Fun, fun, fun

Last night while washing Harvey's hair, I noticed a nickle-sized bald spot on the back of his head. The skin on his scalp was perfectly smooth and healthy where the hair should have been. I outlined it, so I could monitor the size of it, and didn't worry too much more about it.

This morning, I showed it to my mother and my sister-in-law. The concensus was that it must be ringworm. In retrospect, this seems illogical, since the skin was obviously healthy, but really, what else could cause a perfectly round circle on his scalp? I thought to myself "That little doggie is a goner." I came home and scrubbed my house with bleach, locked the dog outside, and then took Harvey to the after-hours doctor so I could nip it in the bud before it spread.

The doctor took a look and pronounced it alopecia areata. It's a very rare autoimmune disorder wherein the white blood cells attack the hair follicle. The bald spot could get bigger. It might not. It could last the rest of his life, or just this once. It could regrow quickly, it could take years. It could occur in new places, it might not. In rare cases, it causes people to go completely bald. Most often, it will pop up in cycles throughout a persons life, and it seems to happen when the immune system is working really hard. It's a good thing he is a boy, huh? Worst case scenario, we shave his head once in awhile. But hopefully some steriod cream will prevent it going that far.

Please pray, though, that it is a tiny, rare occurance, because the last thing this sweet little boy needs in his life is more complication. (Also, I hope it grows back white, because sometimes it does, and I think that looks stinkin awesome. :) )