Vasculitis

Natalie got a rash on her leg around September 2008. It was during volleyball season, so we thought it was from her knee pads. We took her to a dermatologist and he prescribed some cream to put on it. It didn't help and the rash continued to spread, so we went back to the dermatologist. He took a bioposy and the results were that she had "superficial vasculitis." It is a disease of the blood vessels. The blood vessels either shrink or swell (rupture) and it can cause a lot of damage to vital organs. It is a serious disease and can be fatal. In Natalie's case though, it seems to just be on the skin, which is not life threatening as far as we know. But to be safe, she had some blood tests done and those results were normal and showed no signs of the vasculitis being internal (which we are very grateful for)! We're not sure what causes this, but it could be an allergic reaction, so we were referred to an allergist. He prescribed an antihistamine and another cream, but it still isn't clearing up. At this point it has now moved to the other leg and we're feeling a little frustrated. The doctor can put her on steriods but he doesn't want to do that just yet (I'm okay with that of course). I'm trying to have faith that everything will be okay because she received a blessing and we're doing all we can. It is not contagious and she has no other symptoms than the rash. I just hope this is something we can get rid of. :) We appreciate the love and support from our family and friends!