The Story of Mason's HSP

Sigh!  So much to say…so much to explain…so much to pray about.  Many times I feel like I am doing something really right or really wrong.  Either way, I am learning to trust God as I persevere. 

Sunday we started our journey with Mason.  He started with a fever on Friday evening of 102.  When he woke up on Sunday, he still had a fever and was complaining his throat hurt.  I had to help with Sunday School at church, Logan had a stomach ache and Caden was screaming he didn’t want to go to church.  What a way to start our “day of rest”.  David took Mason to the pediatrician while Caden and I went to church.

Logan helped David find the office, he has such a great sense of direction.  If he has been somewhere once, he can find it again.  I am constantly amazed at the gifts that God gives us.  He also got up on Tuesday morning, got dressed, fixed his own breakfast, ate it, put his shoes on and told us he was ready for school.

Mason tested positive for strep and had a lacey rash over the core of his body and in the diaper area. He was given an antibiotic (Omnicef) and sent home.  After a discussion with the pharmacist on the best medicine for Mason (given his SPD), we went with Omnicef over Amoxicillin. 

On Monday, he was feeling better and I went off to work and took the other two boys to school.  I even joked with someone in the parking lot that I was thankful it was strep because it was treatable and a quick turnaround.

When I got home from work that afternoon, I woke Mason up and changed his diaper.  That was when I noticed the rash on his legs.  This is the first picture I took.

It was 5:30 when I called the pediatricians office.  The nurse believed it was an allergic reaction to the antibiotic and schedule an appt for Tuesday.  I wasn’t comfortable with this diagnosis, so I googled his symptoms and from what I could find, thought he had rheumatic fever. The pharmacist said strep could turn into this.  What I now know is that it is never seen in children under 5. 

MOTHERS ALWAYS FOLLOW YOUR INTUITION, this is usually GOD trying to lead you in the right direction.  I followed mine and we went to Urgent Care.  They diagnosed Mason right away with HSP and sent us to the ER at Levine Children’s Hospital.  The urge me to hurry and “only stop for David” and then go DIRECTLY to the ER.  Some joke!  Note to self:  If he was that critical, they would have sent him by ambulance.  Here is the 2nd picture from Urgent Care.

After waiting 3.5 hours in the ER we were finally seen by a doctor.  By this time it was midnight and Mason was giddy from lack of sleep.   We finally got him to go to sleep only to be woken up every 5 minutes for some test.  They first catherized him.  He was asleep and slept until the very last minute when the tube when in.  What a RUDE way to wake up.  They then drew blood thru an IV…they about broke his hand trying to get enough blood.  He finally settled down and went back to sleep.  Through-out the night different doctors/residents/interns all stopped by to see his “rash”.  The doctor then ordered a fecal test, so he was woken up again by having something shoved up his bottom.  Again he fell asleep only to be woken up to have another blood test for a CBC (white count & platelets)  I didn’t know that he was too old to get blood from his heel.  They nearly broke his foot trying to get enough blood.  He was  hydrated (drank an entire juice in the waiting room).  The last test was unsuccessful, the blood clotted before the could do the test.  Mason and had enough and it was 3:30 AM.  We told them no more and took him home.  He had an appt with the pediatrician in the morning anyway, so we would continue the tests there.

Sleeping in the ER

Rash in ER

So all that to say…Mason has been diagnosed with Henoch-Schonlein Purpura. HSP causes blood vessels to get inflamed (irritated and swollen). This inflammation is called vasculitis. It usually affects the small blood vessels in the skin (capillaries). It can also affect blood vessels in the bowel and the kidneys. When the blood vessels get inflamed, they can bleed into the skin, causing a rash that is called purpura. The intestines and the kidneys may also bleed. Please pray that a rash will be the worst affect of this reaction.  Mason will probably experience painful stomach cramps in about 8-10 days.  Worst case scenarios include severe stomach cramping, blood in urine and stool, painful joints and renal failure. 

After some pain when going tinkle, he is resting comfortably today and please pray for our family as we go through the next few weeks.  He has started getting more of the rash.  It is now on his thighs and elbows. David’s dad was here yesterday and today (God’s providence) and stayed with our boys while we were at the hospital and my mom will be coming tomorrow.
We will keep everyone posted and appreciated your thoughts and prayers.  We have had numerous offers for meals and may take everyone up on the offer if he gets worse.

M