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Powered by LifeTypeJon first noticed red spots on Jonathan's tongue and soft palate while brushing his teeth. Then we noticed bug bite/pimple-like spots on his knees and then Noah's knees. Then Noah got more and more spots all around the edges of is diaper area and some on arms and legs. After two days of this, we thought to look in Noah's mouth and sure enough, red spots.
We called the doctor and they said it's hard to diagnose without seeing it, so we went in. We saw the pediatric nurse practitioner and she was nice and knowledgeable. Both boys have hand-foot-mouth disease, though they thankfully don't have the hand and foot sores. (The quick strep test was negative. They went ahead and sent it for culturing but aren't expecting anything.) It's contagious, but often exposed persons don't exhibit any symptoms. It's usually a mild disease and since it's viral, you just have to wait it out.
Jonathan's knee spots are likely just bug bites, but if they don't disappear in a couple of weeks, her second guess was warts.
Noah, on the other hand, has impetigo, a very contagious bacterial skin infection. If your outer layer of skin is healthy, you can't get it. Quoting from the previously linked article, "This thin armor can be breached by . . . chronically wet skin from hot muggy weather or hot clothes (diapers)." Yes, sirree, Pittsburgh has been hot and muggy since we arrived back from vacation. Since it's widespread over his body, topical antibiotics aren't practical, so he's on oral antibiotics (which he has taken very well so far.)
Note to future self and any other interested parties: this is the first time I have had to administer antibiotics to one of my children. May it be one of very few!
While we were at the doctor's office, the power went out for about 20 minutes. There is really a lot they do with the computer nowadays. She may have lost Noah's chart notes (no UPS...) and she wrote the prescription out by hand, noting that it's been a long time since she's done that. The other doctor she called in to confirm her diagnosis had to look at Noah's sores by penlight.
Later, after we were home, a terrific storm came through, crashing loud thunder startling the boys. It's amazing how a smile from Mommy dispels fear. The power flickered a couple of times, and I saved and exited from my computer work. Only just in time - then it went out completely and stayed that way for about 45 minutes. At first Jonathan kept asking me to turn the lights back on, but once we got flashlights and a candle, he understood. It was his idea to roast marshmallows on the candle flame (doesn't work too well) and I tried to figure out how to make pizza without the oven (gas, but electric starter) or the electric pizza maker. I successfully "baked" the crust in a frying pan (gas burner lit by match) and then the power returned.
That was our crazy day, and I am feeling itchy just thinking about rashes, despite the fact that the boys haven't been itchy at all.
Ouch! You make us itch just reading the post . . . we're praying for God's healing touch in your family.
Wow, not a nice return from vacation! You know I don't have time right now to comment much, but I will encourage you to look into probiotics while (and a bit after) he's on antibiotics -- at least feed him as much kefir as he'll drink. :) Love you all of you!
Have Jonathan's bumps on his knees gone away? Billy has had bumps on his elbows for about a year and I finally took him to the dermatologist (the pediatrician didn't know what they were). In one look the dermatologist told me they were ganuloma annulare. Nothing serious. You can do creams, which he thought weren't very effective or s-h-o-t-s, but that they would clear up without that. I told him that he had already had them for a year and he responded that it sometimes takes several years for them to clear up. They do not bother Billy, not itchy or anything, so we are just going to wait for them to go away. I bring them up because he mentioned that they usually appear on elbows and knees.
Oops! spelling mistake - granuloma annulare.
Jonathan's bumps are gone. Noah still has a cluster of bumps on one knee, despite the fact that all other bumps/rashes are gone now. So I'll keep that in mind, thanks!