Oh what a night!

I can honestly say there is no worse feeling in the world, than when a loved one is sick.

Especially, when that loved one is your 6 year old child.

Last night my little lamb was taken to hospital and diagnosed with HSP.

I know, I had never heard of it either.

HSP stands for Henoch-Schoenlein Purpura

Essentially, it's an inflammation in the blood vessels and/or capillaries.

It usually happens in children ages 2 to 11 and is more common in boys.

The cause is unknown and it's not contagious.

It is believed it's an abnormal response of the immune system.

On Tuesday evening after a lively game of mini-sticks (in my living room I might add), my little lamb complained of a sore foot.   After my careful examination I noticed a small bruise and slight swelling on the arch of his foot.

After a little rest and some ice he seemed okay.  Although limped a bit as he walked.

He then started saying his arm hurt and his wrist hurt, etc.

I just chalked it all up to the good old hockey game.

He woke up around 4am complaining of a sore throat and said his arms and legs hurt and he couldn't sleep because of the pain.

A dose of Advil did the trick, and we were all back to the land of nod.

The next morning he said  "remember I am not going to school today".  I then started to think something was a little fishy and honestly, sad to say, thought he was making everything up.

He stayed home and we cuddled on the couch all day.

He seemed fine, no fever, and ate normally.

This brings me to last night.

His brother had his final game of the season last night and we took him to the rink.   My little guy was all set to play mini sticks with his buddies.

In the car on the way home, he began to cry, complaining how much his arms and legs hurt.

Once home my husband looked him over, said he was fine and we both, once again chalked it up to being tired after a grueling game of mini-sticks.

Then it was my turn, I went over to my little lamb as he lay on the couch and I looked at his legs.  He had bright red bumpy dots all over the lower part of his legs.   Then I noticed lumps protruding from under his skin.

I asked hubby if he had noticed this minutes earlier, but he hadn't.

Almost before my eyes lumps started appearing under his skin, the size of golf balls.

It was terrifying.

I began to panic, we all began to panic.   I was crying, he was crying, we were all crying.

He was whisked away to hospital where he stayed until 130am.   After a battery of blood and urine work he was able to come home, with nothing more than Advil.

He was so brave!

There is no treatment for this strange unheard of virus.   It's a matter of waiting for the swelling of the joints to go down, so he can walk comfortably.  We were told, as well, that once the symptoms disappear, it will likely reoccur within 3 months.

He will have to be closely monitored, with weekly visits to the doctor because the danger here is, that it affects the kidneys and bowels.  It can actually cause kidney failure, intestinal bleeding or obstruction, and in rare cases, death if it attacks the central nervous system.

When I tucked him into bed last night,  I leaned over to kiss him goodnight.  My hair fell down over my face and his.

He looked up at and said "mom you look like Lady Ga Ga with your hair like that".

As I walked back to my bedroom I was left wondering if that was a good thing or bad.

At the end of a terrifying night I was nice to end it with a little giggle.