It didn't take long for Jeremy and I to realize how much we did NOT know about parenting until we became parents! I swear, by the time your kids are grown, you must be a pro!!! No wonder grandparents are so cool and stress-free when they're with the grandkids...they've been through it all and WE are proof that our own children will survive! I digress...last week, I thought I deserved a "Parent of the Year" award because I took Hattie into the doctor for "eye goop" which turned out to be an ear infection (actually it was the same ear infection from Christmas...just not quite healed yet). Anyhoo, I was so thrilled because I thought we had nipped this infection in the bud before it became painful, and Hattie began her 10-day, twice-a-day prescription of amoxicillin...we were stoked. After 7 days, I noticed what looked like big, red, bug bites on Hattie's back and a couple on her belly, and I thought they were nasty little bites from her time spent playing in the leaves the day before (see previous blog entry...ha!). After 8 days, the bites were still there, Hattie complained of her back hurting, and then she threw up twice. We started to think, "Oh, she's caught another stomach bug!" and we got through the night without any more problems. On day 9, Hattie woke up and said her tummy felt much better, but her bug bites were much more numerous, and I thought, "This is the weirdest virus ever, to give her such weird bumps like this!" I took her to the doctor, and he confirmed she had a virus and it would wear off in about 4 days. This news didn't set well with me at all. Plus, Hattie was MISERABLE that evening...clawing at her bites, which were EVERYWHERE and only getting more angry-looking and swollen. Poor Hattie scratched herself raw in a few spots, so we gave her some Benadryl and she went right to sleep that night. All night, I couldn't shake the suspicion that this might be an allergy, but I couldn't think of any new foods she had eaten! I spoke with Wise Doctor Price/Sister Molly, and she told me to take Hattie to our dermatologist in the morning. So, Day 10, Hattie and I woke up early, got ready for the day, I gave her the last dose of her antibiotic, and we ran out the door to see the dermatologist. We walked into his office, and he looked at Hattie's spots (which were horrible, all over her back, legs, tummy and now her cheeks) and said simply, "Oh, she's having an allergic reaction. Is she on any medication right now?" I slumped over in the chair and said, "Oh, good grief. I just gave her the last dose of her Amoxicillin for an ear infection!" He said, "Oh, she's allergic to Penicillin."
I know this is a little morbid, but I really could have benefited from some good pictures and examples of what an allergic reaction looks like. For those of you who want to know, this is what it looked like! (The internet is full of tons of images, and they didn't really help us much because every case looked so different.) By the way, this picture was taken after we gave her Benadryl, and she had calmed down a bit...ugh, so sad!
What I know now:
You CAN have a serious allergy to something and not see an immediate reaction. In Hattie's case, it took several days before we saw outward signs of her allergic reaction, but make no mistake--her allergy response was happening before we saw anything.
Viruses have rashes which are flat most of the time. Allergic reactions are always raised and itchy.
Go with your gut! Maternal and Paternal instincts are for-REAL!
So, maybe "Parent of the Year" won't be mine this year, but I am SO thankful I have a God who helps me through situations like this! He gave me the right people in my life to give me the right advice, and He gave me the intuition I needed to help Hattie. Thank You, God, for my healthy little girl!
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