Hand, Foot, Mouth

Now typically when I put these words together it is because I have either put my foot in my mouth or I am jamming my hand in there with scoops of food in it. But alas, there is another reason to have these three words together in a post. It is because my youngest daugther has just gotten over this nasty little virus called Hand, Foot, Mouth disease. Yes, it is as awful as it sounds.

Upon returning home from work last week, I picked her up to give her a kiss hello and realized that she felt warm. Granted it's July and it's been steamy out but she felt warmer than a typical of she had just been running around the house with her big sister warm. So a quick read of the thermometer in her tush and it was revealed that a 102.5 temperature. Now at first glance this would have sent me into a tizzy of calling anyone to tell me what to do with such a high temperature. But, seeing as this is my worry child and her 4th or 5th bout with a fever this high and no other ill effects I gave her a dose of motrin and went about our nightly routines and she slept the entire night incident free.

In the morning, her temperature had risen again and again motrin was given to reduce it. We have also found that Tylenol does almost nothing for this child. I just hear the germs and viruses in her system laughing at the dose of Tylenol, but I digress. While changing her diaper amongst her screams of noncompliance I noticed two little white canker sores on her tongue. (are you getting the drift...mouth). So I called the DR and left a message on the nurse line. And can I take a little aside here and tell you how much I love our pediatrician's office and that the nurses always call me back. When I did get the call back, I was instructed to look at her hands and feet and see if I saw any little blistery type rash. Lo and behold I found two distinct pin sized puss filled marks on her hands and on just on the instep of her left foot. Thus we have all three areas with these little buggers...hand, foot and mouth.

So I was told to keep her fever down with the motrin and that would help relieve the pain in her mouth and that Maalox swabbed in her mouth before bed or when she seemed uncomfortable between pain med dosing would be the best way to combat the cankers. I was also told that her big sister had been exposed and may or may not break out with the same type of condition but in the meantime they were not to share anything like spoons, cups etc. This seems like a reasonable thing to be instructed to do, but when you have kids, you know that any sippy cup, especially the closest to you or your older sisters is the best one so this was not an easy task to follow.

I am happy to say that it lasted just about a week but that she has sucessfully beaten the virus and since it runs rampant in daycares and in the summer months we are almost assured to get it again. Ahh, kids. Who knew that they were such good germ carriers?