Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease. Really? I never would have expected to deal with my little one having that. I've heard of it before, but didn't think it would be as bad as it is either. Chicken pox, colds, poison ivy, the flu, pink eye, stomach bugs....sure, I expected those. But Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease? Nope, not even on my radar!
That's why I was so worried and caught completely off guard when Alli came down with it. She started with a fever Monday of last week, but I figured just another cold probably. Then a couple days later, she started complaining that her mouth hurt, and when I checked her gums were a little swollen. So then I figured, swollen, achey gums, fever... must be teething again. (She has all her baby teeth, but some on the top are not quite completely in yet.) Well, then last Friday her gums started bleeding and her fever was rising a little higher than a teething fever. It was time to let the doctor in on this.
Friday, April 16th - Doctor's appointment revealed a viral infection. Should be gone in a week, keep her hydrated and as comfortable as possible, they said. Easier said than done...you try getting a 2 year old to eat when her mouth bleeds the second anything touches it!
Sunday, April 18th - The blisters in her mouth got so bad she could hardly eat. Time to visit Patient First. Same conclusion as the pediatrician, only slightly more info. Coxsackie virus...keep her hydrated, numb her gums with prescription meds, and give her Tylenol for pain/fever.
What the heck is Coxsackie Virus??? Ohhh Google..... coxsackie virus - the virus that has been a pain in my baby's mouth for over a week, the virus that causes Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease. So in doing my research I've found that the symptoms last anywhere from 1-2 weeks. They can be as simple as a rash on the hands and/or feet or as severe as my daughter's case, blisters in the mouth - on the gums, tongue, insides of cheeks, roof of the mouth, inside of lips, plus very irritating rashes on the hands, feet, and/or butt. And there's just about nothing that you can do about it. Try to get them to eat/drink as much as possible. (Dairy is best as it coats the sores in the mouth and may help it to heal faster. Citrusy/acidy/salty foods are a definite no-no.) Tylenol for pain and fever. Orajel to numb the gums. Good luck if your little one ever gets this. It's tough for them to go through and tough for you to watch, almost helpless.
Monday, April 19th - No more fever! Unfortunately, that didn't releive much of her suffering. Still waiting for the blisters to subside.
We're hoping and praying that the blisters go away soon because I just can't see her living on frozen Gogurts and ice cream for much longer. I know she's getting tired of it too. Last night she tried some of her daddy's dinner and had to spit out the breaded chicken patty that caused her gums to start bleeding again. Poor thing, I guess it's back to the Gogurt!
