Contact Dermatitis – What?

Danger is a very healthy kid. She just is and we are grateful for that. Do you want to know what else is grateful for a healthy kid? My nerves!

 
So Dang has had a little patch of dry skin on her inside elbow. It doesn’t bother her, it doesn’t crack or bleed, and it isn’t something that her pediatrician is worried about. Do you know who constantly worries about it? Yep – Me! Do you know who tries changing her already very healthy diet? Yep – Me! 
 
So as I’ve become more accustomed with seeing this patch of dry skin come and go, my nerves have adjusted. They aren’t breathing sighs of relief, mind you, they are just… Murmuring, maybe. 
 
So a few days ago, some red spots appeared on Danger’s torso and the nerves reported for duty. And in fine form, I might add. Trying not to be a freaked-out first-time Mom, I kept telling myself, “wait and see what tomorrow brings because she isn’t bothered by them.” Good advice, right? Yeah maybe, but hard to follow. I don’t think I slept a wink at all – and not just because I was up every couple of hours with her for her teething pain and comfort nursing. I just had Mommy worry. 
 
The next morning, calming myself before the storm – read: gulping down an entire cup of steaming hot coffee before going in to get Danger up just in case we had to book it to the ER or some other medical establishment with really crappy java – I was telling myself the dots would be gone and no trips would be necessary. 
 
Quelle surprise (read that in your best French accent)! The spots had spread AND turned into bumps overnight. The bumps were kind of like little insect bites. This – and maybe the 8 oz of coffee I inhaled – did not do wonders for calming my aforementioned nerves.
 
Get kid and Mom dressed and ready to bolt. 
Phone doctor. 
Give details to nurse. 
Because I’m awesome (haha), provide pictures of the spots-to-dots progression. 
Make Danger breakfast. 
Wait. 
Play. 
Wait. 
Play.
Read books with and then put Danger down for a nap. 
Wait. 
At this point, I am thinking, “seriously, how long does it take to look at some pictures, Doc?”
 
Receive phone call – contact dermatitis. What? 
Wash her. 
Wash everything. 
Wait and see. 
Um, okay. 
 
You need a medical degree to tell me wait and see? I have been analyzing everything this kid has eaten or drank over the past week, scrutinized the cleanliness of anywhere this child has touched in the past week, and basically made myself crazy over these spots / bumps, and “wait and see” is what you’ve got?!?! 
 
So… 
I washed absolutely EVERYTHING, again. 
I bathed her, again.
I put her to bed and had a sleepless night, again. And you know what? 
 
Those damn dots are gone. 
 
The whole thing just reminds me of when you call customer support when your computer crashes and you give them the laundry list of stuff you’ve done, the stuff you’ve thought of that could possibly be wrong, and even all the research you just did trying to figure it out, and they say, “Did you turn it off and on again?” And it fixes the thing. 
 
Ugh. 
 
Here’s a cute shot of Danger playing,  unaffected by the spots /dots while her Mommy worried closely by. And yes, she is in a laundry basket, accompanied by her trusty Dog, with a capital “D.” She grabbed her purse and was using her plastic keys to turn on her ‘train’ for a quick turn around the living room. That laundry basket was ever-present that day and she thoroughly enjoyed it! And I just couldn’t get enough of Little One saying, “choo choo!” 
 
 
 
I hope your days are spot-free! 
 

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