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Just in time for the waning days of summer, Duncan’s molluscum contagiosum has finally completely healed. I am so thankful. It has been an ordeal. He now has the all clear from Mom to wear shorts.
*Things to be thankful for:
1. While getting molluscum isn’t that great, it isn’t small pox.
2. After 4 months, the molluscum is finally gone.
3. Molluscum leaves no scars.
4. A healthy little body, and beautiful healthy skin.
5. Shorts for Duncan!
6. Dresses for Kate!
7. Kate can occasionally run clothing free (as 2 year olds are wont to do) without worrying Mom so much.
8. No more worry about accidentally infecting someone.
9. No more bandaids.
10. No need for Duncan to wear a swim shirt to the indoor pool.
11. No more wondering what treatments we should have tried.
12. No more excessive laundry. No more fresh pajamas every day of the week.
*I wouldn’t be Pmom if I didn’t feel compelled to reassure those of you who live nearby that we tried to act responsibly with Duncan during this ordeal. According to the CDC , there is no reason to isolate children with Molluscum from others at school or in the swimming pool. In fact, it is estimated that up to 10% of children will have Molluscum–but most, I trust, do not have it to the degree Duncan did.
P.S. If you are a hapless internet searcher looking for advice because this plague has struck your household, my advice is the following [the rest of you need to avert your eyes]:
1) Cover every molluscum lesion with a bandage if possible. This helps stop it from spreading to other areas of the body. I also believe it may be helpful in fighting the lesions themselves. (Just as some people think duct tape works on warts). The waterproof clear bandages made by Nexcare are the best. However, you will need the Active Extra Cushion bandages (also manufactured by Nexcare ) to cover the lesions in bendy places such as the back of the knee (the clear waterproof ones actually cut Duncan’s skin in those areas) and underarm.
2) Treating Duncan’s molluscum lesions with bandages manufactured for curing warts (they are impregnated with salicylic acid) seemed to trigger the healing.
The treatment plan was my own modification of our dermatologist’s theory that we should poke each lesion with a needle and insert a highly irritating acne mediation in order to get his immune system to take notice. Thoughts: a. The dermatologist’s plan didn’t work–the lesions we tried poking seemed unchanged. Perhaps we weren’t aggressive enough with the needle. b. Duncan wouldn’t cooperate. [Would you?] c. Applying little adhesive disks is much easier than asking someone to hold still while you poke him with a needle.
I used one set of the wart treatment disks and bandages on the lesions and they made tiny little red irritation marks. [Yo! Immune system! Pay attention to what's going on right here!] Duncan said it didn’t hurt, but I stopped with the one application. Also, I was careful not to apply the the wart disks and bandages to sensitive body regions. It was immediately after this treatment that the lesions began to clear up rapidly. Of course, this is just anecdotal–perhaps his body would have won the war at that point anyway. It seemed connected, however.
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2 Responses to “Molluscum Gone: Shorts at last!”
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Joss had what looked like skin tags over the summer. They began in his armpit, where skin tags often start, and then spread to about 1/3 of his trunk. Rob started to pinch them over my protests (I even tried “they’re probably brain cells and you’re removing them!!”). But Joss didn’t mind, and they scabbed over and went away and eventually cleared up entirely. I found out yesterday at the doctor’s that they were molluscum.
My son had mulloscoms for a while and they were a pain. Luckily after greasing him down and following all the Dr’s instructions (and even some wart burning) we got them under control and they are gone. This was a couple years ago and they haven’t come back which is just wonderful. Good luck!