Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Hand, Foot and Mouth anyone? anyone?

Sooooo, the kids have contracted about the very worst virus man can get. It is called Hand, Foot and MouthDisease and let me tell you I am in sheer hell. hell. I tell you hell. This is NOT hoof and mouth disease found in sheep and cattle but I'm sure the farm animals would be as miserable as my children are.

Here are the course of events:
Wednesday (last week): School friends meeting at the Greenlake community center since we are on spring break.
Thursday: Target shopping, play ground
Friday: Birthday party
Saturday: Madeleine wakes up with high fever
Sunday: Madeleine feels like shit and is whiny all day
Monday: Madeleine goes to doctor- confirmation of HFMD (no, she didn't get it from the birthday party nor did she spread it there. It has a 3-7 day incubation period and they are not contagious until the sores appear in the mouth)
Tuesday: Madeleine still doesn't feel well and Max starts getting cranky. By Tuesday night Maxy has a fever of 101.7 and is refusing to eat.
Wednesday: Madeleine feels a bit better except that she has a RASH all over her entire body! Max now feels like shit.

Me? Oh, I haven't slept, but what's new? I've had a child hanging from my arm, leg, neck, back nipple- you name it. My kids are so unhappy and so so sick. I'm trying anything to entertain them. Here's what we have done....
*taken baths
*played with cotton balls
*painted paper and our bodies
*sidewalk chalk on the patio
*Mr. Potato Head (thanks, Cindy!)
*made musical instruments
*watched video clips of Julie Andrews singing from the Sound Of Music over and over and over and over and over and over (no, I'm not over exaggerating)

4 comments:

Sarah said...

My friend's kid caught this from a shopping cart I think. I think my kids have managed to avoid it... of course, they catch every other crud that goes around! Here's hoping for a speedy recovery!!!

Jenna said...

Oh Niki, Im sorry. I could hear in your voice how exhausted you are. Pleas eknow we are praying for you all especially max as he seems to be at the strat of the illness. Let us know how we can help.

AnnaK said...

Ugh - I am so sorry. Lila, Finn and Patrick all got this about a month ago. Not fun (and Pat was sickest of all). Before we found out what it was, Pat tried to diagnosis himself using the internet and concluded that he had secondary syphillis! Hah! I must have antibodies because I didn't get it even though Lila had thrown up all over me during the height of her fever. (p.s. why does it seem like kids always spike a fever at night???)

Lizzie said...

Niki

My god it sounds like hell! The trouble with little ones they get everything going around, and then they spread it to their siblings - bless! The good news is it does get better, the older they get the less the catch, well so the theory goes anyway, I am still waiting.... Good luck and here's to happy and healthy kids. Lizzie xx