Hospital de Niños

Directly across the street from our apartment is a Children's Hospital. It's been nice knowing it's so convenient, although we hoped we'd never need to use it.

Last week we ended up using it.  Not for anything major.  Paul developed a sore spot on his neck that we thought, at first, was just a moisture and chafing problem.  But it continued to worsen and spread to a rash all over his torso.  At a church activity some friends saw his neck and went right to the drugstore and back to buy us some diaper rash cream (which of course, we already had, but the thought was nice).  We gave it several days, kept it as clean and dry as we could, tried the ointment, but it still persisted. It was the type of thing I would have called my pediatrician about, but not taken him to the hospital for.

But after a couple weeks of no improvement and not knowing what else to do, Bryan headed across the street with Paul.  He got a waiting number, came back home for dinner, then headed back over.  Two health care providers looked at Paul, prescribed a steroid cream, and sent them on their way.  And it's free public health care here, so it was all free of charge.  Bryan headed to the pharmacy and came home with the cream, and a couple days later the rash was practically gone.

We still don't know what caused the problem.  I'm just thankful I can nuzzle my baby's soft neck again.