Our Anna has WHAT?????

On Friday, Anna was complaining that her hand hurt. When I looked at it all I saw was a small red mark on her pinky. I thought that she had scratched it. So I gave her a boo-boo bag and sent her on her way. By Saturday the small red mark had turned into a bubbly rash. I called my mom and we talked about the different things it could be and concluded that if it got worse I would take her into urgent care in the morning. When Anna woke up on Sunday morning the rash was all over her hand and was making its way up her arm and on to her back. We ate some breakfast and then Anna and Seth set off for the urgent care clinic. The doctor there was not sure what it was and even called another doctor for a second opinion. He sent Anna home with an ointment that contained 2.5% Hydro-cortisone with the instructions to apply twice a day. We followed these instructions but the rash was still getting worse and spreading.

Pictures from Saturday: (I will get updated pictures if Anna will let me take off the mitten she wears!)





Finally I could not take it any more and I took Anna to her primary doctor today. The doctor wasn't sure what it was and brought two more doctors in to look at it. After much discussion, big medical terms, looking trough books, taking pictures and drawing samples; they believe that Anna has SHINGLES!!! WHAT??? Yep Shingles.

They are sending the sample in to make sure but shingles was the conclusion that all the doctors came to. The oldest and most experienced doctor of the group said that he has only seen this occur on a child her age, once before in his entire career. He said that since Anna had her varicella vaccination (Chicken pox) last year Shingles was a real possibility. Only about 1% of children get the shingles from this vaccination but it happens. He said that modern day medicine is so good at mimicking nature that even though Anna never really had Chicken pox, the virus was still able to come back as shingles.

The up side to Anna having Shingles as a child is that it is not as painful and itchy as it is in adults. The Shingles virus is not contagious its self but if someone has not had the vaccine for chicken pox or has not had that virus before she could give them chicken pox.

We are being really careful so not to give piper Chicken Pox. That would be AWFUL!!!
Thank you for all the concerns and prayers that came our way! Anna is on medication and it should go away in about 10 days!

Still Happy even though it hurts!!!