Getting pretty scared now.

[Springchicken]

Had a panic with DD on Thursday evening, following on from TS's DS being taken into hospital. She was turing away from the light, crying when getting dressed/undressed, temperature of 38 and freezing cold hands/feet - NHS Direct/On Call Dr decided it was an ear infection.

She hasn't been the same since and all day yesterday nd last night she just cried continuously. She must have woken up at least once each hour last night and has been grouchy again this morning. As i was getting her dressed, noticed a red dotted rash all over her arms, body and back. I have done the glass test but because the dots are so close together I can't tell iuf i fades or not, have called work and told them I am not going in but the dr surgery doesn't open til 8.50.
She is just not herself at all and is hot touch.

a&e NOW hun... dont risk waiting..... hope to god she is ok xxx

have just looked on the meningitis website and it says to look out for tiny red or brown pinprick marks and that is exactly what the rash is like.

Oh fuck!

Ringing DP now to come home, going to get DD's bit together and go straight to A&E

go to A&E now SC .. good luck

how long will it take DP to get home?

Can you take her yourself and he meet you there?

Dp is working locally so wont take long but if he's not here in 10 I am going.

Just taken her temp and it is only 34 so surely that's a good sign - it was much higher last week

More than likely it is something completely different and harmless.

But best to be safe.

Also recommend A&E asap.

try the glass test now that you're a little calmer?

Done it again - still cant tell. the whole area goes red but i don't know if its the rash or if its because im pressing on the skin!

Is DP here yet?

No Hula. I'm off now. I feel sick, why the hell did i look at the meningitis website

Go and get it checked. Chances are it is a viral rash linked with the ear infection (mine often come out in a rash a couple of days after infection/heavy cold and signifies end stages of the bug). BUT don?t take chances, the hospital will be only too happy to help you - GO NOW xx

Try not to panic. Hope all goes well at A&E and you are back here later telling us how the hospital think you are a neurotic mum, and that DD came across as being completely heathy and happy as soon as you wwalked through A&E's doors.

Take care.

We are back.

Went to my doctors surgery on the way past ont he off chance they were open (dont answer the telephone unti 8.50) and they were. Explained situation and said i wanted to sit and wait to be seen. Was seen after the first appointment.

DD has perferated both of her ear drums Poor little sausage. no wonder she has been miserable, the doctor said the pain would have been absolute agony. She is tucked up in her cot now fast asleep and has a course of antibiotics in the fridge waiting for when she wakes up.

Although this obviously isnt nice for DD, thank God it wasn't anything worse !

Quick question - What do i do about bathing her? When my mum done this she had to wear an ear plug to make sure it didn't get wet, but dont know if i can one that small.

Obviously I will try and avoid getting water in her ears but that is pretty hard with a wriggling 16 month old.

You can order ear putties from perfectly happy people for use when bathing etc. You just break of the size piece that you require and mould it into the pinna - not the ear canal. We use these with DD3 with great results

Sorry to hear she is so ill

alternatively don't bathe her, just top and tail with warm water ..I did this for nesrly a year when my dd couldn't have baths

Oh the poor little thing. I hope the ab kick in really quickly.

As for the bathing - can you just top and tail here for a few days for now, and see how she goes after that?

Wishing her a speedy recover Springchicken.

Thanks guys. Will do the top and tailing for a few days. She only had a bath and hair wash last night and i was extra careful with her ears anyway (due to last week).
She is still fast asleep - gots lots to catch up with from yesterday and last night.

I feel so bad for getting cross with her yesterday when i thought she was just being a stroppy mare and grumpy for no reason

Oh Springchicken, I can almost feel your relief that it is not more serious. I read all of TS's thread, saw yours too and now this. So glad your little one was able to see the GP this morning (clever you to stop off there!) and should be on the mend soon. I am getting really twitchy about meningitis now for no other reason than seeing all these threads about it!

Out of interest, could the GP explain the rash on your dd?

Thanks LM - it is a huge relief, I was making myself a wreck in the waiting room and felt like kissing the doctor when he said it wasn't anything sinister. Everything recently has made me nuerotic over it what with Amyjade's awful story then TS DS, it is just so scary.

Dr explained the rash as being the tail end of the ear infection she had which then led to the ear drums to perforate due to the infection not being treated. Can't win thought can you, last week the On Call Doctor told me there was no point in having AB's but keep up with the calpol regularly but doc today said if DD could have got AB's last week it may have been avoided.

I have always been given ABs when my children have had ear infections. I thought the point was, that ABs don't work on colds but an ear infectin is secondary to the viral infection so ABs do work for them. Anyway, glad you have the ABs now - it should make a big difference very soon.

Yes thats what i thought but because DD has had quite a few courses of anti b's since birth the doctor had told me he wouldn't prescribe them for her anymore.

Nothing is ever simple though is it

She is still fast asleep - been and checked on her but that is nearly 3 hours now. she must've been exhausted.

SpringChicken - did the GP say what the rash was about? I would still monitor it, tbh, and seek help immediately if it is still spresading.

V pleased you got help with her ears, though. Phew!

They don't hand out AB's for ear infections because many are actually viral and so don't respond, unfortunatly it is really diificult for doctors to tell which type they are.

When dd was little she had lots of high temps/colds and often had a red pinpricky rash, which was never meningitis but always scared me into taking her to A&E because it didn't properly fade with the glass test. The last time we were there a doctor showed us an alternative, which is to put your thumbs together on top of the rash and then stretch apart, so you are stretching teh rashy skin underneath - it is sometimes an easier way of checking that the rash does fade under pressure.

Glad you got her checked and she is better now SC