Leprosy
Yesterday morning when I got Willa out of her crib I noticed that one of her hands looked mottled and like it had bug bites on it. I assumed it was spider bites.
She was acting fine and it didn't seem to be bothering her.
We had our first class at the Y shortly after breakfast. It was awesome and Willa had a great time. However, during the class I watched as what I had thought were bug bites, spread up her arms and then onto her face.
(this picture does not do it justice- it looked HORRIBLE)
My husband happened to meet us at the class (he was just getting home from work after working a 25 hour shift) and he decided to call the doctor. Our doctor wasn't in the office, so we spoke to his partner. he wanted us to bring Willa in.
We really love Willa's pediatrician, but he's in the city, so it's a major pain in the ass to see him.
So we took Willa to get something to eat, during which time her rash got even worse- her arms and face were covered in hives, and then I drove into the city with Willa and my husband sleeping in the car. When Willa woke up her rash was gone. We were right outside the pediatricians office, we had driven all the way in to the city, and now her rash was gone. So, we went in to the pediatricians office and told the receptionist that we wouldn't be needing the appointment. Then we walked around our old neighbor hood for a while.
It was cold yesterday, and when we had walked for a bit, we noticed that Willa's rash was starting to come back, But, we also noticed something else, whenever we went inside her rash got better.
So, the cold made it worse. WEIRD.
The doctor ended up calling us and he wasn't that worried about it because Willa didn't have a fever, and she didn't seem itchy.
Today, when Willa woke up she didn't have a spot on her.
Then we ran some errands. We were hardly outside- just walking from the car into stores, but her cheeks got a little splotchy. When we came back home her skin looked normal again- that is until we took Dexter for a walk this afternoon. As we walked, Willa's face broke out into hives. She looked like she had some horrible disease. When I brought her home and took off her coat I realized that the rash was on her arms again too.
We have no idea what's going on.
Is she allergic to the cold? Is it just a reaction to a bug bite that is exacerbated by the cold?
My husband is currently on the computer doing some research.
Tomorrow I'll talk to the pediatrician again.
It's never boring around here.
Comments
oh, geez! Kids sure do keep us on our toes, don't they?!
Posted by: Keely | November 11, 2008 10:21 PM
Is it a new coat? It's possible that she has an allergy to one of the materials it is made from. Or maybe there is something ON her coat or something? I hope you find out soon - it must be so frustrating!
Posted by: Jenn | November 11, 2008 10:55 PM
Awe, poor little one.
I hope it all gets sorted out.
Does she have eczema? Maybe the cold is irritating?
Posted by: Desiree Fawn | November 11, 2008 10:55 PM
That happens to me sometimes. I will break out into hives if I get too cold or too warm or if I change temperatures too quickly.
I'm not sure if thats the same thing, but I hope she gets better.
Posted by: Stephanie | November 11, 2008 11:10 PM
This might not be at all related but this used to happen to my son if he eats certain salad dressings.
It turns out he just had a "sensitivity" to raspberry vinaigrette.
He never noticed the red bumps at all. It used to freak me out.
Posted by: Sarah, Goon Squad Sarah | November 12, 2008 05:50 AM
She had the hives in the morning before she ate anything, so I don't think it's a food allergy.
Nope. No new coat. And, the rash seems to appear mostly in the spots that she isn't wearing anything (her hands and face).
Posted by: Torrie | November 12, 2008 07:33 AM
There is an allergy where hives or red welts appear on your skin with exposure to cold, or something cold. Its called "Cold Urticaria".
Hope it all gets sorted out :)
Posted by: Peter | November 12, 2008 09:40 AM
Spots or no spots, that's one cute kid! Good luck.
Posted by: georgia | November 12, 2008 11:25 AM
I had a very similar problem when I moved to St. Louis. It started one winter. I was fine as long as I stayed indoors. The moment I stepped out of the house, hives would develop on my exposed skin and later onto my back and legs, and finally my face. It was awful. It got progressively worse and I was referred to a specialist. He conducted an allergy panel test and I found out (to my horror) that I had suddenly developed allergies to many things that my body had been resistant to. I was unaware that the house I was renting had mould in it, and this was the primary cause for the hives. My skin had become so sensitive from contact with the allergen that contact with cold air just made me explode into hives. You might want to take her to paediatrician to get some kind of allergy test done. If its something in the air, in her bedroom that's causing this, using an air purifier helps a great deal too. Hope this bit of information helps.
Posted by: benjyboo | November 13, 2008 09:22 AM
We just had a super mysterious rash in our house last week too!
I tried to call the CDC, they weren't havin' it.
Posted by: Betsey | November 13, 2008 06:18 PM
You don't know me but I was reading your blog. I had an eczema type rash that always came in cold weather. Then a dietican friend recommended Omega 3 vitamins. I have been taking them for a year and have not had problems. You might want to check whole foods since I know they make the omega 3/dha vitamins for kids. It might help.
Posted by: Angela | November 14, 2008 12:07 AM