Saturday, July 9, 2011

The Pepperoni Man...... not for the squeemish



This was taken when we got home from UAMS, about a week after the onset. At this point, they had dried up significantly and weren't as oozy.
I can't recap the last 9 months without discussing Rex's illness. We can joke about the situation now, but when this horrific skin condition rapidly took over Rex's body in January 2010, it was terrifying. One Saturday morning he work up with an odd bump on his hand and by Monday evening it had spread all over his body. He was admitted to St. Vincent's Infirmary that night and they considered sending him to the burn unit at Arkansas Children's Hospital. After days with no improvement and or answers he was transferred to UAMS that Friday. The biopsy was inconclusive but after high doses of steroids the condition improved and is now gone. The biopsy seemed most consistent with Sweet's Syndrome but his other symptoms just didn't fit. The UAMS dermatologists decided it was Erythema Multiforme Major, a slightly milder version of Steven-Johnson Syndrome. What exactly triggered the reaction remains to be unknown but we're just glad it's gone. Thank you all for your prayers during this very scary time. Aside from some scarring, Rex is now 100% well and the condition is just a bad memory to, Lord-willing, never return!!

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