Roseola

A few weeks ago, Cooper got sick. I was thinking it was the same thing as before, but it wasn't. He started off with a fever for a couple of days, I took him in on a Friday, as I thought maybe he had an ear infection. His ears were clear and they swabbed him for the flu. That came back negative. The nurse practitioner said that if any new symptoms come up to call them and have him seen immediately. So I took Cooper home and got him all situated.

Later that afternoon I went to change his diaper and noticed some orange spots in his diaper mixed in with his urine. It caught me off guard and I called the nurse as it was after hours by then. She called me back, I explained what had been going on for the last few days and then the orange spots and asked what I should do. She said, "Take him to the emergency room right away." Um, holy crap! Not something I was expecting or wanted to hear. As it was a last minute thing and there wasn't anyone available to watch Zoe, I made the trek myself.

As we walked in, here is what I saw: It was like a scene from a horror film. Everyone was wandering around with masks on their faces. I guess anyone with flu like symptoms were given a mask as not to spread the flu. We had to wait for a little while and went back for the first round of questions. They put a nice little baggy over his... you know, just in case he urinated by the time we went back there to see the doctor. When I came out I had to sit in the "toxic" area with all the masked capers. One individual with a mask on decided that it was necessary for him to sit right next to us. He not only had a mask on, no no. He also had a bucket in which to "spew" in. I, who was sitting clearly with a small child and was already irritated that it was taking so long, gave this gentleman the look of, "Seriously? There are all these other seats and you have to sit here next to a baby?!" Then I voiced just that as I looked over my glasses with the "Mom Look." The young man promptly moved as far away from my laser beams that I was shooting at him with my eyes and we were called back a few minutes later.

It took 3 hours to get any pee out of this little man and all the tests came back negative. The doctor at the ER pretty much shrugged his shoulders at me and signed the release papers. I had to IM my cousin who is a nurse practitioner to get his advice on what the spots could mean. He said it could be a few things. Infection, which they ruled out with the tests; Trauma, which was unlikely, but a possibility with the way Zoe plays with him sometimes; or a Fever can cause inflammation and sometimes spotting can occur. So thank you Dr. What's Your Face, you didn't do a dang thing to explain to me what it could be, my cousin who lives in southern Idaho did it for you. Sheesh!

So the fever stopped around the late afternoon on Saturday and I was relieved... until we woke up on Sunday. Some spots that had popped up on Cooper's head and neck on Saturday were now all over his body. Big, red, welts where all over his body, mostly on his head down to his chest and back. Luckily, we were going to the doctor on Monday, so I just kept him comfortable.

Here is what the doctor said. "Its classic Roseola, however its a pretty nasty case and looks like it could be an allergic reaction. Take him home and give him some Benadryl. Then if the spots fade for a while, you will know its an allergic reaction. If not, then its Roseola and will clear in a few days." Benadryl didn't do anything, so it was in fact Roseola.

Here is what Roseola is https://www.google.com/health/ref/Roseola

Here is what Roseola looks like on Cooper: