(Warning - Rash pictures below)
I can probably count on my 10 fingers the number of times my children have had a normal childhood illness. Yes, I would have to count then together to use up 10 fingers. Some would say that is very lucky, and it is, but I would have to borrow some fingers and toes if I were to count the number of times we have been in the ER, CareNow, or the pediatrician's office with an "odd" and usually undiagnosed, yet troublesome illness, or symptom. Suspected spider bites that have lead to blood infections, allergic reaction to new shoes that made it impossible for the oldest to use his leg for a while, allergic reaction to the cold that is now a lifelong issue for oldest, hives that moved from one part of the body to another with amazing speed for the youngest, to the point that I had to call a nurse friend over to watch it happen because I thought I was losing my mind.
Last week was one of those times. Wednesday was an ice day, so no school. Fortunately, the ice was all gone around noon, which was about the time my youngest noticed a strange rash on his abdomen. OK, our doctor is not in on Wednesday, we had an important interview on Thursday, so I webcheck in with CareNow since the last odd rash turned out to be a staph infection. Less than 2 hours later we are in CareNow, the rash is worse, and the doctor is using all these big names for rashes caused by autoimmune reactions. A steroid shot and advice on antihistamines later, we are on our way home with the warning that the rash is going to get a lot worse before it gets better, and it could last 3 weeks. Oh yeah, we will probably never know how he got it.
Well, not good enough for Mom. Mom gets on computer and starts looking up rashes. After some tears and a couple of hyperventilations I decide that an internet diagnosis is not a good way to go when you have no real symptoms other than a rash.
Today the rash looks horrible. There is no fever, there is no itching, there is no symptom at all other than this horrible looking rash. Started out with different sizes of red circles, now it is the red circles with red bumps, but the red bumps are not in the circles. (Which I was told would be bad.)
I have decided that I am taking him to our regular doctor on Tues. He doesn't want to miss any school tomorrow, so Tuesday it is. I cannot take it any more. Yes, our regular doctor may tell me the same thing, but at least I will have heard it from him and it will make me feel better.
What I wouldn't do for a simple cold or something about now. That is something normal. That is something that I know about. This, well, this is just adding to my grey hair, and making for some horrible dreams at night.
Photo coming up, some of you may want to quit reading now.
It is very difficult for me to get a good photograph of this rash, but maybe my nurse friends that read this blog can relieve my mind a little.I can probably count on my 10 fingers the number of times my children have had a normal childhood illness. Yes, I would have to count then together to use up 10 fingers. Some would say that is very lucky, and it is, but I would have to borrow some fingers and toes if I were to count the number of times we have been in the ER, CareNow, or the pediatrician's office with an "odd" and usually undiagnosed, yet troublesome illness, or symptom. Suspected spider bites that have lead to blood infections, allergic reaction to new shoes that made it impossible for the oldest to use his leg for a while, allergic reaction to the cold that is now a lifelong issue for oldest, hives that moved from one part of the body to another with amazing speed for the youngest, to the point that I had to call a nurse friend over to watch it happen because I thought I was losing my mind.
Last week was one of those times. Wednesday was an ice day, so no school. Fortunately, the ice was all gone around noon, which was about the time my youngest noticed a strange rash on his abdomen. OK, our doctor is not in on Wednesday, we had an important interview on Thursday, so I webcheck in with CareNow since the last odd rash turned out to be a staph infection. Less than 2 hours later we are in CareNow, the rash is worse, and the doctor is using all these big names for rashes caused by autoimmune reactions. A steroid shot and advice on antihistamines later, we are on our way home with the warning that the rash is going to get a lot worse before it gets better, and it could last 3 weeks. Oh yeah, we will probably never know how he got it.
Well, not good enough for Mom. Mom gets on computer and starts looking up rashes. After some tears and a couple of hyperventilations I decide that an internet diagnosis is not a good way to go when you have no real symptoms other than a rash.
Today the rash looks horrible. There is no fever, there is no itching, there is no symptom at all other than this horrible looking rash. Started out with different sizes of red circles, now it is the red circles with red bumps, but the red bumps are not in the circles. (Which I was told would be bad.)
I have decided that I am taking him to our regular doctor on Tues. He doesn't want to miss any school tomorrow, so Tuesday it is. I cannot take it any more. Yes, our regular doctor may tell me the same thing, but at least I will have heard it from him and it will make me feel better.
What I wouldn't do for a simple cold or something about now. That is something normal. That is something that I know about. This, well, this is just adding to my grey hair, and making for some horrible dreams at night.
Photo coming up, some of you may want to quit reading now.
1 comment:
Went to the doctor. He has tinea corporis (ringworm).
Great. How in the heck do you get that?
Turns out the steroid shot he got at CareNow was not a good thing.
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