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My 4 year old head is swollen...

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GuamMom88
GuamMom88

My daughter was diagnosed with HSP about a month ago. First it started as a rash on her ankles that progressed up to her bottom, then to her arms. Pain and swelling began in her knees to her ankles, elbows, wrists, and eventually hands before we finally got the diagnosis. Because she is so young, her doctor didn't want to give her steroids, leaving only the use of ibuprofen to deal with her pain. We were told to let the disease run its course, it'll go away in a month or two. These past few weeks have been hard for us. Some days she is full of energy and will run around like any other child, but the next day she'll be in so much pain that she doesn't want to move. Now, about a month with this disease, the upper left quarter of her head is swollen. It was frightening because just an hour earlier, she was completely fine. We rushed to the hospital, had all the urine and blood tests done (everything was fine, just slight anemia), and were told that the swelling was just another symptom of HSP. I'm really confused because this whole time I thought it only affected joints with swelling. I'm just wondering if anyone else has had swelling in part of their body aside from limbs?

0 likes, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • brittany08747
    brittany08747 GuamMom88

    Posted

    Hi! So sorry yo hear you are going through this. My daughter Cooper was 5 last year when she got HSP. She ended up having intusessption because of her hsp and 28 cm of her small intestine removed. Before her surgery she had some really weird swelling. Her shin at one point looked like someone’s stuff a wash cloth under her skin. One day her spine was swollen and she could barely move. And then her forehead was protruding one night. All very scary and many trips to the ER were made. I have pictures of her in my blog but they may delete my post if I post the url. One thing her doctors told me was that we should not give her Motrin/ibuprofen because it can induce the bleeding. She had an extreme amount of steroids after her surgery and I really think that’s what made her hsp disappear. And thank the Lord, she’s been symptom free for over a year. Your little angel will get there too, it just may take a little time. I know it’s terribly scary, but hang in there! We will be praying for your family!
    • GuamMom88
      GuamMom88 brittany08747

      Posted

      Thank you. I'm glad your daughter was able to get better. It gives me hope.

  • GuamMom88
    GuamMom88

    Posted

    Just a little update with my daughter. After about 2 months of carefully monitoring her activity (little to no running/jumping or long walks) her rashes became less frequent. The swelling in her head disappeared after about two days and eventually no swelling at all in her limbs. We had gone for a check up and her doctor told us that she was fine now, although there is a possibility it will come back. It's been 5 months since she was first diagnosed and she's a happy, bouncy little kindergartener enjoying being a kid. I'm thankful that's she's recovered and I hope others with this disease can eventually recover as well. Its painful to watch as a parent, but I can never imagine being in their shoes. Bless you all!

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