Worried about DD’s arm. Can someone talk me down?

[RubyAberdeen]

She’s almost six.

She has a bruise on her outer forearm. It started off at the beginning of the week quite light and about the size of a 5p coin and I didn’t think much of it. Over the last few days it has grown and today it’s about the size of a 10p piece and a lot darker. It also has a raised centre which is a paler colour.

I took her to the pharmacy today to ask if it was maybe a bite or something. The pharmacist I thought was a little taken aback when she saw it. Didn’t know what it was but took a photo and said bring her back on Monday to compare. But to be honest if it’s the same or worse I’ll be going to the GP.

She’s fine in herself. No temperature etc. Says the bruise isn’t sore unless she presses it. I am really worried about it though. I don’t really know why. I think it’s just that it’s not healing and I’m worried about infection/sepsis or leukaemia? But accept I can be a little over anxious about this stuff.

She has no idea how it happened. I asked her when it first appeared and she was like “🤷🏻‍♀️ Dunno didn’t know it was there”. She runs about, plays games etc at school so probably just bumped herself doing that.

Any thoughts?

I am anxious. I’m not usually, but I have a lot going on just now and everything is a bit heightened. I am aware of this.

Looks like she's fallen into a ring shaped bit of Lego or something and it's left a bruise.

To be absolutely safe you could get it checked on Monday as it may be a tick bite. They can leave a bull's eye type mark, but normally just red not bruised. I really wouldn't worry.

Do you mean like this OP? This was on my leg.

Mine was caused by a bite. Wasn't painful, just ever so slightly itchy and went down within about a week.

Yes that looks really similar.

It could be a bite then. I think mine was an ant!

Ask the GP for a blood test if so, it could well have been a tick.

Bruises are dark colored areas of the skin which may be raised in the center. They are caused by bleeding underneath the skin near the surface. When the bleeding causes a raised area, the area is called a "hematoma.” A bruise may have a bump or knot in the middle

Sounds like it’s a normal bruise just keep an eye

Can’t find the pictures but I got bit by a spider and got a nasty bruise, was pale at first and then really dark blue/purple after a couple of days with a raised pale patch in the middle, I would say it’s a bite of some sort!

Hi OP. I'm a bit of an expert on Sepsis as my husband ended up on a life support machine in a coma with it. I have since done a lot of work on raising awareness. And I can assure you that it would be extraordinarily unlikely that she has Sepsis! It comes with a barrage of other symptoms which are pretty extreme and fast moving. Rashes tend to be pin prick dots. From my limited knowledge of leukemia, it also doesn't fit. So, it seems very likely to be a bruise which is now fading from the middle out as the blood disperses. However, there could be a very slight chance of a tick bite (to be honest I would be surprised as they don't look like bruises (more pink/red bullseye rash). Also, in any event, a tick usually has to be attached for 24hrs in order to pass it on,in which case you almost certainly would have noticed. If it is the latter, it's not a problem as a course of antibiotics for 3 weeks will sort it and prevent any lasting problems. So I would say, almost certainly bruise, very slight risk of tick bite, highly unlikely to be leukemia and definitely not Sepsis!

Thank you 😢 I really appreciate that.

I feel like a right tube now.

Definitely doesn’t look like sepsis

Don’t feel daft, the whole point of asking questions on here is that someone might know something helpful!

Anything has the capacity to make us anxious, and at the moment, even without any personal circumstances, people are getting inthemselves in a right state. It’s OK!

It would not be OK if you whisked her off to A&E, and then started ranting at them that she had leukaemia, when they told you it was a bruise. Then I’d be worried about you.

Can you go and make yourself a hot drink, and listen/watch something mindless for half an hour before going to sleep? Take care.

Hi.

I logged in for the first time in years to suggest tick bite. I had a bruise that spread -with a pale centre , that was an infected tick bite(as in Lyme disease).
They don't all look like a bullseye.

I highly recommend you Google "tick bite bruise" and take your daughter to a doctor so she can get antibiotics.

It's strange how unknown this is - I had no idea until it happened to me.

Good luck. DM me if you would like a pic of mine.

Hi Op, I’m certain it’s just a bruise. Like you I’m a worrier so I know how easy it is to get worked up, but some people get bruises without being aware of knocking themselves. It’ll start fading very soon I’m sure.

Tick bite - Lyme disease?

Almost 100% of the bruises I get I haven’t really registered the injury when I notice them showing up - if I think back, sometimes I think ‘Oh yeah - probably when I bashed my shin into the bed frame’ but it takes a conscious effort to connect the dots (bruises!) because there’s a time lag between ‘Ouch, bloody hell!’ and ‘Blimey, how have I not noticed that massive bruise?’

My DC are similar - they’re often covered in greater or lesser bruises and never know exactly how they sustained them. Just keep an eye on it so you’re sure it’s getting better not worse but try not to panic!

Worse case scenario it’s a bullseye tick bite but usually they’re red rather than bruise like.

If it’s a bullseye tick bite - does that mean antibiotics? Is it serious?

@RubyAberdeen

If it’s a bullseye tick bite - does that mean antibiotics? Is it serious?

if it leads to Lyme, yes. i think the risks are much lower if you get the right antibiotics in a certain amount of time though

It looks a little better today. I think it’s turning yellow around the sides

I once had a black bruise the size of my hand on my thigh. It went every colour of the rainbow over a two week period. I still have no idea how I did it

Glad to hear it's looking better this morning. Hope you're ok op!

Hi,
The difference between this and a normal bruise is the pale centre. This makes a tick bite more likely. Bruising is a form of infected tick bite (ie Lyme disease).

If it's Lyme disease, she needs a treatment of antibiotics- is not a big deal as it's early stage, so nothing to be concerned about- she just needs the treatment.

I had it during the summer. so did my son and my husband. My son had classic bullseye,my husband had purple mark and localised hair loss, I had the bruise with pale centre. We all took a 2 week course of antibiotics.

Infected tick bite does not necessarily show anything, but infected tick= Lyme disease.

If it was my child, I would get a second opinion. Best to deal with it early on (if it is Lyme).

I’m going to take her to the doctor tomorrow. I think it is a bite. The centre looks even more pronounced this morning

If it was a tick bite/Lyme disease would the bruise be healing? It’s definitely not as dark as it was yesterday.