Another Friday, Another Night in the Emergency Room....

I promise to post Christmas pics soon...but not in the same post as this pitiful tale!

Let me preface the story by saying Lilly is doing great now, so no need for great alarm.

After the last post, Lilly did really well for a few days, and was WONDERFUL and totally healthy on Christmas Day. However, the next morning when she woke up she had two weird bruises under her eyes. I figured she had played a little too rough with some of her new toys on Tuesday and didn't think much more of it. Then when she woke up from her nap, she was itching through her skin and her trunk, thighs & privates were COVERED in spots. So, I called the pediatrician and whooshed her off to see the doctor (at this point thinking she had chicken pox). The doctor said it wasn't chicken pox, but an allergic reaction to the antibiotic she was on for her ear infections (see...I told you being smug always bites you back in the end). SO, we were to head home, stop the antibiotic and start benadryl for the hives. Good plan. Very doable. So, I got the medicine and did as instructed, but that night was really bad, and the next day was worse. She was having fevers of 102 and itching through her skin, and the rash was turning to bruising circles in a deep purple all over her body, and she was MISERABLE. Anyway, to make a long story no quite as long, we saw the pediatrician again, and she wanted us to go to the emergency room at the children's hospital in Norfolk yesterday afternoon and let them decide if she needed to be admitted or not (yes...I was quite panicked at that point). So, mom, Lilly and I headed to the ER at CHKD. She was eventually diagnosed with erythema multiforme, a wicked reaction to either a virus or a drug (they aren't sure). Its not contagious, but also not treatable, and can last a really long time (weeks to years). They said they thought the rash would go away in a few weeks, and to just keep giving benadryl for itchiness and motrin for the swelling and joint pain (oh - forgot that part...her hands and feet are really swollen...can't even get her shoes on her!). The fever they thought was from a virus (maybe the one that caused all this fun). The good news is that she has a very mild form of this reactive process, because the more severe form can be very horrible, require admission, and can be fatal. Thank God we just got the ugly bruising rash!!!!!

She is feeling MUCH better today. Her fever seems to have gone, and she is bouncing all around teh house playing with everything Santa brought her. SHe still looks...well...like a leper...but, she is feeling better. She does seem to know that her tummy looks bad, and she was quite embarassed to let anyone see it. But, I finally got a picture yesterday...keep in mind that this is the improved shot.

I am grateful, exhausted, drained, and relieved. But I think more than anything, I am in awe of how I managed to adopt a little girl from around the world who is so like me!!! As I have reflected on that today, I have decided that God knew she might need a mommy who could easily adapt to quirky medical issues that fit no text book. Of course, she is like me in many other ways - and I had really hoped for her sake she would not be like me in this way, but isn't it bizarre?? I keep having to remind myself that she is not actually genetically linked to me. I promise fun Christmas stories and pics soon. But, I need sleep!!!