Dis'ers..I need you! Case of Hand, Foot, Mouth disease

[CraftyMommy]

Having worked in daycare for 11 years, it is a daycare licensing law in our state that if you have HF&M you cannot return to daycare until the sores are completely scabbed over.

I caught this myself. It is EXTREMELY painful. I walked like a cripple. You feel like you're walking on needles. It was painful for anyone to touch me. My elbows and heels felt like they were on fire. My fingers hurt to even do 2 finger typing. It hurt to hold a phone. I felt like I was crippled. Although it is rare for adults to get it, I did. Probably because I work closely with kids. If your child acts like they are in pain, please believe me. They are in extreme pain. It is a pain I never felt before. I can only equate it to someone putting needles into every pressure point of your body. I missed work for a week because of it. I was not allowed back until the blisters started to burst and then scabbed over. It is contagious until is scabs over....according to our Communicable Disease training we have to take every 3 years, and according to state licensing.

I honestly don't think your daughter will be happy if you go anywhere less than 7 days after she started experiencing symptoms. This takes a while to work its course. Poor baby girl. I feel very bad for your Lily. I know what she is going through. I'd rather have the stomach flu for a week than this. Touch her lightly in various areas like the bottom of her feet, her heels, ankles, elbows, palms of her hands. See if she has any tender areas. They will feel tender for a few days before you see blisters forming. Some kids only get a sore throat and that is usually the milder form. If she starts getting tender in other areas, you know you're in for a bigger recovery time.

 

[nilseks]

My son just had it a few weeks ago. He had a mild case and the symptoms were much better after about 3 days. I hope the same is true for your daughter! It sure stinks when you're about to go on vacation and someone gets sick. So stressful!

 

[snoopy5386]

Having worked in daycare for 11 years, it is a daycare licensing law in our state that if you have HF&M you cannot return to daycare until the sores are completely scabbed over.

I caught this myself. It is EXTREMELY painful. I walked like a cripple. You feel like you're walking on needles. It was painful for anyone to touch me. My elbows and heels felt like they were on fire. My fingers hurt to even do 2 finger typing. It hurt to hold a phone. I felt like I was crippled. Although it is rare for adults to get it, I did. Probably because I work closely with kids. If your child acts like they are in pain, please believe me. They are in extreme pain. It is a pain I never felt before. I can only equate it to someone putting needles into every pressure point of your body. I missed work for a week because of it. I was not allowed back until the blisters started to burst and then scabbed over. It is contagious until is scabs over....according to our Communicable Disease training we have to take every 3 years, and according to state licensing.

I honestly don't think your daughter will be happy if you go anywhere less than 7 days after she started experiencing symptoms. This takes a while to work its course. Poor baby girl. I feel very bad for your Lily. I know what she is going through. I'd rather have the stomach flu for a week than this. Touch her lightly in various areas like the bottom of her feet, her heels, ankles, elbows, palms of her hands. See if she has any tender areas. They will feel tender for a few days before you see blisters forming. Some kids only get a sore throat and that is usually the milder form. If she starts getting tender in other areas, you know you're in for a bigger recovery time.

We all caught it last year at Disney, symptoms started showing up a few days after we got back. I had it the worst in the family and it was probably the sickest I have ever been in my life. Fever, throat that felt like I was swallowing glass or razor blades every time I tried to eat and painful, tingling sores all over my hands and feet that hurt so badly I couldn't sleep for 2 days even with my dr calling in a script for vicodin. I ended up losing all of my finger and toenails as well as having all the skin on the palms of my hands and soles of my feet peel off in the weeks after. DH and the kids had it too, but the more normal version - horrid sore throat and a few sores. I had hundreds!


PS the only thing I could eat or drink was chocolate milk. The dairy soothed my throat. Juice was 10x more painful because of the acid.

 

[vikkii19]

DD caught it this summer when she was 16 months. It was horrible for the 2 days after the fever. Then she was back to normal, except for the blisters that kept coming out.

She too, lost most of her toenails, but it didn't stop her except that I couldn't put sneakers or closed shoes on. Thank god it was summer, so she was fine in sandals.

 

[DoryDorito]

Poor little bean. My best advise, ask your pharmacist about Magic Mouthwash, it's worth a call. I have a friend who kids got HFM and she swears by this stuff. I think it's something they make up without a prescription but I'm not sure. But take a few minutes to call your pharmacist because they can tell you what works. Good luck.

 

[DoryDorito]

Ok I got the scoop. She swears by this stuff. It's called magic mouthwash and your doctor needs to call it in for you. My friends son had it at exactly the same age and she said it helped a ton.

 

[jennylyn_b]

You just have to wait it out and try to make her as comfy as possible. Tylenol and popsicles and lots of milk since she's not eating. It will get better. The blisters are very painful but you should see signs soon of her improving. Also, try cold applesauce. Good luck.


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[lucifie]

I'm wondering why your doctor told you that Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease isn't contagious. It is HIGHLY contagious. It's really not a good idea to go to Disney until she's over it.

I guess technically the CDC considers it a "moderate" contagion, but it can be spread through the air by coughing and sneezing...That doesn't seem "moderate" to me.

Our doctor told us it wasn't contagious once she was fever-free

 

[mjkacmom]

We've had it here several times, and it really does vary with how bad it is, and how long it lasts. We've had mild and severe cases, and times when other kids didn't catch it. My twins have never had it - the only childhood illness they've managed to miss, so far. It certainly isn't the worst.

