Another new worry?

Emily was feeling so much better today regarding her strep throat. Yes, her throat is sore, but with a dose of Tylenol, she is pretty much good to go. We spent the morning at home resting and recuperating. By this afternoon the kids were getting a bad case of cabin fever and were wanting to stick to our original plans that were made with their cousin, Kaz, that is in town visiting. We went up to the skating rink for a short while and let loose of some energy. I think Kaz had as much fun skating as the little kids. Ethan was loving every second of hanging out with his big cousin. Emily just took it easy and she and I made a few slow laps around the rink and took lots of resting breaks.

This evening, Emily was still only really complaining of a sore throat. It must be improving, though, because she was able to eat some food tonight. Unfortunately, though, I have a new concern. I don't know what to make of it and I'm afraid that it is going to warrant a call to the neurosurgeon's office tomorrow. You see, yesterday Emily told me that she had a spot on the back of her head that was bothering her, like it was itching. She pointed out to me that it was near, or even on top of, her shunt. But because she is so sensitive to the touch back there, it was very hard for me to look at it. I assumed that it might be another one of those stray stitches trying to work their way out again like they did in the past. Well, tonight, she was just sitting on the couch and she leaned back and then she suddenly grabbed her head and told me that it hurt again in the same spot. She scratched it a little bit and said it itched and this time I made sure to investigate it better. I made her sit on my lap and I got a comb to part her hair just a little at a time to see her scalp more clearly. Well, what I saw was a round bubble looking spot right on top of her shunt that I don't remember being there before. I touched it and as soon as I did she jumped and said that is the spot. It looks like it might be the spot where the neurosurgeon tapped her shunt the last time. What I don't understand is why it would just now start to become infected if that is what is happening. And why would it be coincidental that it would happen at the exact moment that she came down with strep throat? Is it possible that the strep virus can spread to other parts of her body? Whatever it is, that spot is obviously very sensitive and it didn't used to be. That concerns me! I'm going to check it out again tomorrow and then decide if I need to call the neurosurgeon or not.