HFMD

What do you ask is HFMD... ask Quinn and Carter...

Last Monday morning was like any other Monday morning; we did our usual morning routine, Q&C got ready for the day, Nanny Rachel arrived and Ellie turned into a wiggle butt while barking and waking up the neighborhood. We then went to work. Around 11ish, we received a call from Nanny Rachel that Carter was not doing well and that he had a temperature of 104. Needless to say, Shane and I were very concerned and I was able to get him an appointment at their pediatricians. So off to pick-up Carts and then off to the doctors (Quinn stayed home with Nanny Rachel).

I do need to back up a bit and provide some past history... Q&C have been in daycare only one day a week now for two months and have had the following: sinus infections, colds, flus/fevers, ear infections (Carter) and pink eye and now HFMD. Aren't you jealous! ;) So moving back to the Monday... when we called the pediatricians they wanted to see Carter right away due to the above daycare list.

The doctor couldn't find anything abnormally wrong with Carter and felt that he just had a very bad viral infection, but was perplexed as Carter was very lethargic, jerking constantly (super scary by the way), his white blood cell count was very elevated and was just straight miserable. So to rule out an acute infection we headed to the ER at Children's (doctors orders) to have chest X-rays and other tests done. After going through the waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting, we were finally admitted to a room, where Carter was taken care of by the kindest staff. Long story short, they too could find nothing wrong. So we were sent home with treatment recommendations of lots of TLC, infant ibuprofen, Popsicles and a nice fat medical bill. We also found out that while we were in the ER, Quinn came down with a 103.2 temperature at Glamma and Grandpa Gannon's (they picked her up from our house so Nanny Rachel could head out).

After a few days of the poor boy just trying to feel better he broke out into this awful rash. Back to the pediatricians we went! Turns out he contracted Hand Foot Mouth Disease (aka HFMD). So, I called Q&C's daycare to let them know that they would not be in on Friday and that they were diagnosed with HFMD. Seems we weren't the only family going through this as their daycare informed me that they have had numerous calls regarding the same thing for other children. Gotta love it!

Just a quick run-down on HFMD... it lasts for about 7-10 days, runs it's own course with no antibiotics and is not contagious unless you swap saliva or, in the case of Q&C share sippy cups and the like. It doesn't itch, but can be very painful in the mouth and may cause dehydration as eating and drinking aren't very favorable with the mouth sores.

Anyway, Carter is doing a lot better and is back to his normal spirit. Quinn only got a slight bought of it and is doing great.

Check! HFMD off the list... what's next?