Just a Rash?

Remember my post a few days ago about a mom's intuition when her kids are sick? I guess this can kind of be considered a follow up.

What does this cheek look like to you? Just a little rash? That's what most people thought. What you don't see is that there are actually little white pimples within it and a few that spread to his lip and nose. And notice on lone bump on his hand.

This rash is not accompanied by a fever, sore throat, or any kind of discomfort whatsoever.

The only clue is that it came three days after big brother had a confirmed case of strep throat. The exact same amount of time that a slightly different type of rash showed up a month ago the last time Noah had a confirmed case of strep throat. That time doctor called it impetigo and sent us away with antibiotics, mostly because the rest of the family was on meds for various ailments at the time.

Hours of research online results in...nothing

Trip to the doctors office where mom is assured without a doubt that it cannot possibly be related to big brother's strep throat. Doctor runs a culture on the rash itself as well as a throat culture, just to appease the annoying mom who keeps saying that it HAS to be related. Even though ALL medical evidence points to the contrary.

Send the annoying mom away from the office declaring again that it is most definitely NOT related. Can't be strep throat because there's no pain, redness, or swelling...can't be scarlet fever since there's no fever and the rash is ONLY on the face. Go home and put antibiotic ointment on it and then send him back to school.

Snow day Wednesday....call from the doctor. Aaron's strep test came back positive. Calling in a prescription and now he has to stay home from school since he's contagious. Mom's not surprised, but doctor certainly is.

Now, I really can't blame the doctor. He has probably never seen a case of skin strep before, especially when it is accompanied with NO other symptoms whatsoever. As a matter of fact, Aaron has had so many strange medical oddities throughout the years that he is pretty much always a quandary...whether it was a freakishly small head as a young toddler that required many trips to the children's hospital before it was just deemed small, a frenulectomy (that little piece of skin between your tongue and bottom of your mouth that was still connected and had to be lasered apart) at three months old, or staples in the head from running into a wall (not the corner mind you, JUST the wall). He is just funny that way.

But I did make sure that it is documented in his chart now that we've had skin strep twice in two months. And even though I hope we are done with illness in the Wheelz home for this winter season, I can't help but wonder what the rash will look like NEXT time.

Have a great weekend.