Hand Foot and Mouth Disease

[emilyann415]

Just a heads up.....just got home Sunday from our 3 night Disney Dream and daughter complained of not feeling well once the plane started taking off, after smelling someone's food she informed me she was going to throw up. Luckily I got my hands on a baggie prior to the throwing up. Monday night she developed a few small bite like marks on her hands and by this morning she has large ones all over her hands and feet. She also has a very sore throat and little appetite. Just a heads up to anyone sailing soon on the ship. The doctor said it typically affects kids younger than 5 (but my DD is almost 8) and can be avoided by washing hands frequently. We wash like crazy on a cruise because we are so worried about getting sick....but she still ended up with it..... Just be diligent....poor thing is absolutely miserable!!!!

 

[disney1990]

Just a heads up.....just got home Sunday from our 3 night Disney Dream and daughter complained of not feeling well once the plane started taking off, after smelling someone's food she informed me she was going to throw up. Luckily I got my hands on a baggie prior to the throwing up. Monday night she developed a few small bite like marks on her hands and by this morning she has large ones all over her hands and feet. She also has a very sore throat and little appetite. Just a heads up to anyone sailing soon on the ship. The doctor said it typically affects kids younger than 5 (but my DD is almost 8) and can be avoided by washing hands frequently. We wash like crazy on a cruise because we are so worried about getting sick....but she still ended up with it..... Just be diligent....poor thing is absolutely miserable!!!!

Is this what her marks look like?
What Are the Symptoms of HFMD?
Symptoms usually begin with a fever, reduced appetite, sore throat, and a feeling of being unwell. A day or two after the fever starts, painful sores can develop in the mouth. A skin rash with flat red spots may also develop on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. Sometimes a rash also occurs on the knees, elbows, and buttocks. This rash may blister but won't itch.

 

[DahliaRW]

It's a peak year for HFM. It's been going around here like crazy, so I'm not surprised a little one on the boat may have been incubating it and passed it on. It's a nasty bugger! We all had it in my family this year, despite the fact that only one of us was under 5!

 

[Mousemom]

I work in public health and we have seen more of this this year, especially in the past couple months, then in past years. Not uncommon though, but very contagious. The local school even sent a note home right before school got out with the kids that it was going around the school. I know that for a few days kids are really miserable. Make sure they get lots of popsicles and fluids. Glad she did not get sick while on the cruise.

 

[DisneyHeather]

My son caught this from a kid at daycare a couple months ago. I'm glad for you that she caught it after the cruise because that would have sucked if she got it while on the ship.

Our doctor quarantined my son for a week to the house and after the first 3 days he was feeling better we just had to wait for the blisters to go away.

Here's to hoping she's feeling better soon

 

[DisGirl819]

Just a heads up.....just got home Sunday from our 3 night Disney Dream and daughter complained of not feeling well once the plane started taking off, after smelling someone's food she informed me she was going to throw up. Luckily I got my hands on a baggie prior to the throwing up. Monday night she developed a few small bite like marks on her hands and by this morning she has large ones all over her hands and feet. She also has a very sore throat and little appetite. Just a heads up to anyone sailing soon on the ship. The doctor said it typically affects kids younger than 5 (but my DD is almost 8) and can be avoided by washing hands frequently. We wash like crazy on a cruise because we are so worried about getting sick....but she still ended up with it..... Just be diligent....poor thing is absolutely miserable!!!!

Good to know. We were on that sailing of the Dream and I have two small kiddos. My son has had a stuffy nose and isn't feeling great so I'll definitely keep an eye on him.

 

[Drusilla99]

My little one got that a few years back from a movie theater (it was over Christmas break & the only time we had left the house over the two weeks). Super easy to catch

 

[suffieldhockeymom]

The incubation period is 5-7 days, most likely she was exposed before the cruise. MY DS had it twice when he was a toddler. A mixture of Malox and Benedryl makes a great mouth swish for the soars (swallowed for throat soars). It can also be made with viscous lidocaine with a prescription. They call it magical mouthwash.

