hand, foot, and mouth disease

sheesh.  ever since we moved to Atlanta, sickness has had a tight grip on our little family.  there hasn't yet been a time where one member of the K3 has not been sick with some kind of upper respiratory, GI or skin problem.  maybe it's because we're adapting to the viruses, bacteria and allergens in this unfamiliar region of the country. maybe it's the superbugs that the hard-working (and devastatingly handsome) ER nurse has been bringing home from work (ick).  maybe it's the stress of transition and uncertain next steps.  maybe it's because we have a one-year old who is wired to explore mouth-first, and this, combined with semi-frequent trips to Walmart.

maybe it's because we're puny little weaklings.

whatever the reason, we have been sick.  painful sore throats, headaches, persistent coughs, congestion, runny noses, pink eye, rashes, fevers, nausea, soreness, diarrhea, mosquito bites by the dozens, you name it, we've endured it.

nothing has been officially diagnosed, but we have spent a small fortune on over-the-counter medicines and a few prescription drugs as well.

the latest plague on our house has been hand, foot, and mouth disease (poor little baby).  not to be confused with hoof-and-mouth or foot-and-mouth disease, which is what all the websites say.  the photos are scary, which is why we thought Mo didn't have it.  he had a crazy high fever and a weird rash all over his arms and legs, but not on his palms or soles and no blisters. he had a little dip in appetite, but nothing that seemed too unusual for a toddler, according to me.  also, he had some loose stools, which is not really mentioned in many HFMD websites.  unfortunately, after denying it was HFMD and letting our son play with a family friend's kid, our friend called yesterday and let us know that her son was diagnosed with it.  sorry bubby.  he actually got the classic HFMD sores in the mouth that all the websites talk about, so i guess Mosey just has the virus and is presenting with different symptoms.

anyway.  he's been on the mend and has been in a delightful mood, so that's good.  today was a weird day for his poops and he was a tiny bit feverish again, but maybe that's a whole different issue altogether.  who really knows.  i'm just hanging on and trying to get through this period.  i'm sure we'll all be healthy again someday.  i'm really looking forward to it.

lovelove,
helen for the contagious 3