Hand Foot and Mouth Disease

It all started on Wednesday. Paxton had a little fever (about 99.5 so I don't even know if that counts as a fever, but it was warm for him). He was also a little fussy but I didn't think much of it. He is getting his next two bottom teeth and he sometimes gets a little fever with that. Thursday we went to Tulsa for a little mini-vacation since Jared had to visit a credit union branch's radio spot for work. He was a little fussy that day too, but again we just assumed it was his teeth...even though his last four came in without any symptoms. Friday was worse. He was grumpy all day and seemed really tired. He would barely eat anything. I also noticed some tiny red bumps all over his body and he had a really bad diaper rash. I started to worry a little but figured I was overreacting. Friday night was terrible. He cried off and on from about 8:30 until 1:30 in the morning. He wouldn't go to sleep which is crazy for him. Then finally he would fall asleep but wake up a few minutes later crying. I wanted to take him to the E.R. but again I was worried that it was his teeth or that he had just gotten over-tired from being up for so long and couldn't fall asleep. He finally cried himself to sleep at 1:30. It killed me to let that happen...I had to do it a couple times when he was smaller but very rarely because he's always been such a good sleeper. It was definitely harder this time because I know his personality and knew something was wrong...but he wouldn't go to sleep with us rocking him or even in the room with him so we didn't have a choice.


This morning, he woke up with tons more spots and some of them were the size of mosquito bites. His hands, bottom and back are covered with bumps and he has clusters of them all over his body: around his lips, all over his arms and legs and on his tummy and chest.


We took him to the Mercy After-hours clinic as soon as we saw them. The doctor looked him over and said "well, they're on his hands, feet and mouth..." and my heart sunk because I knew. He diagnosed him with Hand Foot and Mouth disease and said there was no medication for it.


We have been giving him Baby Advil every six hours which seems to be helping a little, but he still isn't eating much and just isn't feeling good. We gave him a popsicle and an oatmeal bath tonight which seemed to help also. The doctor said it will last a week to 10 days...so we'll see how it goes. Hopefully he starts feeling better soon.

Even though he isn't feeling well, he has still been trying so hard to be happy and to play. He walked about 25 feet without falling tonight.


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