Wednesday, August 13, 2008

My son the medical oddity.

Big dog is covered with bumps. Big bumps. Big bumps with blisters. Big bruising bumps with blisters. I'm going to stop here before I sound too much like The Berenstain's B Book.
I think it is pretty clear my big guy is covered in bumps. Mosquito bites to be exact.

Yesterday, when he woke up, he said, "Mommy, my ear grew!" and sure enough, he had a hugely swollen bright red ear. It looked painful. He says it didn't itch, but man alive, that thing was a crimson throbbing ear and a half.

Turns out the mosquito didn't end her trip to the Big Dog buffet with his ear. He had 3 or 4 bites on each arm and one on his foot. They were big, but not obscenely so, and since he said they didn't bother him, I settled him in with the nanny and headed off to work.

In the afternoon I got a call. "So the bites on Big Dog's arm, did they go all the way to his armpit?" asked NE.
Um, no. They were swollen, but about the size of a quarter.
Since the bites were near his elbow, this comment made it pretty obvious they had grown. And formed blisters. He says they didn't itch, but she'd seen him scratching several times that afternoon.

I decided it was time to go to the doctor. See, Big Dog has always reacted to mosquito bites with a larger than normal bump, and sometimes the bites would get infected and start to hurt. Every year we make a trip to the pediatrician to have his bites looked at for one reason or another so I figured it wasn't a bad idea to have them checked out.

When I got home, the bites had continued to swell. They were now several inches across. His arms were visibly swollen, and the blisters on the bites were larger than I'd ever seen on him. I was impressed, and a bit freaked out.

The doctor was impressed too, not so freaked out though, which is good considering her profession. Said she'd never seen bites with such a big reaction. As we were looking him over we found another bite on his ankle that was swollen to the point of bruising. She said this was more extreme than any of the cases she'd seen in text books and would we mind if the visiting resident came in to take a peek? The resident was impressed too. All this from a few mosquito bites.

Big Dog was a champ about the whole thing. He proudly showed off his bites, hamming it up when they poked and prodded him. If they missed one, he'd pipe in "I have one here too!" I think he enjoyed being the center of attention. He's like that.

Turns out he has Skeeter Syndrome. Yeah, that's the real name. It is a strong localized reaction to mosquito bites. Um, I could have told you that, but thanks Wikipedia. Nothing to do about it, except treat the inflammation with Advil and give him a daily dose of an OTC antihistamine until mosquito season is over. It is essentially harmless, just really uncomfortable, and pretty damn unsightly if I may say so. The doctor promises they'll clear up in a few days to a couple of weeks and as long as we keep them clean and don't scratch, she doubts they'll require any more medical attention.

So Big Dog got to be a medical oddity, and I got to freak out and leave work early. Other than that, no big news. But I'm thinking Skeeter Syndrome! would make a pretty good band name. Any takers?

16 comments:

Sarah Vasquez said...

Geeeez. Tease me with promises of medical oddities and not include pictures? WHAT is WRONG with you, woman!?

geekymummy said...

ouch. Apparently victorias secret vanilla lace body lotion is an amazing DEET free mosquito repellent. Someone in our parent yahoo group said 'your child will smell like a cheap hooker, but it keeps the bugs away'

Nauntie Lush said...

Man, I am glad to know that I have a mild case of skeeter syndrome. (Although saying that out loud to anyone I know will undoubtedly make me sound like i live in a double wide in Arkansas) Stock up on the DEET repellent. Lord knows whatever damage it will cause in 50 years will not matter as we will be dead!

mamikaze said...

Poor kid, Skeeter syndrome sucks. I have it (not as severe as he, thankfully) with all insect bites. I am a bug magnet on top of it all. Avon Skin So Soft is a great DEET free insect repellant.

Kirsten said...

Okay, if you are going to have a medical oddity, one that can be managed with Advil and antihistamine is a pretty good one to have! Glad all that swelling turned out to be something benign.

