Fifth Disease...

It Sounds terrible and looks terrible, but it really is not so bad. Madelyn somehow picked up a virus called parvovirus B19, not the same as the parvovirus that dogs can get. Anyway, one day I noticed a couple of little red spots on her face around her mouth, but didn't think too much about it. She ended up going to the lake to stay with Nanny for a couple of days and while she was gone, my Mom said she thought it was getting worse. When she got home, both cheeks looked like they had been slapped because they were so red and the rash was all over her body. I did some internet research to find out what it could be and found out about Fifth Disease and found pictures of kids that had the same exact rashes. I then called my friend Amy, who was the nurse to Madelyn's pediatrician. Dr. Albert told her that there is nothing you can do about it, you just have to let it run its course. She also said it could take up to 3 weeks to completely go away. Thankfully, this was not a rash that itched or bothered her in anyway and it didn't slow my child down one bit. If you ever notice the "slapped cheeks" and a rash then Fifth disease is probably what they have. It is common in kids between the ages of 3 and 12.