mkrop]

I'm sorry...but how do you know? We had continued outbreaks despite having cleaned the house top to bottom, daily for weeks. Sometimes they are just not that easy to get rid of.


I love all the adivce about what you "just" have to do from all these people who have never had them in their house. "Just" visit the CDC website, "just treat once and then use the comb for a few days, "just" wash your linens and put stuffed animals in a bag, "just" don't worry about it, if you "just" do what you're supposed to do, you won't infect anyone else and you will be "just" cured after a few days.

If only it were "just" that easy for everyone this would not be a 20 page thread.

Yeah I am amazed by that too! We did not have first hand experience but I saw what these moms went through and it truly seemed awful. These people cleaned their houses, followed all the directions, saw their doctors etc. and this did not disappear. We had this problem from Nov until Easter! It just did not seem that easy as some make it out to be.

 

[Mkrop]

Thank you. Believe me, I never thought I would end having to cut my daughter's hair and turn or lives upside down to get rid of these things. I am sedning my kids back to school today for the first time. I am an absoulte nervous wreck.

Best of luck to you!

 

[gk90]

Best of luck from me too, sending good vibes your way ...and I feel the pain too, I've never forgotten how devastated I was at age 12 when I found out I'd caught lice from my 4 yo brother...there was a big epidemic at his school, a "nice" private school, and we lived in a clean home too. I had waist-long hair and it was so awful having to comb & shampoo it over and over til all those disgusting nits were gone shudder!!

 

[iloveboardwalk]

Best of luck from me too, sending good vibes your way ...and I feel the pain too, I've never forgotten how devastated I was at age 12 when I found out I'd caught lice from my 4 yo brother...there was a big epidemic at his school, a "nice" private school, and we lived in a clean home too. I had waist-long hair and it was so awful having to comb & shampoo it over and over til all those disgusting nits were gone shudder!!

ohhh quit yer whining, it was a mere inconvenience!!

 

[Hannathy]

Best of luck from me too, sending good vibes your way ...and I feel the pain too, I've never forgotten how devastated I was at age 12 when I found out I'd caught lice from my 4 yo brother...there was a big epidemic at his school, a "nice" private school, and we lived in a clean home too. I had waist-long hair and it was so awful having to comb & shampoo it over and over til all those disgusting nits were gone shudder!!

And I'm not sure how you caught them, because according to some they aren't that contagious and I'm sure your Mom shampooed his hair once and that's all it takes.

 

[disneygals]

Our family has suffered "the inconvenience" 3 times and each time takes at least a month to resolve.

For those still handling....

We did the olive oil treatment. Use RID one time. Then olive oil all night with a shower cap every fourth night for 21 days. In the am, before washing out, comb, pick, comb, pick etc. Herbal essence clarifying shampoo gets out the oil. Check for nits daily under different light sources, outside, bright lamp etc. Eventually you will be checking each hair shaft from top bottom left right (a mere inconvenience). Buy a robi-comb and use on dry hair to catch any that hatched or if your child is still with the group of kids that were infested.

If your child is truly infested with different stages of lice, it will take this long to handle. The olive oil catches any that hatch and you can comb them out before they can grow and lay eggs. (oil, vinegar, mayo, Fairy Tales don't get rid of them, just help comb)

If you are lucky and your child is in the early stages, maybe one louse laid eggs and they just hatched and laid some eggs, you may be able to do the one or two times treatment that some have mentioned. I think that is why people can disagree on the severity of treatment.

If you are fairly sure that you have most of the nits, your child can go out in the world, just keep their hair braided and gelled or hairsprayed to stop anyone from leaving their head.

After it's over, robi-comb and check child weekly for the rest of your life. As my kids say, it's not like chicken pox, you can get it again!

 

[Tikicampers]

I'm sorry...but how do you know? We had continued outbreaks despite having cleaned the house top to bottom, daily for weeks. Sometimes they are just not that easy to get rid of.


I love all the adivce about what you "just" have to do from all these people who have never had them in their house. "Just" visit the CDC website, "just treat once and then use the comb for a few days, "just" wash your linens and put stuffed animals in a bag, "just" don't worry about it, if you "just" do what you're supposed to do, you won't infect anyone else and you will be "just" cured after a few days.

If only it were "just" that easy for everyone this would not be a 20 page thread.

I know the parents were not doing anything to get rid of the lice in the home because they told us. One got the prescription from the doctor and thought that would be enough. The other used Rid once and never did anything else. I try not to make assumptions about my students or their families. In these cases, it was very clear the parents were not following all reccomendations.