Ringworm

It happens, I think everyone at some point has to deal with ringworm.  We have a case of it here.  We suspect we picked it up from the dogs -- not sure where the dogs picked it up from -- but it happens.

We were using over the counter meds for it, and thought we had it all cleared up. Several week went by with no skin rash or signs of ringworm. However, we really didn't get rid of it. Noticed yesterday a spot had return in the same exact location. So we scheduled an appointment with the doctor.  Looked at it and said yep ringworm and because you attempted to cure it with over the counter meds and were not successful we will give you a script for it.

Now to check the dogs again for active ringworm spots and then decided if I should go to the vet and get meds for them too or just treat it with something over the counter like coconut oil.  I wouldn't just treat your dogs with coconut oil for this or anything else without reading many reliable sources on the matter.

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Superstar's Glasses

Back in September both kids had eye exams.  At the time I could only afford to get Web-princess her glasses. This passed week I was able to buy Superstar the glasses he needs. Both kids need them for reading, writing, computer, tablets, hand held games and anything else of that nature.  

Over Christmas we bought the kids tablets. Here is a picture that Superstar took on his tablet of him and  his sister in their glasses.

I know the picture is a little dark that is the result of poor light and the limitations of the camera on his tablet.

Update: WP-Kidney

I really don't have anything to share. Other then the 2nd CT scan has left us a little confused and questioning what the next should be. A 3rd CT-scan has been suggested, but we are not sure if that's the right direction. So we are asking lots of questions right now.

We were told that there was NO change from the 1st CT scan and the 2nd CT scan. Last week the term cyst was used to describe what was seen on her left kidney. Today it was the terms mass and infection. We basically were told today that radiology did not know if it's an infection or mass on her left kidney.

That is all I have to share at this point....as our questions are answered I will share.

Perparing For CT Scan

Web-princess will have her 2nd CT Scan tomorrow morning. We had to run up to the hospital to get the EZ-Cat that she has to drink tonight and tomorrow morning. Each EZ-Cat package has to be mixed with 2 cups of water. She needs to drink it @ 8 pm, 10 pm and again tomorrow morning before the CT scan. The paper work said that she will also get another cup of it when we arrive at the hospital in the morning.

This is why we don't tip chairs!

As if Web-Princess week wasn't enough! Yesterday afternoon we had to go to the walk-in clinic so that she could get 3 stitches put in over her right eye. 

We aren't exactly sure what happen, but we have our ideas, espeically seeing I caught her tippin' a chair AFTER getting the stitches put in!

Tippin' chair means she was sitting in it and tipping it so that only the 2 front legs are on the floor.  Seeing her tippin' the kitchen chair, made us realized that she most likely was tippin' the office chair, the chair with wheels, while she was sitting at the computer desk.

We have a feeling that she was tippin' the office chair and it rolled out from underneath her and that she hit her head on the desk  or file cabinet.

ER Visit-Long, tired, hopeful

First, please forgive any errors grammar or spelling. I know I make them all the time, but I'm afraid this will be more then the usual. I'm running on just  a few hours of sleep.

Web-princess yesterday was running a fever; a fever that I thought for sure would be no big deal and we would be able to leave on our trip today as planned. Long story short I was unsuccessful in getting her fever down, despite 4 hour intervals of ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and several lukewarm baths.

At 4 pm yesterday afternoon, WP temperature was over 104. I threw her, figuratively, into the another lukewarm bath and called my doctor's office.  They told me to take her to an walk-in. I took her to the walk-in down the street. I told them what her temperature was, before the bath, and they immediately rushed us to the back. The doctor examine her and immediately told to go to the ER to rule out appendicitis. They gave us the option of driving her there so we drove.

We got to the ER, I gave them the paper work from the walk-in and they immediately took us to the back and put her in a room. Once in the room, the doctor examined her and sent her to x-ray.  After x-ray they put an IV in, that took 3 different tries.  Through the IV they got the blood they needed and gave her some fluids to get her to pee.  They gave the fluid via the IV because at home she was also vomiting.

In addtion to all of that she was given a strep test and flu test. Both of test were negative. Her urine show trace infection, but not enough for them to say yes it was an UTI. It was at that time we also learned that her x-ray showed and air pocket on the right side, which could be an early sign of appendicitis.  So they order up an CT scan.

She had to drink this juice before the CT scan which was nasty and hard for her to do. Because she had difficultly with the juice we weren't able to get the CT scan done until 1:00 am. When we got to the CT scan room we learn her IV was bad and it took 3 people, including myself, to pin her down for a new IV. They need the IV to inject the dye for the CT so it was a must!  The CT scan shown it was a kidney infection.  They prescribed us some medicine and sent us home at 3:00 am.

