Ringing in 2010!!!

Our new year has been a bit of a disaster.  I hope that things only get better from here.  Joey got the flu on the 1st of January.  I slept in the basement for 3 nights until my back could not take it anymore.  He recovered fast and is feeling better it only took 3 days straight in bed for him to start feeling better.  Now on to my little Hadley.  Hadley went to the ER with me on monday night, we were there from 10:00pm-2:00am.  her right hand was swollen along with her legs and she had these weird bumps all over her legs.  While we were there we found out that she has Strep.  I asked about her leg and the ER doctor told me he was not worried about them that it would go away on it's own.  We went home and the next day she was feeling OK but the spots on her legs got worse and darker, I didn't want to take her back to the ER, I wasn't impressed with the doctor so I decided to try and make her comfortable and call in the morning to see our Peds doctor.  Mean while at 10:30 when Hadley went to go pee, we noticed that she was now peeing blood!! (Freaked out mom and dad.)  Next day went to my doctors office with Hadley and she has HSP (Henoch-Schonlein Purura)  Say what??  I googled it and this is what it is... Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) is a form of blood vessel inflammation or vasculitis. There are many different conditions that feature vasculitis. Each of the forms of vasculitis tends to involve certain characteristic blood vessels. HSP affects the small vessels called capillaries in the skin and frequently the kidneys. HSP results in skin rash (most prominent over the buttocks and behind the lower extremities) associated with joint inflammation (arthritis) and sometimes cramping pain in the abdomen. Henoch-Schonlein purpura is also referred to as anaphylactoid purpura.    So this is why my daughter is in pain and why she is swelling up and why she is peeing blood, Thanks ER doctor for your great concern!!!  It's usually triggered by another infection (Like Strep) and it goes away on it's own in about 4 weeks, however will more than likely reoccur in 4 months (happy for us we get to do all over again.)  It's not contagious though which is good.  I will post pictures of her poor legs when I get a chance, you will be shocked at how horrible it looks.  Happy New Year to Us!!!