Hand, Foot, and Mouth

On Thursday, I noticed a bumpy, pimply-like rash on his left arm near his elbow. He also had a similar rash on his legs. It looked different than the usual eczema he got on his body like in the following photo.

On Friday, a cranky, irritable Matthew whined through eating a slice of his favorite pizza. That confirmed that he wasn't feeling well.

But what was going on? Other than the physical symptoms and general tiredness, both kids still had adequate energy to play with their toys and with each other.

On Friday, Elizabeth had a slight runny nose. Both kids woke up several times that night.

On Saturday, Matthew drooled constantly. Elizabeth's nose needed frequent wiping.

Through Friday and Saturday, Matthew was drinking very little almond milk. He was drinking very little iced water. I thought that was strange. And he often put his finger in his mouth.

I finally checked their temperatures on Saturday afternoon. Both kids were at 100 degrees (Farenheit).

Then I noticed Matthew's hands and ankles had more red dots.

Mother's instinct or paranoia or lucky guess?
I suspected hand, foot, and mouth disease. I tried to look in his mouth as well as I could and spotted a sore in the back of his throat. That explained the drooling! It hurt to swallow his own saliva.

It is caused by a virus that is apparently common for young kids to catch. In an after-hours call to the pediatrician, I was told, "there is no special medication for hand, foot, and mouth disease. Ibuprofen will help provide comfort from a painful throat and high fever. Let it run its course. He can return to school when he is fever-free and no longer contagious."

Sigh.