When they sent us home her fever was still 103.5. She just woke up, she still does not want to eat or drink much and her fever is still high. She can stay home as long as she does not vomit. If she starts to vomit then we MUST go back to the hospital and they will admit her. This is because they will then have to give her the antibiotics via IV. I'm hopeful that she will not vomit, because going back and having another IV is not something I want to do.

To top it all off Superstar has been a real trooper.  When we realized that we were going to be there for a long time, DH took SS home. When we learned that she need a CT scan I called DH and told him.  DH then shared with SS and was trying to explain to him that depending on what the CT scan said that DH may have to go back to the hospital. He told Superstar that it meant that he may not be home when Superstar woke up.  He also told SS that he would have a sitter. SS didn't fully understand what DH was saying, because by that time it was nearly 10 pm and SS was tired.  SS response to that was okay, if I wake up and you aren't here I"ll just get myself breakfast, stay in the house, and wait for you get back.  We think that SS thought he would have been home alone. I assure you we would NEVER to that , he just miss understood what daddy was saying because he was tired. At the same time we thought bless his heart! What a brave boy!

Pictures of Mystery Rash

Superstar changed his mind about pictures. These pictures were taken at the beginning and in the middle of last week. He over all looks a lot better now. His ears are clear, most of his arm and legs are clear. His face is still rough looking but it's better too. (You can click on them to see bigger pictures)

Mystery Rash: Solved? We hope!

Superstar still has his rash, bumps, spots, whatever you want to call them. When they first appeared on April 9th, I felt as if it was chickenpox. Later that day I learned it was NOT chickenpox, but an unknown virus.

The following Wednesday we went back to the doctor's office. That doctor agreed with the previous diagnosis that it was a viral, unknown origin. However that doctor did give us a steroid cream for it. In addition Superstar has been given benadyrl 3 times a day and an oatmeal bath every night. We were told if he had not cleared up by Monday to see a dermatologist.

So here it is Monday and Superstar still has his rash. I wish I could post pictures here on the blog for you all, but I promise Superstar that I would not. The steroid cream did cause the rash to go "flat", seeing it was raised, but that was the only change to it.

The dermatologist today said it was NEVER an viral infection. That the rash on Superstar is an allergic reaction to a plant. What plant we do not know. It's been already 1.5 weeks and honest I don't remember what and where we have been. In addition there is real no way of knowing what plant unless we are fully aware of what he got himself into.

Let me tell you that has been so frustrating. We for the last 1.5 weeks have been home. We've gone NO WHERE! No church, No co-ops, No field trips, because we were under the impression that it was viral and because it was an unknown virus we didn't know if he was contagious or not. I didn't want to expose him to others, because I didn't want him to pass on the virus. Some virus you are no longer contagious once you break out, others you are still contagious until rash scabs over. So he just didn't know and was working on the side of caution "better save then sorry".

We were given a new stronger cream today to put on his rash and hopefully that will clear it up. At least we now know that we can be around people! This means tomorrow we are going to our homeschool co-op! Thank God!

Rash is getting worst!

Superstar's rash/spots caused by what the doctor's feel to be an unknown virus has gotten worst. I wish I can post pictures, but I promised Superstar that I would not post them on the blog. His face, neck, ears, arms, hands, feet, and legs are covered. He has a handful on his back and tummy, but mostly it's on his face, neck, ears, arms, hands, feet, and legs.

I took him in to the doctor's office again today. We discussed the possibility that he was exposed to something environmental, and determined that was unlikely. I asked about bug bites, (maybe fleas seeing we have the dog) and that was ruled out.

I brought up the possibility of Rosella, and got told No, because Rosella is flat not raised. Pox: chickenpox, smallpox, things of that nature would be raised.  As a matter of fact the doctor, today, said that it effecting his arms, legs, head is characteristic of smallpox. That's one of the major differences between smallpox and chickenpox. The two are often confused, but smallpox effects mostly the arms, legs, head, where chickenpox effects mostly the torso (back/belly).

 Image Source: Wikipedia

With that in mind the doctor said it was NOT smallpox or anything like that because Superstar is not sick. He has NO fever, NO vomiting, NO other signs of illness. As a matter of fact if it wasn't for the rash you wouldn't know he was sick. He also was NOT sick prior to the rash. He just woke up with it last Friday.

While at the doctor's office web-princess vomits all over me with the doctor in the room. The doctor, response: "Now isn't that interesting and did a quick scan to see if she had spots". He then said if she gets worst or develops spots to be sure to let them know."

Because it's viral there is nothing they can give him. However they did give me a steroid cream to put on his spots. Hoping it might help clear them up. If he's not cleared up by Monday then we have to see a dermatologist.

Nothing is worst then seeing your child covered in these spots and not knowing what they are or how to help treat them. I understand there is no medicine for a virus, but it would be nice to have a name to it. Naming it would give us an idea of how long it would take to clear up.

