January & it's Profound Importance

January brings about a new year & for many, new resolutions. But in our family it also brings celebration & reminders. All while offering the opportunity of awareness & education.

On January 24th, my 1st born, Paige, celebrates her birthday (this year she turns 6). On January 26th, it is Kawasaki Disease Awareness Day.

This mostly unknown & slightly new disease claimed Paige when she was 9 months old. Although she was atypical making diagnosis slightly difficult & eventually came out unscathed (that we know of), it changed our lives forever. It also gave me my innate sense to completely freak out at the sign of a slight rash on any of my children. To read Paige's KD story, go here http://www.thefacesofkd.com/0-12_Months_KD_Stories.html#Paige's_KD_story. Just be sure to have a kleenex ready just in case. There are many other stories of KD kids to read as well. Unfortunately, there are a couple of lives taken far too soon due to this disease which effects the heart. Although some effects post KD are still undergoing dispute as being directly linked as a definitive outcome, coronary artery aneurysms is the #1 outcome. Some kids have many, others few, to others none (like Paige). Some require a short round of treatment, while others require medications for the rest of their lives.

Please go to http://www.thefacesofkd.com/ & http://www.kdfoundation.org/ to learn more. You never know when you could be thrust into the situation & your perseverance could be the only thing to properly diagnose your child.

What are the symptoms of Kawasaki Disease? 

In a case of typical Kawasaki disease children may have all or most of the following symptoms: 

• A fever that is high, usually over 101.3 F and that is uncontrollable by normal doses of medicine
• Reddening of the white part of the eyes
• A rash on the trunk of the body that its lace like, and on the genital area
• Red, dry, cracked lips that are extremely red
• Bright red tongue (strawberry tongue) that is swollen
• Reddening of the palms of the hands, and the soles of the feet
• Swollen neck lymph nodes
• Extreme irritability
• Peeling of the skin of the hands and the feet, most often the fingertips of the fingers and toes
• Joint Pain
• Diarrhea and/or vomiting
• Abdominal pain

In a case of atypical Kawasaki disease or incomplete Kawasaki disease children may have less than four of the symptoms above. Atypical cases are harder to detect since not all of the KD symptoms show, and children may suffer long term heart damage if not treated within 10 days. The symptoms of Kawasaki disease vary from kid to kid.