Unknown said...

awwww poor lil guy-skeeters are mean lil biting critters-I have to second avons skin so soft-it works wonders

Anonymous said...

Glad he's okay. I'm sure those huge blistery bumps were freaking you out.

chihuahua5 said...

dude, i have skeeter syndrome too. victoria secret body lotion nor avon "skin so soft" does doodlysquat for me. up, i'm going the Big Dog route and taking the OTC claritin.

Kaza said...

Yeah, I'm goin' for the band name here. Why hasn't anyone used it before?

We've had the pleasure of our child used for the whole "medical oddity" teaching case thing, w/ the residents coming in to just "take a look." NOT a good sign. But it seems to have turned out fine in both cases, thankfully. I get horrible reactions to the 'skeeters down South, nothing like what I had in Cali. But not quite as bad as what you're describing here, poor kid!

Anonymous said...

Thanks...now I know what to call my HUGE welts that I get from mosquuito bites. Not only do I get more than any one I know, BUT they are so large they look in human. Since I'm a hypochondriac (sp) I'm happy to read they aren't harmful :).

Mamacat said...

skeeter syndrome, nice one. My toddler came home today with huge swollen quarter-size bumps on legs and a crimson swollen ear today. Second time skeeters have gotten him. I treat with Zyrtec and ibuprofen. Glad to get a name for the syndrome (he got from me) and thank you google for helping me find your blog : )

Anonymous said...

Got bit by mosquito two nights ago -woke up from bite and woke husband to find mosquito and kill it (which he did!). I have always been bitten much by mosquitos, flees, lice, etc. I am like a magnet to them... But the mosquito bite of the other night - OMG! It is now massive! It is the size of half my lower arm now and it is hot and it itches! I will now try some ibuprofen (if I can, I am breastfeeding??!) Also have a bite on my foot which is huge too - I did not notice that one because I was wearing sandals yesterday but today it is so swollen, I cannot put on my shoes!! So these are the fruits of the Indian Summer in London - and I was so pleased about the good weather... At least now I think I know what it is... Also thanks to google for leading me to your blog!
I must not scratch - I must not scratch - I must not scratch!

LOve Jen said...

Your Blog here has put my mind at ease and saved me a trip to the E.R. Room. I have been treated for "Cellulitus" for Skeeter bites 4 times since moving to The New Orleans Area. Yet I have had some severe reactions clear up without Antibiotics. So I felt that their was something else going on, tried to Google Allergic reaction cellulite treatments, found you...The thought of another trip to the E.R. Room ,it is just the last thing I ever want to do...Much less take antibiotics, which requires my immune system being suppressed and I.V. steroids in order for my to take. So Yep this is no doubt what I have, Skeeter Syndrome and it will go away. I found Gold Bond Powder a bite soothing. I am getting the lotions I will where both if need be...Thank You for Common Sense and One less E.R. ...
and Hospitalization...
Smiles Hugs And Blessings, LOve Jen

Timothy Tan said...

My son woke up with his upper left side of his nose swollen. There was a little read dot on his nose. The swelling grew over his eye and on the second day, his left ear grew red and bigger. His swelling itch without pain. There was no swelling on his face between his eye and ear, and this puzzled the ER doctor. His chest where his heart is also swell up. He had mild fever and running nose at the end of the second day. He now is on Augmentin (powder + water mixed) treatment for a week...hope that he will get well soon. My son had a history of blister-like swelling after mosquito bites and now i know he got skeeter syndrome.

Anonymous said...

Yes, really.

Anonymous said...

I too got Skeeters Syndrome. It is more common to suffer from bites when visiting another region. My legs and feet looked like I was being abused. Bites were very itchy and sore. I had a lot of swelling. I took Benadryl and rubbed legs with Afterbite and Caladryl. Much better after 10 days. Still itchy about twice a day. I now use alcohol only. It helps tremendously. I still have a blister on back of ankle. I want to pop but understand it's better to let it heal naturally. I hope it goes down soon. This is a nasty little annoyance. Don't scratch!

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