 

[Mom2Four]

Thanks for everyone's thoughts. Baby woke up this morning and drank a little milk and had a bit of pumpkin bread, so that's a great sign! It was a rough night though! I swear someone in my family ALWAYS get sick right before or while at Disney. Last November my 16 year old got a sinus and ear infection the day before we left. In April my 15 year old got a terrible cold in Disney and woke up with pink eye! However the most embarrassing was when the 8 year old got sick at T-Rex! I swear we are not sickly people....just when it comes to vacation I guess. Murphy's Law!

 

[elaine amj]

If she was able to eat some pumpkin bread, that's a very good sign! Both my kids were liquid only with this.

Has your older one had it before? If not, I would consider changing the date of your trip - simply because your older can quite possibly catch it within the next few days.

My son had to be held the entire 3 days pretty much. Poor baby was in misery. My DD just curled up quietly on the couch.

Both drank cold pediasure. They managed to drink maybe 1/2 a bottle or so in a day. I saw they have the pedialyte popsicles these days? We went straight to pediasure to get some extra nutrition in because they were barely taking anything in. Both lost a ton of weight. My DS liked drinking from a straw and my DD had to sip from a cup - I think it depended where their sores were.

On the good side, it only lasted 3 days for each child and then we were done.

The absolute WORST childhood disease! Much much worse than chicken pox. Funny thing is, we hear of chickenpox all the time, but never of hand, foot, and mouth - until our child gets it!

 

[Mom2Four]

Exactly!!! I was like "hand, foot and WHAT disease?!" Funny my daughter has been held for the past three days too. Right now she is sitting on the couch with me with her arm wrapped around my neck! I actually went to Rite Aid yesterday and got Pediasure vanilla shake flavor. She has drank about half the little bottle today. None of my kids has ever had this. My cousins son had it last year, but didn't have the mouth lesions. Lily will just be sitting here or laying down and all of a sudden open her mouth and put her fingers to her mouth and start crying! And she says "mama, mama" about 150 times an hour! Poor baby. This is really the first time she has been sick, except for the occasional sniffles. I am worried about my ten year old catching it as well, since she kisses and hugs this little one constantly!

 

[Magnetgirl25]

Poor baby. This sounds like a similar experience we had this past summer. Our son started complaining on a Saturday evening of a slight sore throat. By Wednesday he had a case of full blown hand foot and mouth disease. We were leaving Friday for our vacation. He was miserable and he is 4. He would go into bouts of screaming and crying because he mouth hurt so bad. I had trouble getting him to eat or drink anything. By Saturday he hadn't moved much urine and I was getting REALLY concerned. I thought that for sure we would be visiting the hospital to hydrate him. It was AMAZING he woke up Sunday morning and like a new kid. Started to eat and drink with hardly any issues. I think that you just need to prepare yourself that the poor baby is going to be miserable to a while. The only other thing is wash wash wash your hands and everyone elses. It can be highly contagious and I would be concerned with your ten your old daughter. Good luck! Hopefully it is a mild case and it clears up quickly! Hope this helps! The other thing I would do is bring laundry detergent. I would wash her blankets and things when she is feeling better. Our son would not even swallow his slavia while we were traveling. It is so heartbreaking. Hang in there. I am so sorry.

 

[suzyqsam]

This is going around like crazy in our school. I feel for everyone who gets it. Hoping everyone feels great for your trip and no one else gets sick while away.

 

[Magnetgirl25]

You could try yogurt too! That seemed to work the first time he had it. He would eat the vanilla yogurt. But the first time was a more milder case then this past summer. He wouldn't touch it this past time. He said that it burned. Good Luck!!! Hope your daughter starts to feel better soon.

 

[Mom2Four]

:Thanks everyone. Right now Lily is actually walking around the living room eating the marshmallows out of a bowl of Lucky Charms!! Maybe she is on the mend. She had a bit more pediasure and has gotten off my lap for the first time in days. This sure is one nasty little virus. Her sores in the mouth don't look quite so inflamed. Our flight is Saturday morning at eight. I hope she feels better by then....right now I am getting a bit optimistic. Sure, with my luck my ten year old will come down with it Friday night!!!!!!!!:

 

[zy144622]

Most kids over five won't have an outbreak. Enjoy your trip!!!

 

[jennylyn_b]

:Thanks everyone. Right now Lily is actually walking around the living room eating the marshmallows out of a bowl of Lucky Charms!! Maybe she is on the mend. She had a bit more pediasure and has gotten off my lap for the first time in days. This sure is one nasty little virus. Her sores in the mouth don't look quite so inflamed. Our flight is Saturday morning at eight. I hope she feels better by then....right now I am getting a bit optimistic. Sure, with my luck my ten year old will come down with it Friday night!!!!!!!!:

This is wonderful news! I would say it looks like she's over the worst now. It's not as common for older kids so you might be okay there. Keep us updated. Prayers for Lily.


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[Mom2Four]

This is wonderful news! I would say it looks like she's over the worst now. It's not as common for older kids so you might be okay there. Keep us updated. Prayers for Lily.


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Thank you for the kind words!! She is napping on me right now......hopefully when she wakes up she will be feeling even better!!!!!!!

 

[harrowgirl]

It obviously depends on how severe a case she has. My son had it in June, right after he turned 2. He had a very mild case, a bit of a fever, and sores on the feet and lower back - nothing in the mouth. I kept him home from daycare for a week, but about 2 days after I noticed the sores he "seemed" fine to anyone who looked at him playing.

My coworker's son had it and basically had to be held for 10 days because he was so upset/hurting