Not a long term threat, Ric, but very heart- and gut-wrenching to see your child like that, especially the first time. Get well soon Super Esmé!
Sorry about the lice, Brent, but as for the knees you should see if Xavier has any knobs/bumps forming just below his knees. The Osgood Schlatter hit me around 7th or 8th grade and it was pretty brutal for awhile. I didn't have trouble bearing weight but the pain was awful at times.