Spots Before My Eyes

OKay, we have been here just over a month and I have to say I have seen enough of the medical facilities already. As someone who never takes my kids or myself to the doctor, I feel like that is all I have done since we arrived.

I know it is not really true, but after Cady and her knife incident the other week. Now she complaining she has a toothache. I called the local pediatric dentist today and was told he could not see her tomorrow. I was put out since then it will be the weekend and MOnday is a holiday here. Poor kid has to wait till Tuesday? But no, how about 11am on Sunday? What? A dentist appointment on a Sunday... Who ever heard of such a crazy idea? Well, I for one have not, but that is where we are going to be on Sunday morning. Please keep your fingers-crossed that things go well. Since the stitches nightmare, Cady is 'off' anyone medical and anytime I mention the dentist, her toothache miraculously gets better.

Anyway, back to my rant about the spots and doctors. As some of you know just prior to leaving Florida I took Aimee for an appointment to a dermatologist for some yucky bumps she has had for a few months. I figured that the move to China warranted a checkup to see what these things were. They had started out as one or two on her thighs and slowly got more obvious and grew in number. At the dermatologist we were told that she had something called Molluscum Contagiosum - EEww! Never heard of it, but apparently it affects approx 1 in 200 kids before the age of 10. It is a viral condition, that basically hangs around until it decides to leave. There are numerous things you can do to manage the condition, but basically they all hurt and are pretty much useless. The doctor gave us some cream and sent us to China. We started the course of treatment a few weeks ago and I jhave to tell you that the 'cure' is worse that the disease. What looked like benign warty things suddenly started turning red and nasty and flaky, not to mention painful. I immediately contacted Dr Liang for advice and she like me agreed that we were better off with the disease than the pain. So we stopped the creams. In a few days the eczema like welts started to clear up and we were back to the warts.

Fast forward to Tuesday night - Aimee informs me that her feet are itchy. On closer inspection she has a rash all over the tops of her feet - Weird! I give her some antihistamines and put some benedryl cream on to stop the itching, but it looks like a heat rash. She has a pretty rough night and in the morning the bumps are still a bit itchy. Off to school with a note to the teacher mentioning the Molluscum and the new rash. Thankfully, the school are incredible and the nurse knew all about Molluscum (her kids best friends had had it for 5years!). Last night Aimee could not sleep for the itching again, but still wanted to go to school. I checked her skin and it looks like her Molluscum has broken out all over, she has bumps everywhere. About two hours after leaving for school Aimee calls me to say the itches are now on her hands.... Oh Man, does she have some dreaded lurgey?

I tell her I will collect her and then manage to make an appointment with the 'Professor of Dermatology' at a local hospital that caters to Expats and rich Chinese. Cutting a long journey short, we arrive at the hospital and find the place we need. I have to say that everyone is so nice and the place reminded me of Cleveland Clinic, very modern and clean. We are seen by this wizened old professor who ask a fwe questions takes a good look at Aimee and tells me that no it is not Molluscum that is itching, but Urticara or Hives (to you and me). He thinks she has had an allergic reaction to something and duly prescribes some allergy tablets and Calamine lotion. Oh and yes, the Molluscum is normal - not infected and no, you just have to wait it out since it is a viral infection. Great, so poor old spotty now has two spotty complaints, poor kid. One thing I love about the healthcare system here is they write you a prescription in one room, you take your file to check out at reception and they already have the prescription filled and waiting. None of that dropping it off at Publix and waiting 20mins. I can't say that we have received any great medical cures, but at least I walked out of the doctors office with everything I need to help Aimee feel better. So 554rmb (80usd) later I have some tablets, 2 bottles of calamine lotion and a chat with the Professor, the 54rmb (7usd) was the meds and the 500rmb (73usd) was the consultation fee. To stop my poor baby itching and for the peacxe of mind of knowing that dreaded Molluscum was nothing serious I would have paid twice that in a heartbeat. Aimee took one of the tablets in the car and was feeling less itchy within about an hour. We have slathered her in Calamine lotion tonight and apart from looking like a lumpy, bumpy voodoo woman, she is sleeping peacefully.

I do want to say that Aimee has been such a trooper through all of this. The Molluscum is incredibly unsightly and I know she is embarrassed by it, but she has not let it get her down yet. We have talked about it and she knows it is not her fault and it will go away sometime, but honestly, I don't know how she bears it. I had Psoriasis as a teenager (and sometimes still do) and it bothered me no end. I hated anyone commenting on it. I wish the darn warts would just up and leave my beautiful girl alone, but I fear that they are here for a while.

Please if you have never heard of this condition do some research. It is very, very common, especially in humid regions and is believed to be transmitted by swimming pools or sharing towels and equipment. I assume Aimee caught it from swimming somewhere, but since it lays dormant for a while, we will probably never know where she got it. I for one had never heard of it and wish I never had.