I just joined this website today and would like to share my experience with my son having AA so far....of course this is just the beginning. Also I would LOVE any advice anyone has to offer!

About 1 1/2 weeks ago my enerjetic, full of life, 3 yr old boy was thrashing around on the floor, just being crazy and having fun. As I was watching him I noticed a bald spot about the size of a quarter on the back of his head. Right in the spot where kids usually rub there hair out as infants. Of course he is now 3 and hasn't had any resemblance of a bald spot for years, quite the contrary he has very thick hair for his young age, he always has. That evening after I had a moment to sit down, I started google-ing. I found a couple possible explanations , by the description AA was the most likely in my eyes, although I had some definate denial. I immediatly made an appointment with his Doctor. Over the couple of days before his visit I had a real feeling a calmness come over me, like I knew everything would be fine no matter what the diagnosis. At the Dr. visit he ruled out other possibilities and Dx AA, recommending no treatment at this time, feeling that cortizone shots would painful and of very little benefit to Brody. At this time his spot is well hidden by the rest of his hair. Dr. sent us home with likey the spot growign back within a yr. Not knowing any thing about AA I had no questions.

Later that night with the kids and hubby in bed I spent hours on the net reading peoples stories and about syptoms and treatments. To be completely honest, the more I read the more concerned and confused I am about all of this. It makes me want to be oblivious to what is going on, yet at the same time wanting to do every thing I can for my child, so I keep reading. It seems that this auto-immunity is linked to others is in some cases, so now I am freaking out that he has some other undiagnosed illness that I should have known about. Now having read so much I feel like I have Hundreds of unanswered questions.In the mean time, life goes on and we are all so busy, I am feeling like going to work is a great break from my own thoughts.

Saturday morning Brody crawled in bed with us and fell back asleep. As he laid by me i was was playing with his hair, and came across another spot, this one much smaller and also very hidden, It looks to me like his hair is thinning in spots on the top, but maybe my imagination i've never looked at it this close before. Much to my surprise his Dr. called this morning, saying if I want a cortizone cream he will order that, it will not be pianful for Brody and could help. Part of me wants to try anything that will help, but my more rational side doesn't want to do anything that will cause unneccesary side effects, I mean can thinning of the skin be good? Not that AA is something anyone wishes for but being bald isn't the worst thing that could happen to him. So for now I'm not treating it, most of what i've read suggests that it only helps while you're using treatment so I'm not sure i want this to be what me son remembers growing up, us trying to make him grow hair. I love him regardless of how much hair he does or does't have, and if his is a case that progresses to AT or AU I want him to be a confident that however the world veiws him, his family loves him and is not trying to hide who he is.

If any one has any thoughts please share! I am so new to all of this, I would love to hear anything. I would especially like to know what any one with a young child like mine have told your kid about thier hair loss, he is so young i don't know how to explain to him what is giong on, yet old enough to know there is definatly something going on.