This week has been a rough one.

For those of you who don’t know, there are 3 things that are often linked together medically: eczema, food allergies, and asthma.  Thankfully, D only has issues with 2 of those.

This week has been a particularly bad one with his eczema which is largely induced by environmental factors.  He’s allergic to dust mites, cats, dogs, and sensitive to many soaps, laundry detergents, etc.  Humidity is also eczema’s enemy, not easy when you live in Chicago.  Even if your clothes have any of these items on them, his eczema can flair up.  Cats and dogs usually cause him to break out into hives and once, his eye swelled up.

Last Saturday, D seemed to be developing something beyond eczema.  It looked more like a rash on his chest, back, and in the back of his knees which is where his eczema is usually worse.  This was the second time in a month so we decided to get him in to see the doctor.  She thought maybe he had a virus and a bacterial infection (impetigo) from the bad eczema but wanted to confirm with the pediatric dermatologist on Monday.  She took some pictures and told us to try a topical antibiotic.

By Monday, it had gotten better so she told us to continue usage.  Wednesday morning, daycare called and sent him home because they thought he had hand, foot, and mouth which started in his room on Tuesday.  Doctor confirmed it wasn’t, just impetigo still.

Back we go.  Thursday afternoon, daycare called again.  D now had a fever of 101 and had to go home.  I put him into the bath after dinner, and he threw up a minute later.

Friday, I noticed D’s knees were looking a little worse but kept applying the antibiotic.  By night, his fever started again.  When I woke up this morning (Saturday) and took him out of his crib, his rash had taken a turn for the worse.  It’s now widespread all over his body and has broken out into sores, blisters, is scabbed over from bleeding in spots, and they itch.  He looks awful.  M took him back into the doctor again so we’re going to try oral antibiotics.  This is the second time D’s had impetigo.  The eczema gets so bad, it breaks open, bacteria gets in, and infection can ensue.

Thankfully, M is still on summer schedule and has been home to do all the back and forth, doctors’ visits, backup care, etc.  I’m nervous about him going back to work this week and how we’re going to keep up.  It’s been really nice having him more available during this time.

It’s a good time for me to also recognize how much of a trooper D really is.  We give him a hard time because he’s kind of “whimpy”, overly sensitive, and cries more than we’d like, but then I have to remember that he’s probably uncomfortable most days.  Yet still, he manages to flash this wonderful warm magnetic smile like only D can every one of those damn days.