Saddest rash ever!

I think by the end of this year I may have a PhD in Childhood Illnesses. 

Over the weekend Chase has slowly started developing a rash.  When I first noticed it on Friday, I thought maybe it was just a few little pimples on his face.  Then I noticed a few more tiny bumps on his legs so I thought maybe it was some sort of bug bite.  Then on Saturday as we were hitting the road for a wedding, I noticed even more so then I started thinking maybe it's the beginning of chicken pox.  Then I was assured over the phone by my mother that it wasn't that, so then we thought maybe it was a heat rash.  Then later on into the evening and the next morning it got way worse.  By this point I was convinced he was having an allergic reaction to the new blueberry yogurt he had on Tuesday and Friday.  Luckily, one of the wedding guests staying at our hotel was a pediatrician so after looking at Chase quickly he thought it was just a harmless viral rash.

This morning Chase was already scheduled for his 9 month well-baby visit, so it was a perfect time to inquire about this sad, pitiful rash.  Dr. Owen was a little confused by his rash.  It has characteristics of an allergic reaction and a viral rash.  At one point during our visit, he thought he had Fifth disease but then he changed his mind when Chase didn't have more of the typical symptoms of that rash.  They did some blood work on Chase and the results leaned towards a viral rash, but it was right on the edge of possibly having an allergy as well.  So we left the doctor knowing nothing more than when we went there!  :)  All the rest of his vitals were good.  He's the picture of perfect health except for his yucky rash!  Luckily Chase doesn't seem to be itchy, so he seems to be very comfortable despite the rash.  Dr. Owen said it could take up to two weeks for it to clear up.

You'll see from the pictures below it is FAR worse on his face than the rest of his body.  I think that's what makes me so sad for him.  I think I'm projecting my own insecurities about my skin onto him.   Growing up I had the worst skin and I still consider myself having horrible skin (I liken it to body image issues that people with eating disorders have...I will always see myself that way regardless of what I may actually look like).  And now that Chase has this horrible rash, I see myself in him and I feel like I foresee what it may be like for him as a teenager and it just makes me want to cry!