ERYTHEMA MULTIFORME

Our Midweek Adventures.... I get a call from Ms. Kimmie at 10am today. "Uh Kate has a rash that is appearing before my eyes, it's bad come quick". So I get to the house and it is bad, looks like hives, her hands are swollen, her lip is swollen and her eye is starting to swell and the only thing I can think is that it's an allergic reaction to honey that Kate had this morning to help with a cough she's had for the last couple of days. I call the pediatrician while I'm at the sitters to see if I can come straight there and the nurse gets on the phone and says "call 911 and do it while I'm on the phone (for liability reasons) it could be an allergic reaction and her airways could close". OK I go in panic mode which she then says, "you need to remain calm the reaction worsens if she is upset so you can't get upset" So I'm panicking a little at this point but Kate seems fine besides the rash that is croppin up all over and she is breathing so I'm OK. Rescue arrives gives her a quick assessment and suggest taking her to the hospital asap so we load Kate in the ambulance (which she didn't like at all but later warmed up to) and we're off.

We get there the nurses all agreed it looked like some allergic reaction the doctor seemed to think otherwise but took no chance and ordered benedryl and epinephrine. A little while later the doctor popped back in to check on us and that is when he determined it indeed was not an allergic reaction because the rash was still present (the epinephrine would've nipped it immediately). That's when he threw the word ERYTHEMA MULTIFORME at us. The first part meaning "red" the second meaning "shapely rash" it's caused by a cold virus and is not serious. He explained it like this, most kids get colds and no rash some kids get colds and with it a rash, this is one of those times. Kate crashed a little while later (due to the benedryl) and I hung out in the room with her until we got the OK to leave. She is home now, and all wound up thanks to the epinephrine! But the good news is she seems so much better and most of the red swelling rash is gone. I'm so relieved and can't even began to describe the feelings I had when I thought it was serious, but thanks to a great bunch of people, my babysitter, rescue squad, nurses and doctors all is well and Kate is a thriving toddler.

Here are a couple of pictures of the swelling red rash, noice her left eye and how swollen and puffy it is


This makes me so sad to see this horrible rash, fortunately she didn't seem bothered by it