Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease

The past 3 weeks had been extremely eventful. During my miserable 5-day study week and the following week where I had to sit for my last 5 examination papers, En and Xuan took turns to have viral fever. En later developed wheezing sound in the lungs and was ordered by the doctor to stay at home for a week. As a result, I had sleepless nights and stressful days while trying to cope with her condition, my revision as well as the examination.

When both the munchkins were finally back in school, I started my clinical posting. Just when I thought all was going well, I received a call from the childcare centre on a Friday afternoon about Xuan’s temperature again. She was brought home earlier and we didn’t find anything unusual about her, so we just provided symptomatic treatment when necessary.

Then the siren in my head went off 2 days later on a Sunday when I spotted one blister on her arm and one on her leg. She already had one near her lips on Friday and I thought it was just a normal blister (Note: the blisters were neither on her palms nor sole, just one each on her arm and leg). Still, Di and I decided to dig out that HFMD brochure given by the childcare centre earlier this year to have a second look. Nothing conclusive, Di thought.

However, while exchanging SMS with one of my classmates who is also a mother of two, she mentioned her kids once had HFMD with no symptoms at all except ulcers in the mouth. I decided to check Xuan’s oral cavity. There I found numerous angry looking red spots in her upper jaw area leading to the back of her mouth. To be doubly sure, I checked En’s and the same area in En’s mouth was perfectly, healthy pink looking. Viola! That’s it!!!

So we brought Xuan to the clinic and confirmed it was indeed HFMD. We were prepared to quarantine En at home despite knowing its best to isolate her from Xuan. Anyway, she could be carrying the virus already (the incubation period is known to be 3-5 days), we thought we’d just leave things to God. And God was prompt in confirming our prayer this time. By the following morning, En started to develop blisters on her arms and legs too.

We were thankful Xuan’s case was a mild one. A week had past and she had merely 4-5 blisters on her. She had low grade fever and was able to eat everything and anything. Poor En suffered a lot more. She had fever above 39 degrees, painful ulcers in her mouth hence unable to eat or drink (not even ice-cream) and painful blisters on her upper, lower limbs and groin region (only a few on the palm and sole). She was literally crying throughout the entire Tuesday.

Now that it’s all over, we’re more than happy to release them from their “imprisonment” as they are officially allowed to venture beyond the 4 walls of our home. Their patience was obviously wearing thinner as the days passed as we kept telling them they can only go out when the blisters are all gone. I told En on Saturday night “You can only go out if Dr. Lim says you can do so. We will go to his clinic tomorrow.” Immediately on Sunday morning, she woke up and told me “Mommy, today is Sunday. Dr. Lim said I can go out already.” But we have not even seen the doctor!!! Kekeke…

Well, it may have been a very challenging month for the family, but we certainly had grown closer after having to face one another within the 4 walls of this house day in and day out. Now, we look forward to an exciting month in September where En & Xuan are going to be the flower girls for my cousin, Kelyn’s, wedding. In October, the munchkins will celebrate their 3rd birthday. And for the first time in their life, they’ll be celebrating their birthday with their own friends in the childcare centre. Praise the Lord!