If you recall on my last trip to Wonderland some of my kiddies developed really bad fevers and headaches – including the babies. Well what I thought was a virus didn’t actually start then, it started a few days before with Sebastian.
On the Wednesday prior he had woken up at about 5am, and came and told me he didn’t feel well and promptly threw up. (Yeah, thanks for the rude awakening!) I was worried because around noon the house was to be filled with not just all of my children, but the Director of the short film Sebastian had just shot in the caves, and his crew of camera men. Apparently the footage that was sent to LA was very well received there and they also really liked my little guy. So they were coming to our house to film more of Sebastian and do an interview for them. (Yeah Sebastian!)
I gave him some Gravol and told him to try to sleep and see how he felt in a little while. By 11am he hadn’t thrown up at all again but just had a headache. He told me he was fine and that he would just sleep some more until the crew arrived. After the crew arrived and set up Sebastian was burning up – he had a fever of 104. I gave him some Advil and he rested a bit more while they did sound check. The Director told him we could re-schedule but Sebastian insisted he was fine and somehow managed to film what was needed with some energy and a smile (What a pro!) however by night time he had a really red eye and still a fever. I though maybe the eye think was pink eye, but by the next morning it was fine again.
Which brings us to the Friday when we ventured out to Wonderland. The next day the twins were still really fussy, Arielle and Zachary still had a fever and Zak kept saying he felt like his throat was cut. (I figured this probably had something to do with his Asperger’s and extreme sensitivities). Marie still had a headache but now a sore throat was added and she kept asking me to check her throat because she was sure there were white spots. In the afternoon Ryley said he had a headache and threw up. Thatcher on the other hand had developed what I thought was a yeast type diaper rash or just plain old heat rash. As for me I just really wanted a glass of WildBerry. I was exhausted with it all!
Sunday came and poor Thatcher had a rash all over but it had blistered in some places and really looked painful. When I checked Tanner he had a rash all over to but no blisters. They were both very itchy. I started to panic thinking maybe they had chickenpox, despite having the vaccination for it! When I attempted to feed them they wouldn’t eat and would throw their sippy cups and bottles at me as though to say “Screw you! Don’t want it!”
Monday came and I went to see our Pediatrician – even though I have eight kiddies I had never seen anything like this! I was totally stumped as well as a bit concerned. The Doctor looked them over checked the rash (which by this time had spread to their hands and feet) and checked in their mouths. He then informed me that the poor babes had ulcer like sores in their mouths and then proceeded to tell me that they had – get this – Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease! WTH?! Seriously! He then told me that he had seen five cases in the past week!
O.M.G It all made sense! When I told him about the older kiddies he told me they all had it but some were hit with only some symptoms, most likely because they were older. Unfortunately it is a virus and there was nothing to get rid of it. Thatcher and Tanner though were obviously in a lot of discomfort and pain from the sores in their mouths so he said they should have Tylenol, then Advil every four hours. This did indeed help.
As for the older children only two developed the rash – Arielle and Joshua – and only on their feet and hands.
At this point we are a few weeks after the fact and all seemed to be much better. We even went to Wonderland again today! For more information on this virus go here.
Have any of your children ever contracted Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease?
Until next time,
Chantel,momof8crazymonkeys
It went through my house this spring. We only have one child and he lived through it fairly easily BUT then Mom and Dad got it…OMG! It was awful! I would rather have the flu! The fever knocked me completely on my back for two days. My poor hubby got it the worse and according to our doctor it is similar to an adult getting the chicken pox, it is much, much worse. The poor guy’s hand and feet were covered in these awful blisters so bad that he could barely walk for two days. He was basically quarantined to the house for a week. His work would not allow him to come in until cleared by the doctor which thankfully he can work from home so he could keep up and not lose all that time off. Our day care center had never heard of a parent getting it in all the years they have been open so we are the famous parents there. Just reading the title of this blog sent shivers down my spine. I never want to relive those two weeks again and cannot imagine having eight kids own with it! Many, many wildberry’s to you!
my two boys just had it…i guess it is going around…not sure where they got it from but both ended up with the fever and bad blisters all over hands and feet and in mouth…
Well, mine have never had it but it went around my daughter’s school last year.
The other weird childhood disease that we managed to evade but has a wacky name is “slapped cheek”. What a name, eh?
Anyhow, I digress. I’m with Julie – how you manage all of this with EIGHT kids is beyond me. I have a hard enough time when both of my two are unwell. And with so many of them barfing, too? You are a superwoman!
yes, my two had it….but 8! i think you need one wildberry for each child. you amaze me everytime with your stories 🙂