Diaper Rash

**TMI alert**TMI alert** TALKING ABOUT DIAPER RASH & DIARRHEA TODAY*****
No outing today. Nikko has a very angry diaper rash, due to his diarrhea. Poor little man. I had to change his diaper frequently today and while he complied by laying down when I told him to come for a diaper change, he would writhe and stiffen his legs and cry really hard when I tried to wipe/blot his bum. I slathered on the creamy Desitin hoping it would form a good barrier, but the rash seemed to get worse as the day progressed. I was pretty frustrated by 4p and almost considered taking him to the pediatrician because the dots were red and raised, and Nikko was in such pain when I changed him. I reached my breaking point when I last changed his diaper and the tears were rolling down his flushed face, and his eyes seemed swollen from the ordeal. His pain broke my heart. I was so frustrated because Nikko was in pain and I couldn't solve the problem. I called Atz first to get her opinion and she suggested Gold Bond Triple Action Powder for kids. We already have Gold Bond in the house, but it's the adult formula. She also suggested some Butt Paste, and I remembered that somewhere in the house I had a tube of Bordeaux's Butt Paste but never used it. Thankfully I never threw it away either. It sounded funny. As I hung up w/Atz, who suggested I could talk to the doctor or nurse and they might suggest some over-the-counter remedies, I realized that Nikko's diaper rash probably wasn't serious enough to go to the doctor's office. I hunted around in the closet and found some medicated baby powder with zinc oxide, so I used that as a "dry" alternative to the "wet" Desitin. I also found the Butt Paste and decided to try that with the baby powder, too. I wondered what the difference was, besides the brown color. The Butt Paste has 16% zinc oxide while the Desitin has 10%. After his bath tonight, where I decided to bathe him instead of Denis so I could administer to his diaper rash, I dried him off and put a new diaper under him. I examined his rash and maybe I'm psyching myself out but the Butt Paste might have worked because it seemed less angry but still there. What makes me think that it might be working better than the Desitin is that when I pulled up Nikko's legs to slather it on, he winced in anticipation at first, but he let me put it on the rashy areas without stiffening up or crying. That was a first, all day. The Desitin went on pretty creamily, so I wonder if the Butt Paste had worked on him earlier and eased things a bit. Or was it because he just had a bath? I would think the bath would make things red and raw. In any event, tomorrow morning will be a telltale sign as to whether or not I send Nikko to school. If he's still in a lot of pain like today, it wouldn't help anyone to put him on the bus, then to school where he'd have to sit still for activities, and then if he had a splattered diaper would they [want] to clean him up and would he LET them? They wouldn't put on any Desitin, that's not their job, and would he let them near his butt to do it? Also, the state of Nikko's poo is questionable. Before bath time, right before Audrey's bed time, he had a poo that was liquidy and murky, with few solid stools. At least it wasn't the diarrhea splatter, which is a sign to me that things are still not healed up in his intestines. So, if his diaper rash magically disappears tomorrow morning then I'll consider sending him to school, but it might be in his best interest to keep him back home for one more day to make sure he's all healed up. IS THIS FUN READING FOR ANYONE WHO READ THIS FAR??

Nikko also had ABA today and I warned Melissa about his diaper rash. She told me that he did great the first half of the session, but later he got really whiny and maybe because he had a dirty diaper and it was uncomfortable (he did splatter in his diaper, I saw later). A few other things I accomplished today. I cancelled an allergist appointment for Ronin because I had no idea what it was for and it interfered with ABA. The receptionist told me it was a six month follow-up. I shrugged it off because Ronin is obviously still allergic to dairy, egg and peanuts/nuts. I guess six months ago is when we first saw Dr. Nimaggada. I can wait another six months before getting him tested again, and I'll haul Audrey along too. I also scheduled two appointments to get my crown fixed, finally! And third, I spoke to a coordinator at the Mount Prospect Park District regarding the Three Wee Camp I want to enroll Nikko in for after ESY ends in early July. This is a 2-hr class at the Central Community Center for 3 year olds with "daily age-appropriate crafts, songs, games and snacks..." and if I can get Melissa the ABA therapist as his aide through the NWSRA then it will be golden! The MPPD coordinator said she'd be in contact with them after we enroll, but I will probably call over there as well to help make it happen. Glad I accomplished a few things, but I still need to start working on a request for a Letter of Medical Necessity from the doctor who saw Nikko at Marianjoy, so we can submit the ABA paperwork for flex spending dollars. It's a bit daunting but I'll get on it ASAP.