Hand Foot Mouth Disease

Mummy's post:

"Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a human syndrome caused by intestinal viruses of the Picornaviridae family.

HFMD usually affects infants and children, and is quite common. It is moderately contagious and is spread through direct contact with the mucus, saliva, or feces of an infected person. It typically occurs in small epidemics in nursery schools or kindergartens, usually during the summer and autumn months. The usual incubation period is 3-7 days.

The common incubation period (the time between infection and onset of symptoms) is from three to seven days.

Early symptoms are likely to be fever often followed by a sore throat. Loss of appetite and general malaise may also occur. Between one and two days after the onset of fever, painful sores (lesions) may appear in the mouth and/or throat. A rash may become evident on the hands, feet, and occasionally the buttocks (but generally, the rash on the buttocks will be caused from the diarrhea.) Not all symptoms will be present in all cases."

With the post title most of you would have guessed it's either one or both had gotten the disease. Yes, Reyes had gotten it and the doctor had said that it's a matter of time Reyden will start having the signs. Though this disease isn't anything that's life-threatening but it's "potent" enough to set us into a chaotic routine.

Reyes was given 5 days MC and though Reyden without the MC but we think it's probably better to keep him at home lest he brings the germs to school. This means I'm stuck with these 2 kiddos for the next 5-10 days and no going to public places/ play areas even if they fuss. I can only humour them at home.

The blisters on Reyes' bum are getting more and more horrible looking and she cries "pain" the moment I put on a diaper for her. It seems like God's way of telling me "time to toilet train her". So there she went without a diaper for the whole day. She had a change of 6 shorts and we mopped the floor like nobody's business today and I'm thankful that by the end of the day she could take off her shorts and sit on the potty to pee. Let's hope for better developments tomorrow.

As for diet, someone told me to stock up on cold and soft food and now we have ice-cream, pandan cake, yoghurt and all kinds of fruits in the fridge.

The daily lifestyle aside, we had to miss a mummies & babes' gathering on Wed, Edel's birthday party on Sat and the Mar babies birthday bash on Sun. The worst will probably be missing their birthday party in school next Monday. So much for all the planning ...

Anyway on a positive note, it's good enough that they have this now else I wouldn't know how to cope if they get it later when our renovation starts in early Mar.