I take better X-rays then Superstar

Web-princess was all proud of herself at the walk-in, immediate care, clinic last night because they didn't have to redo any of HER x-rays. Superstar when he had x-rays done of the summer needed to have some of them redone. Of course they at the clinic don't know us and so it heighten their curiosity of what was going on. Why did superstar have to be x-rayed? etc.

Sometimes I HATE going to walk-ins because they seem to automatically assume the worst of you. The line of questioning isn't exactly the same as what you would get from your primary doctor.  Last night made me a little more on edge because of Web-princess going on and on how she takes better x-rays then superstar. That and the nurse when it came to x-rays told me well you can just stay here in the examine room. While we go to x-ray. I must gave given her a look, because then she said "well you can't be in the room". I then reply I'm fully aware of that, but I will walk down the hall with her and I will wait outside the room until she is done.  I wanted to know what made her think I was just to let my 7 year old walk down to x-ray by herself.

I'm not totally sure what happen with Web-princess all I know is that she has a severe sprain and has to keep the air cast, boot thing, they put on her until it's better. I have to call our doctor today and schedule a follow up.

She can take it off for sleeping and bathing and is able to walk around on it with the boot on. Last night she sleep out on the couch because that's what Superstar did the first few days that he had "his cast". We are not having school today because that what happen when Superstar came home with "his cast".

Yes I know that this is not the same type of cast that Superstar had. Yes I know that she could have slept fine in her room and doesn't need the extra pampering right now, however in her mind she does and I really don't care.

 

How did she sprain it? I don't know. She said she tripped over her scooter here at home BEFORE we left for the play world and it started to hurt then. I  didn't notice any funny walking from her until towards the END of our play world visit and even then she was still playing. So really I didn't pay that close attention to it.

Then we met daddy for dinner and she was still walking funny into the restaurant and walking funny leaving the restaurant. However she sat and ate and never complain or mention anything over dinner. When we got home DH wanted me to look at it. I did, but didn't see anything wrong with it. So I suggested to her that she go ahead and take a bath and perhaps after the bath she'll feel better.

Web-princess gets out of the bath and is still walking funny and saying it hurts to walk so DH takes a look at it. It was swollen pretty bad. She had a huge ball like knot on the side of her ankle. Seeing that DH calls for me and ask "How can you say she's fine, Look at that?"  It was a Lucy you got a lot of explaining to do type moment. :) I looked at it again and can see that  it's swollen. I tell DH that  "I didn't see that before."

I really don't think I could have missed that but said maybe I didn't look close enough. There was no discoloration. Later last night after everything I talked to my mom and she said it's possible that the knot wasn't there before her bath and that the bath actually brought it out.

So after seeing that knot and consulting my medical manual, I told DH she has to see a doctor tonight. So I packed her up, took her to the walk-in, and as I said in the beginning they diagnosed her with a severe sprain. The x-rays showed nothing was broken, but they still have to send it to radiology to be sure. So I'll get a phone call from them in a day or 2.

Such Is Life Here!! I see a little irony in it all seeing yesterday was Ash Wednesday. However I'm sure that's just me. 

Toe Walking

My son is a toe walker! He always has been, and with him being 8 today, I'm starting to get concern about it. Actually I have been concerned for a while now, but I haven't been successful in getting my doctor to take me seriously. This year however I'm going to get the doctor to take me seriously! At least that is my plan!

I'm not sure why he is a toe walker. I personally have ruled out autism. Toe walking at times can be a sign of autism. I've read enough about autism to be confident that is not what is the cause of my son's toe walking. Not only has DS continue to toe walk all these years, but he has now starting to become clumsy and awkward in his walking and running.

I have over the years have mention my concern to the the Dr. However he has never taken me seriously. At every yearly physical I have mention that I'm concern and at every yearly physical I get told "He'll out grow it". Well he's 8 today and still hasn't out grown it and as a matter of fact it seems to be getting worst. DS is walking higher and higher on his toes. Not only that but when walking I'm starting to notice that he is walking with his toes turned into each other. He never did this before! DH told me that if our Dr won't take us seriously this year that we will just have to get a second opinion. However I'm not sure what kind of Dr. to go to for a second opinion. I know that our family Dr. really can't do anything for him. I'm sure that we will have to see a specialist. However, I'm hoping and praying that my Dr. will take us seriously so that we can get the referral to a specialist.

Not only do I want my Dr to take me seriously, but I hoping that it's not to late to for non-surgical options! The pictures I took of my son's feet is how they are all the time. This is what it is like when he stands, walks, runs, etc. It doesn't matter if he's shoeless or with shoes on he is always on his toes like the pictures here. Please pray that my Dr. takes me seriously when we see him July 17. Also pray that we have non-surgical options available to us. I really would hate to see my son have to have surgery because I failed him all these year. Failed to get a Dr. that would take us seriously.