Hands, Foot, Mouth Disease

Wouldn't believe it if someone was to tell me that one day I would have to see my loved one battle through this disease... but there it is... the virus attacked 2 of my loved ones... Little Yayel and Little Lissy just a few days before my sister's birthday. Hearing the name would evoke a number of gruesome images... the fact is that the disease is quite common among pre-schoolers... this is because it is a very very contagious disease. It's not air borne, but it spreads by touching infected items and skin.

Fact is children just loves to put things in their mouth and this is why the virus travels and goes rampant when a group of toddlers are put together. Through my research from various website on the net, the virus comes form the intestinal tracts and would pass when hygiene is not practiced in disposing the pampers/stool properly. It would then go from one person to one person by touch of infected items (dirty hands touching rattle/soft toys) or from skin to skin upon contact with saliva or water discharge from the blisters that would be present on the child's hands or feet.

Though the disease works itself fast, symptoms would go away within 3-5 days, it is indeed a painful disease.

My darling Yels started having mild fever on Wed night, and by Thurs night the blisters were already apparent on his feet though it seemed mild. The first indication that had alerted my sister that something just wasn't right was the ulcers that had appear in his mouth. A trip to the ER confirmed that it was HFM. Yel seemed alright at first. Being his normal manja self, he just played and refused food, but around noon the next day the pain was starting to be too much for him. Trying to get him to drink milk was a trial itself and when I heard how he cried when they needed to give him meds to help relieve the ulcers in his mouth just brings tears to my eyes. I wish I could take the pain away!

The worse part was when my sister texted me that he wanted to eat a cookie so badly that he tried a small nibble and ended up crying when he just couldn't swallow. Oh how I cried when I read that... my sweet Yels is hungry! Later, he cried when they gave his milk using a syringe, but said "mmm, nenen dap... nak..." and finally slept... sigh... sian my sayang... :(

We were hoping that Lissy would be spared, but her fever started the next day and a trip to the doc's showed at least 7 ulcers in her mouth. Poor darling had such a rough night.. but she's a strong girl... though I know it must have hurt a lot, she managed to drink her milk at least 2 times a day. Knowing that she couldn't really communicate what she wanted made it even worse. My sis told me that she cried from 4 am and finally dozed off at 10am.

I prayed everyday that they would get better so that the pain would go away. I was also deeply scared that Shiya might come in contact from the virus. 7 days went by and nothing happened... until on the 7th day... she had a slight fever. I was so shocked that I started crying then and there. We quickly bundled her up and took her to the paed in SS19. The doc said that it wasn't HFM and that it was just a mild fever (her temp had gone down my then). So he gave us some meds to for the fever and lotion for the rash that was on her feet.

Not satisfied, I decided to go to the Paed in Shah Alam to reconfirm and they also said it wasn't HFM. Hmmm... by then Shiya no longer had a temp... but she didn't want any milk either. It takes us roughly 30 mins to pujuk her into drinking some everytime.

What can a mother do but just trust the words of her doctor... though I honestly think that she had HFM... the rash for one thing looked bad and was at her feet and a little was present on her finger... Thankfully it started to heal (they are like blisters and eventually started to dry out). She has also started to drink healthy quantity of milk again... her normal 3-4oz. Alhamdulillah...

My only worry is that we gave her clarityn to treat the itchiness from the rash. I was hoping that I don't have to give her any meds till she's a little older... but so far since her birth I have had to give her a total of 9ml of clarityn (a total from this incident and previously when she had eczema attack arnd 2months old) and 1ml of paracetamol (took that after her 2 months check up jab). That's a lot for a little baby... sigh... just hope that nothing bad comes out of it.

So the most important thing to take out of this painful incident is that we need to practice proper hygiene. Wash your hands like always, always... be aware of what your children put in their mouth... always wash their toys... and when at another person's house or places you're not familiar with, wipe the things that your child is exposed to..ie toys, chairs... you just never know what virus/germs could be lurking.

Be safe, be well... and hope for the best...  ;)