Bah humbug, Darth Vader.

Okay. I can deal with an allergic reaction.

I can't think of anything he's eaten out of the ordinary lately though.

He does get a little rash around his mouth from citrus but NOTHING like this.

White centers.... I need to go inspect but he is getting very tired of me poking at him!

No.... I don't really see white centers but right now the skin is so inflamed that it is hard to be sure.

Oh man, boomer! I have absolutely nothing useful to add but wanted to offer moral support.

Soz--

Didn't the Sozelet have a canceled Halloween last year?

Boomer--

Chicken pox are spots, not blotches.

Oh! Noddy! It does look like hives!

Going to look up info on hives......

Thanks soz, my morals are stating to stumble here and need supporting!

Noddy, what a memory you've got!

Near-canceled -- went on a quickie trick or treat without the afterparty we planned to go to, and we should've canceled the whole thing, since she was much sicker after.

Glad you're talking to the doctor, hope this gets resolved soon, boomer.

Actually I said I know nothing and that's basically true but E.G. has a lot of different allergies and when he's had hives it looks something like that, I think.

looks like hives to me too..

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000845.htm

Has he been around hay much? I seem to remember hay bales when you went to the pumpkin patch. (Dunno how long is realistic between exposure and reaction.)

Yes there was hay at the pumpkin patch -- that was last Sunday.

I have no idea about exposure/reaction varibale.

I do think it is hives. I'm going to emai the picutre to the doctor if I can.... WHEN she calls back.

Everyone seems to be in agreement that it is some sort of allergic reaction so far. Good. Thank you.

<breathe in, breathe out>

I'm feeling a bit calmer now. When I saw his back I flipped out. It is scary looking.

ERRRRRR!

They never called back. If people WITH insurace have this kind of problem imagine what the world would be like without insurance.

My instinct was to march up there and demand to be seen but I'm too big a sissy for that and now I am kicking myself.

He seems to feel fine but the "rash" continues to wander around his body. This is just too wierd.

Hives wander.

Chicken pox spots (and they are spots, not blotches) stay in one place and itch.

Okay -- wandering is okay then.

It is really getting crazy though - covering most of his torso.

I sent an email to nurse shewolf along with the photo and she is trying to help me determine what is going on. Thank you A2K!

I am a hive person, boomer. They come and go.
Mine have been much better in the last year, for no apparent reason. I've watched what I've eaten or drunk just before they show up, and cut that out of my diet... to no avail. Mine respond to half a benedryl, but I wouldn't begin to suggest that for Mo - I am much heavier than he is.

I'd call the doctor on call at that office myself. Tain't funny to go from Friday night til Monday, with them apparently thinking he's got chickenpox.

shewolf agrees that it is most likely hives.

I have no idea what prompted this -- perhaps a virus? He wasn't feel very well earlier in the week.

I bought kid's Benedryl so I can give him pint sized dosages. I also gave him a baking soda bath and used a bit of benedryl lotion mixed in with regluar lotion on the really nasty parts.

We can always go to the weekend clinic if things get worse but you'd better believe there is going to be some hell raising with that office on Monday.

Avoid spending big money on Aveeno oatmeal baths, from my pov. Works for a good fifteen minutes..

That's why I asked about how much he's been around hay -- if he's never really been around it before, maybe he's allergic and this is his first exposure?

No idea.

Imagine the lot of us in a glowering line of intimidation behind you when you go to the doctor's office...

He's crashed and seems to be sleeping well so fingers crossed - the night will go well.

I was thinking about the hay angle. We're zoo members and go there pretty often (haven't lately though). They have a "family farm" area with sheep and goats and roosters and tons and tons of hay to crawl on and jump in and waller around it. I think it might have shown up before now.

But allergies are funny. They can seemingly develop out of nowhere so....

osso! I LOVE Aveeno baths and so does Mo. He calls them mud baths. Luckily he likes baking soda ("snow") baths too - they are so much cheaper.

I will imagine an unruly mob of Mo-tenders right there with me! I never would have made it this far without you all.

Well, the bath is certainly nice, but you can't stay there all day. The effect on hives is ephemeral, in my opinion.

Osso--

Stay all day? We're talking about Water Boy with mobile marine appendages.