We’re usually a pretty healthy crew around our house. Ryan only got sick once, when he was 8 weeks old, and Nicky caught the same cold the next day. Otherwise, Nicky’s only gotten sick a few times.
This past week, Ryan got a fever on Monday night when I got home from work, and he was extra fussy and still feverish until the next night.
The day after that (Thursday), Nicky got sick VERY QUICKLY. He told me that he didn’t feel well, and within and hour he had a fever of 102 and trouble breathing. After albuterol and acetaminophen, he improved, but then worsened after his nap. He was fine the next day.
The following day (Saturday), Chuck got into bed at night and said he thought he was getting sick and was really unwell the next day (and every day after). On Monday, I started getting the chills and a fever at work and was pretty sick the next day. I started to notice that we’d all had a mild rash; Ryan’s was the most pronounced on one of his feet, but it wasn’t a big deal.
Today (Wednesday), Chuck got home from work and said that he had a really sore throat and sores in his mouth, and he started to get sores on his fingers. He called our doctor, who could see him tomorrow afternoon. The receptionist wouldn’t even take a message for the nurse because she said that it sounded like strep throat and that he’d need to be seen by the doctor. So, Chuck decided to go to the after-hours clinic to get treatment sooner. He had a rapid-strep test that came back negative and was diagnosed with Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease. We all have it. Apparently, it’s a virus like a cold and the only treatment is symptomatic. The nurse practitioner that he saw said that recent cases last 10-14 days.
Thankfully, Nicky and Ryan were extremely mild, and mine isn’t too bad. I have a pretty sore throat because of the sores on the back of my tongue, but I’m able to keep my fever and body aches under control with Tylenol and Motrin. Chuck is in pretty rough shape with painful sores in his mouth and on his hands and feet. Looks like he might have another rough week or so. :(