Monday, September 03, 2007

7 days in...

Sunday, BubTar came home from camping sounding a bit husky. As the day wore on, his eyes got glassy and he felt the tiniest bit warm. Then yesterday, on the way out to the car, I noticed a rash on BubTar's neck and then peeked down his shirt and it was also on his shoulders. Later, at home, I saw it on his chest and stomach as well.

Yesterday.

(click to enlarge, if you care to hazard a guess at what it is)


Today.


Yesterday and today, he has been whiny and lethargic, although not feverish. We've given Benadryl, but it hasn't fazed the rash. He doesn't seem to have many other symptoms; low energy, and the rash, which is raised, sandpapery, and itchy. It doesn't photograph well, but it consists of tiny pinprick raised red dots...like I said, it is rough to the touch. He had a bit of congestion Sunday, but it cleared yesterday. I think that was more from being outdoors and camping than being tied to the rash. Any ideas?

In case you are wondering, he has not been exposed to poison ivy, oak, sumac, or anything else while camping. He has not eaten anything new, or bathed in anything new. Our detergents are the same as always. He has not been in the heat, either, so as to cause prickly heat. Because it did not respond to Benadryl, I don't think it is any sort of reaction, environmental or otherwise. I think it started on his neck and then traveled to his shoulders, back and then to his chest and stomach. It doesn't seem to be spreading outward, but the dots are becoming more concentrated on his torso.

Does that just leave viral rashes? Because, well, dammit! KayTar is still sick. I've been under sick-kid house arrest for roughly 3 weeks, excluding obligatory hospital, physician, and therapist appointments. And I was hoping we'd get through maybe TWO weeks of school before BubTar started bringing us home lovely little gifts from his school chums.

Here we are, 7 days into the school year and he is be absent for the first time. I won't send my kids to school when they are clearly ill and I don't know if they are contagious or not, even if only with a rash of unknown origins. I'd want another parent to do the same. But 7 days? Really? That's all the buffer I'm getting this year?

Time to restock the Lysol and hand sanitizer. Welcome back to school!





****
And the verdict is: STREP NEGATIVE! Probably viral, slight chance of poison ivy. We got a lovely low dose steroid gel to help the itchies.

Viral or not, I'm counting it as a win, because it could have been STREP and it wasn't! REJOICE!

26 comments:

Christine said...

looks exactly like scarlet fever which is a form of strep. he doesn't necessarily have to have a sore throat to get scarlet fever. i'd ask the pediatrician.

i hate school germs!

Mad said...

Giant hugs back at ya, Kyla. Seriously, could the divine powers please cut you and your family some slack. Now.

I have no clue what it could be. I just hope that he is all better soon.

Run ANC said...

Never been very good at diagnosis, but I am sending some healthy vibes your way.

Anonymous said...

I too vote scarlet fever. Someone once told me by the time you get to this point, it is barely contagious, if at all. But don't listen to me. I second calling the pediatrician - maybe you can just send the pics by email and avoid another outing! Good luck with this round...

moplans said...

Poor bubtar and POOR mummy. It is always worst for the mummy.
Benadryl suppresses allergic response so I would guess its viral but its a good idea to get it checked out.

Kyla said...

The nurse said, "Bring him in for a throat culture, it may be scarlet fever."

So kudos, ladies. You get a gold star in your Internet Diagnosis charts.

On our way to the pediatrician now...

Amy said...

See I suck so bad at guessing rashes, I never would have guessed that.

Hope he is on the mend soon.

kittenpie said...

Oh dear. I wish I could be helpful, but without some reference books and a good look at the kid, I'd hate to hazard a guess. I'm of the mind that if it is still there after a couple of days, it might be worth a doctor visit. I know, greeeeaaaat.

S said...

yep. scarlet fever. jack had it this spring. it was his fourth (out of five) bout with strep.

the good news, if there is any, is that the rash itself is not contagious.

Becca said...

Poor Bub! Good luck at the ped's and feel better soon!

flutter said...

Poor munchkin!I would get him to the Ped asap icky school germs....

Becca said...

Hey, I want to answer the question you left on my blog... send me an email beccamann at yahoo dot com.

~aj~ said...

Poor BubTar! I'm glad it doesn't seem to be really bothering him. Hope it goes away soon!

Katie said...

Three cheers for no strep!!! Hope the poor kid feels better soon!

Beck said...

Scarlet fever SUCKS, if that is what it is, but it will pass. Poor Bubtar.

Aliki2006 said...

Poor kid!

Liam had this once--it was itchy and yucky. I hope he's back 100% soon!

ewe are here said...

Glad it's not strep! I hope it clears up really quick.

I'm wondering if MF will come down with something in a week or two... nursery restarted today, and did the playgroup circuit.

Junie's Blog said...

Glad you got an answer to the mysterious rash! Ive never seen scarlet fever! Hope Bubtar is feeling better in no time!

Christine said...

i'm SO glad i was wrong!

Sarah said...

Well, glad it isn't strep. I am clueless though. Heat rash would be my only guess, but it doesn't seem to fit. His rash looks similar to the rash Anna had when we realized she was alergic to sulfa. That is the only thing I can contribute to this. Sorry I was not more helpful.

Mimi said...

munchkin recently had roseola, which looked a lot like this. they're allowed to go to school and such, because once the rash appears, the discomfort and fever and irritability (a symptom) is gone, and no one knows how it spreads.

Ben and Bennie said...

There was a viral thing back in my youth called "the Fifth Disease" that is now called something different. Looks exactly like it along with the symptoms. I seriously don't it's poison ivy unless he took off his shirt and rolled in it.

Tick or spider bites usually take much longer for symptoms to appear.

Kathy Gillen said...

I'm reading this after diagnosis...good thing because I stink at diagnosis. One time my #3 had blisters on his feet. Well yeah, he also seemed to have a bit of a fever too. So I rushed out and got him new shoes. Turns out he had that foot/mouth disease when they get blisters on their feet and in their mouth. So he may have felt horrible but heck, he had new shoes! Glad you're all on the mend.

crazymumma said...

Those rashes.

They are so mysterious. There are so many reasons, so many NOT cures, and it is a waiting game sent by the universe to torture parents.

Good news is he appears clear eyed and is not presenting as seriously ill.

You on the other hand my dear deserve an evening in Toronto with a Karaoke machine and some wild eyed bloggers.

S said...

serves me right for being a know-it-all.

so glad it was negative!

carrie said...

Oh boy!

Once I got poison oak from a countertop -- all over my wrists! I hadn't been anywhere near the "wilderness" but it was hunting season, and the Dr. figured that some hunter brought it in on his coatsleeves and left it in the store.

I walked around with bandages on my wrists for a few weeks, how embarrassing!

Anyhoo . . . hope he heals fast! Hang in there!