Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease

No, not the bovine disease! A related, but human disease caused by the coxsackie (who on earth named a virus that - hahahahaha) virus. Yes, we've become familiar with this disease. After 12 years of having kids, this was our first. Apparently, it mostly hits children 5 and under, and 2nd most, children between 5 and 10. Older children, teens and adults very rarely gets it, and if they do, they get it less severe than babies and small children. Interesting, since most childhood illnesses is worse in adults than in the children!

Peanut got it first. We went to about 4 shops in the days before our long weekend away (we went camping). I'm pretty sure she must've picked it up in that time. Fortunately, she didn't have a severe case. She was a bit miserable, couldn't drink for 3 nights (did drink in the day, fortunately), due to an ulcer on the tip of her tongue, threw up once and had the most awful smelling nappies (still have those, yuck!). And the rash, of course. No fever, strangely.

Boeboe got it about 2 days after Peanut, first complaining about her cheek that hurt (from ulcers). Then the rash on her hands and feet. Just a few spots. No fever. Apart from her mouth being really painful at times, a sore throat at night for 3 nights, and difficulty eating and drinking due to the ulcers, she was absolutely fine.

Then Mr N got it. Three ulcers in the mouth, and a rash all over his arms, hands, feet and legs. The rash didn't turn into blisters like some of Boeboe's did. And it dissapeared in less than 48 hours. No other symptoms. Not even a fever either. And his mouth ulcers wasn't as sensitive as Boeboe's was.

It seems as if Monkeyman has been skipped. No symptoms or signs so far. We'll see how it goes the next week. Both me and their dad had sore throats, and I have a few small mouth ulcers (nothing too painful), and a small patch of rash on my one foot. So I guess everyone got it, except Monkeyman! Clearly, whatever ails him, causing the tiredness, doesn't affect his immune system. Thank God for that.

Here's some piccies of how the rash looked on the kids. As you can see, quite different between individuals. I only realised it was HFMD when Boeboe presented with the ulcers in her mouth together with the blisters on her hands. Peanut refused me having look in her mouth, when I thought her lack of drinking at night and her excessive drooling was due to teething. Only once I knew Boeboe had ulcers, did I notice that Peanut had one on her tongue. Poor poppit.

Peanut's arm and shoulder. A short while after this was
taken, her hand was also full of spots. A few which blistered
later on.

A close up of some of the spots. Using a bit of imagination,
you'll notice that some of them are raised, and most has a
pinprick white head in the middle.

Spots on Mr N's arm

Other arm and hand

Knee

Foot (he worked in the garden during the morning, digging
holes for the new irrigation pipes his dad is putting in, so
excuse the dirtiness! The moment we noticed the spots, we
stopped his working in the garden, and he was so hyped up
about having an excuse to rather play computer games, LOL).

The blisters that formed on Boeboe's hand. She also got them
on her knee and foot, and Peanut got it on her hand. Again,
excuse the muddy hands!

And the very muddy toes! There's a few spots on the one foot
(tiny red pinpricks). But the reason I post this photo, is because
of the abrasions on her other foot. The one on the big toe is
fairly deep. This is typical of what happens to her on a
weekly basis, due to the damage the tethered cord did to the
nerves leading to her feet. It makes her so sad, that she's always
hurting, because of scrapes on the top of her feet. This is
because she drags her foot when the signals of the brain doesn't
reach the foot that it should lift the toes upwards, when stepping
through. It hurts me, seeing things like that on her feet.