 

[ITALIANANGLO69]

my 2 yr old son caught it at the church daycare and passed it on to me. It is very painful on the soles of your feet and hard to swallow for 7 days. I saw my Dr. and was told there is no way treat it. The symptoms dissipate but you may get cracking/peeling skin on the soles of your feet.
It definitely going around everywhere.

 

[swmal]

A great reminder to bring hand sanitizer and remind my kids to wash their hands often. I had HFM in college. I was down for over a week with horrible mouth sores and felt awful. I don't want it ever again!

 

[kapoof]

Sounds awful! Is there anything thing to take for it? Or just wait it to run its course?

 

[halfmonkey]

Sounds awful! Is there anything thing to take for it? Or just wait it to run its course?

Unfortunately, there is not medicine to cure it. It has to run it's course. ...and yes, it sucks big time. I got it from both of my kids. The first time wasn't a big deal. I had a couple of bumps on the tips of my fingers and a sore in my mouth. The second time, I got it really bad. I had a bunch on my feet and hands and a really bad one in my mouth. It was so bad in mouth that I didn't eat for a day and a half and after a while I was so hungry, I forced myself to eat and endure the pain. I ended up losing about 5 pounds from the ordeal. With the bumps of my feet, I could barely walk. Everytime I took a step, it felt like I was walking on pins and needles. With the bumps on my hand, I could hold a pen to write. Again, it felt like pins and needles when I wold try and write.

The kicker is after the virus is cleared. Everywhere where you had the little bumps, the cells basically die so the skin basically peels off because the dead cell is being replaced with living cells in your skin. So you basically are peeling like a sun burn. My kid and I were peeling like crazy.

I was miserable so I definitely feel for the kids. If your child has it, please be sympathetic and pretty much give them whatever they want.

 

[sparty7798]

Our son had this during the fall but it was the European strain so pray you do not get that version, In the regular strain, the spots only last a few days, in the European strain, they last 3 months and then the body absorbs the dye from the spots back. He got it in September and by December, they had gone away. He missed almost a month of day care so if it is not going away, you have this version.

 

[emilyann415]

And now my 3 yo has it!!!!

 

[Racer X]

That really stinks... good luck with your kids

 

[sweetpee_1993]

And now my 3 yo has it!!!!

Bless your heart. I can't even imagine. My boys are 20 months apart in age. When they were little they both got scabies. I went through all the work of treating them, cleaning, etc. Less than a month later they both got it again. I remember just sitting there with the pediatrician sobbing. It's so disheartening when these things happen. Keep your chin up, dear. It's hard. Hang in there and I'll send all the pixie dust I can your way.

 

[emilyann415]

On the plus side it was the best cruise ever....even though it was only a 3 night....both kids were old enough to really have fun and it was just a great time. They really are miserable though. I feel like we are dealing with chicken pox......

 

[Parkerpirates]

My son caught it this year at school. He was the last of his classmates to catch it but all of them (8 kids) caught it and passed it on over a course of two weeks. Then my dd caught a mild case of it from him.

He had blisters all over his hands, feet and mouth. His daddy is a doctor so he called in a script for a lidocaine lollipop to help numb his mouth and we gave him alternating Tylenol and I ibuprofen. The blisters lasted about a week and he peeled for a couple of weeks.

 

[DahliaRW]

A great reminder to bring hand sanitizer and remind my kids to wash their hands often. I had HFM in college. I was down for over a week with horrible mouth sores and felt awful. I don't want it ever again!

While hand washing is never a bad idea, HFM is airborne as well. Someone in the room with you who is contagious sneezes, you breathe it in, you can get it, no matter how clean your hands are!

 

[njRN2010]

Oh no! We got off the ship the day you got on :/ my 2 year old daughter has been very fussy and low grade fever off and on. Hoping she doesn't get it. Hope your little ones feel better!!