Rash Alert: Henoch-Schönlein Purpura Part 3, The Update

The day after we went to the ER for the evaluation of PP's rash and joint pains, we had a visit with the peadtrician, Dr Ali. This is not her normal Pead...Dr Sanjay's schedule was too full for an appointment that morning and since Dr Ali was available, off we went to see him instead.

Once we were seated, I did not mention my strong suspicion on PP having HSP. I let the good doctor inspect her first, told him what lead to the rash and pain. And as he was looking at her rashes, he just said "it is Henoch-Schonlein Purpura"....

Never doubt a mother's instinct ya'all.

He asked for a blood test to be made, to which I said it was done the night before and handed him the results. So he hurm and hmm as he looked at the test and said ok, good. And he explained to us what it all meant.....aaannddddd I can't remember what he said but it's a good result lah! So alright.

Then he asked for PP to go for a urine test. Just to confirm there are no blood in her urine that cannot be detected under the naked eye. 

Why is it so easy for kids to want to pee when you are out shopping, especially when you are at one end of a mall and the toilet is waaaaaaaay on the other end but when they need to pee in a cup in a hospital, it takes them ages? WHY?!!! 

It was hard, it took hours, we even composed a song about it, to the tune of Farmer in the dell, the nursery rhyme,

"We're peeing in a cup, Peeing in a cup, hei ho dilly O, we're peeing in a cup!" 

Mummylicious' version

"We're peeing in a cup, Peeing in a cup, hei ho dilly O, we're peeing in a cup! with Ice cream and Milo and the sun comes up!" PP's version. Don't ask me why there's icrecream and sun in the lyrics. 

By the time we managed to get a small but sufficient amount of urine to be tested, the Paedtrician was off for his wardround or lunch. So we were told to just head home and his clinic will call us with the results.

Couple of days later, Dr Ali personally called me back to confirm, URINE IS CLEAR!

Never have I been so ecstatic to hear news about pee. #motherhood

But of course, I was informed to bring my daughter to the doctor again if

1. PP's joint pain worsen < it did not. YAY!
2. any abdominal pain < there are none so far. YAY!
3. any blood in urine and/or stool < happy to report there have been no pink tinged pee and/or poo. YAY! 

Update after 5 days:

Rash aka Purpura have cleared leaving PP's leg with small dark marks that doesn't seem to be permanent. No scarring! Yay! 

Small bruises of multiple colours and tones are still around

Update after 8 days:

Usually if it is a bad case of HSP, abdominal pain / kidney issues will crop up about now. 

SO far....Nothing. Yay!

A few number of new red rash aka Purpura have surfaced between the disappearing one, but super minor, Mummylicious not so concern about it. Especially since PP have not complained of ANY joint pains. 

Alhamdullilah...it seems to be a minor case. Mummylicious and The Daddy are continuing to monitor PP but I think the worse have past (cross fingers and toes). Thank you for your prayers and doas, aunties and uncles, I do sincerely appreciate it. 

Rash Alert: What is the Glass Test? Can I panic now?!

When your kid have a rash on their skin, most times the parents will  first be going "Oh. no", then they start questioning themselves "Is this serious? Should I worry? Should I go to the doctor?" and then...they Google the symptoms....and then they cry or near tears because somehow the result is, something really really bad, probably will cause death. And we haven't even gone to the doctor yet!

Raise of hands how many parents go through this stage at one point or another?
*Mummylicious raises both hands.

"There are a myriad causes of rashes. Most of them are red and splotchy and no one can really tell you what caused it and then they go away, leaving no one much the wiser. There is however, one particular rash that it is really really important that you know how to look for." from Dr Orlena Kerek, Paediatritian, Snotty Nose.com

So how do you, as a parent, decide WHEN TO PANIC OR NOT TO PANIC?!!!! when we find rashes or anything that look like rashes/ bite marks on our precious children?

First, before you panic worry about the rash and frantically annoy your doctor or run to the ER, do the "glass test". All parents new or not-so-new parents should be aware of this test. Just for the sake of peace of mind, when the situation requires you to be alert, at least you know immediately what to do and annoy your doctor accordingly. 

"The glass test is a simple way of telling if a rash blanches. This means that when pressure is put on the skin, the rash fades. The glass test is useful, because it enables a parent to tell whether a rash is worryingly serious or not.

To perform the glass test

• Take an ordinary clear glass (or plastic) tumbler
• Place it on the skin next to the spots
• Roll it onto the spots, applying firm pressure. Note that the normal skin under the
  glass goes white as the blood is pushed out of the tiny surface blood vessels
• If the spots fade when the glass is rolled over them, the rash isn’t serious
• If a spot doesn’t fade, it is a non-blanching rash, and needs urgent medical attention"

from Babyworld.co.uk

 Here I did the "glass test" on PP's HSP Rash.
Not the first time I did this, but it was the first time the rash did not blanche. 

Rash Alert: Henoch-Schönlein Purpura Part 2

Continuation from Rash Alert: Henoch-Schönlein Purpura Part 1

After we came back from SDMC ER Outpatient, I started researching on "non-blanching rash", "non meningitis rash" basically, I went through all type of info on rashes and went through all type of photos. As if I can sleep before I can narrow down what the heck is this rash that does not blanche, causes MY daughter pain but not so serious that it can wait until the morning?!

Since the ER Doctor assured me it, he strongly does not believe it is bacterial meningitis due to the lack of fever and blood test results, it was a huge relief but not quite. Because he have no idea what else it could be. Not even a clue (maybe he had a clue but not saying).

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.