Mummylicious Diary: Rash Alert: Henoch-Schönlein Purpura Part 1

I thought I had enough of SDMC's Emergency Room visits for this year (another story, another post). But of course, being a parent of two children....that obviously wasn't the case.

Ever since PP came back from last Sunday's Disney show...she have these substantial amount of bite marks on the bottom half of her legs. It looks like mosquito bites...or even mites. We assumed that she was bitten at the show...some infected chair at the auditorium ? even though her sister, Bambam, her Aunty Tiyah, and "Uncle" Kaiser have no bite marks whatsoever. But they were wearing pants....maybe they were not bitten because they wore pants?

I was concern (of course) but the most that was done was to put some lotion to ease whatever itchiness and redness that might come from the bites. But here was the funny thing, I asked PP,

"Is it itchy?" "No" she answered

"Do you have a headache?" "No." (some can see where my brain was already going)

"Does your neck hurt?" "No."

"Do you feel sick?" "No, I feel fine, mummy!" Well.... Q&A session was clearly over.

PP had no fever, I checked the soles of her feet and hands, they were clear, so I really didn't think too much about it.

On Wednesday afternoon, the "bite marks" have diminished, no longer red. But come night time...she was in great pain! Her legs were hurting her, she said. Around the knee and ankle, she said. She can't walk because it would hurt her so much. And worse...the "bite marks" have turned into inflamed rashes.

That was when I immediately asked for a clear glass - immediately did a "glass test" otherwise known as the "meningitis rash test" and saw that the rash did not blanche at all. Drop everything, and off we went to the hospital for medical attention.

It is worth a note, The Daddy wanted to go to the 24 hours clinic nearby, but with a non-blanching rash, I am not taking my chance with clinics, I rather be at the hospital just in case things turn for the worse.

(More on the rashes and what I did before I decided "TO PANIC OR NOT TO PANIC!" in Rash Alert: Henoch-Schönlein Purpura Part 2. Read HERE and HERE)

PP was in too much pain to walk, and you can see the rashes on legs from knee to ankle.

The nurses checked for her temperature and blood pressure. And when it came time to check her weight, PP couldn't even stand. By now my phone was filled with questions from family and friends, and I was busy googling on types of rashes, non-blanching rashes, no fever rashes, leg pain rashes. It was a long wait before the ER doctor came to attend to her. So a mother have to do something to not go into SUPER PANIC MODE!

Ya know, like making light hearted Instagram post by how happy I was that I was clearing my handbags and refilled my coin bag with errant coins and RM1 notes. Perfect for the hospital's vending machines.

By the time she was attended by the ER Doctor, it was after 11pm. We have been there since 9pm and PP was fast asleep. What concerned the Doctor was one thing, the non-blanching rash. But he told us that it was best if we were to come in the morning and see PP's peadtrician. Now some may wonder why she wasn't admitted or we demanded for a Peadtrician there and then. Because there was no fever. Her blood pressure was okay.

But I did requested for a blood test to be done. And it was arranged. Let me just say, I am glad my daughter is a very heavy sleeper. She slept through when the lab technician kakak pinched her finger for the blood. And then we waited some more for the blood test to come.

Look...I was not going home until I was SURE it was safe to go home and wait until morning.

Very kind and sweet lab technician. PP slept through the needle pinch.

One can do nothing but wait

Blood test result came and it was good. Alhamdullilah. There was slight elevated Platelets and White Blood Cell count. But not at concerning level. Or so the ER Doctor assured us.

But you knowwwww, being a parent and all that. I had to make sure, I-had-to-ask, well I made the Daddy ask, why he was not concern it was Bacterial Meningitis? And he patiently explained that because there was no fever, she was not in daze and her pain are focused on her legs. He explained in great length that it was still best to go home and to see the specialist in the morning.

But he also commended us for coming to the hospital when we realise it was a non-blanching rash on our kid's legs. It was best to be decided by a doctor if the rash is serious or not. It is not to be taken lightly, especially if there was a fever and bodily pain involved. He mentioned most parents take the situation / child lightly and most would come too late. It was better to assume Bacterial Meningitis than to assume the non-blanching rash is non-serious. I understand...The Daddy actually thought PP was being dramatic. *insert death-stare.

Children Paracetamol was given for her pain. And that was it. Off we went home.

But did you really think I was going to sleep after that? Oh no no no.
Mummylicious went on serious research mode....then she had her dinner at 1.30AM.