川崎病/ Kawasaki disease

日本人の方々なら名前を聞いたことこともあるかもしれませんが、３男鴻介が川崎病にかかってしまいました。２１日の午後幼稚園から帰ってくると手がほかほか。本人は元気でしたが目をつぶると左目が痛い、と言いました。朝起きたときには左の口が痛いから朝ごはん食べれないかも、と言ってたのですが口の中には何も無く結局朝ごはんも食べたので歯でも痛いのかな？と思っていたのですが。熱を測ると３８，６度。これくらいの年の子供を持つ親ならこんなことは日常茶飯事なので水分を取らせて様子を見てました。が、どんどん辛そうになってきて左耳が痛い、その次は左の首が痛い、と、言い出しました。夜も寝れずに熱も３９度前後で全然動かない。普通の風邪やらインフルエンザなら熱は上がったり下がったりするのに？そのうち左の耳の下あたりが腫れてきたので、これはおたふくか何かかかと思い夕方病院へ行ったものの３時間待って"様子を見ましょう。”とだけ言われて帰されてしまった。様子を見ておかしいから行ったのに、と、思いつつ夜を明かしました。次の朝ちょっとだけ元気になって本人も昨日より調子が良い、と言うので安心したのものの、熱は下がらず首の腫れもそのまま、次の日には首をまっすぐに出来なくなるほど痛くなってしまいました。その後手足から発疹が出始めて、手と足の裏が赤く腫れてきた。すぐに公立病院の救急に連れて行ってそこで川崎病と診断され即入院になりました。治療に使うガンマグロブリンという点滴が常備しておらずメルボルンから送られてきたので治療を始めるのが次の日になってしまったり、一回目の治療では効果が出ず再度点滴治療をしたりと、本当に心配の連続でしたが、症状も落ち着き、この病気で一番怖い心臓の血管の腫れや瘤も今のところ認められませんでした。でもこの病気はこれから症状が出ることもあるので、とりあえず第一段階クリア、といったところでしょうか。この病気は最近発見されたものだし、なぜなるのか、これから年をとったらどうなるのか、というのも良く分かっていない状態。特にこちらではまれな病気なので、公立病院でもはじめは髄膜炎と誤診されそうになりました。ナースステーション内では看護士さんたちの話題の的だし、回診では小児科医がぞろぞろと見に来ました。私は子供のかかりやすい病気についてはひととおり目を通してあるので川崎病についても基本的な症状などは知っていましたが、今回、川崎病の子供を持つ会などのホームページに目を通して大変な思いをしているご家族の話をたくさん読みました。軽くても重くても子供が病気になってしまうのは本当に辛いものですね、、、
川崎病のホームページ、たくさんあるので時間があったら（特に５歳以下の子供を持つ方は）良かったら目を通してみてください。どんなものか知っていれば、万が一子供に窺わしい症状が出た時にすぐに対処できるし、誤診も防げると思います。鴻介は痩せてしまいましたが元気です。心配してくださった方たち、ありがとう。
If you are Japanese you might have heard about Kawasaki disease. Unfortunately Justin got this.Things started on the 21st/Oct. When I held his hand after picking him up from Kinder I immediately knew he has got a temperature. He looked OK but he complained his left eye is sore when he closed his eyes.In the morning he said he might not be able to eat breakfast because his left mouth is sore. I checked inside and outside of his mouth but couldn't find anything and he actually ate breakfast so I thought he might be getting a sore tooth or something. If you have got children about this age you are not freaking out about child's temperature. I let him take it easy and observed him closely. Later on he start looking miserable and telling me his left ear is sore then his neck is sore.His temperature didn't go down at all during the night. From my experience that was really strange. Even if temperature didn't go down, it usually swings up and down during the day.I also noticed his left neck started swelling. I sent him to the docter but he came back with no result.Next morning he seemed a bit better but his temperature was still over 39C and neck lump get bigger.Next day he couldn't straighten up his neck he only could look down. Unusual red spots came up and his hands and feet become red and swelling.I suspected mumps or meningitis but both of them are not quite right. I sent him to the emergency hospital and finally he was diagnosed "Kawasaki disease".The hospital didn't have "Gamma globulin" which is useful for calming dowm these simptoms, so we had to wait starting treatment next day,also first treatment didn't work for him so he had another one again. So much worry and stress during that time. Fortunately second treatment worked well and we couldn't find any problem on his heart at this stage which is most scarey things about this disease. But it might develop later on so we feel he is clear on first step."Kawasaki disease" was found in 1967 and haven't found any cure and not sure what's going to happen when the children reach certain age which naturally blood vessel get weeker.Especially this is rare disease and not very known in western country as much as Japan. At the hospital he was almost misdiagnosed with meningitis. Every time Andrew pass the nurse station they were talking about this disease. Every morning many docters visited Justin to see him.I basically read through about common sickness for children as soon as I expect my first one so I have basic knowledge about Kawasaki disease as well but I read lots of stories about family with this disease. They are all sufferring and worrying about their loved one who has got an uncertain furture. Doesn't matter what kind of sickness minor or serious, it is hard to see children are suffering.
If you have got a time especially you got children under 5, please look through the homepage about Kawasaki disease.There are many in English and Japanese. If parents know basic symptoms you can take children to the hospital as soon as possible and avoid a misdiagnosis.
Justin become bit thinner but he looks fine.I would like to say thank you so much to everybody who worried and thinking about Justin.