Peanuts and Polka Dots

When the doctor diagnosed Shaylen with pneumonia, he prescribed two medicines: azithromycin (antibiotic) and prednisone (steroid). He said he really liked the azithromycin because you only had to take a few doses, but it continued working long after you stopped taking it. He recommended the prednisone to help give her body strength to fight off the pneumonia. The medicine worked. Her fever dropped and she got more life in her cutesy face.

However, her body didn't like the antibiotic. She had a severe allergic reaction. Wednesday I noticed that she started getting red dots on her face, arms and legs. Since she hadn't been outside, I knew it wasn't something she had rubbed up against. I knew it was a reaction to the meds. I took her back to the doctor's and they confirmed that. They changed her medicine to amoxicillin, but warned me that her body was going to probably continue reacting because the azithromycin would be in her system. A nurse from our church said the same thing. She said it sometimes takes 10-12 days for the body to work it out of the system.

So, for the time being, Shaylen was back in bed, itchy and in a Benadryl coma. You could see the rash go away during the four hour time frame, but instantly come back at the tail end of the four hours. We missed another Wednesday night service and Shaylen was disappointed to not be able to go. Oh, the tears that were shed!

I cannot take pictures of what I saw on her backside. She was covered. The pictures I've posted here are mild. The only place I did NOT see the rash was in her hair. It was all over her face, ears, lips, neck, chest, arms, hands, fingers, buttocks, thighs, calves, feet and toes. She tried to do school, but would eventually go to sleep on the couch and wake up itching again after the Benadryl wore off.

And yet, look at her sweet smile in spite of it all. Her spirit matches that smile. Sweet and joyful. I love this girl SO much!