Coxsackie virus...

Evan has acquired a coxsackie virus, hand foot and mouth. It apparently is a common childhood illness. It causes blisters on the hands, feet and mouth. The worst symptom is ulcers/lesions/blisters on the hard palate (roof of the mouth). I have no idea how he got it but he was bounced around to many sitters last week while his main sitter was home with her own sick kids. It started simple enough with a fever and cold symptoms on Thursday. He was laid up on the couch when I picked him up on Thursday while a ton of kids played around him. Sorry to those kids and moms who had extreme toddler exposure. I hope they have strong immune systems.
That night and the previous one were plagued with terrible sleep. He was up all night restless and wanting to nurse like crazy. I was delirious. He was miserable on Saturday and had an even worse nights sleep and didn't want to take a nap. After a brief 20 minute nap he woke up screaming and noticed blisters around his mouth. I felt like a terrible mom because I didn't notice when they happened but it seemed like they just popped up (they probably did.) Then as I was looking at his mouth, I got a peak at the roof of his mouth. He had a dark sore and the rest of his mouth was gray. I panicked and rushed him to the ER. He got the diagnosis of hand, foot and mouth and lo and behold he also a tiny blister on his hand and few on his feet. Since it is a virus, there is little that can be done except ease the symptoms, keep him hydrated and give him lots of popsicles.

The doctor warned me that he would probably develop diarrhea and the blisters will probably get worse. Thankfully that has not happened and this appears to be a mild case. I guess he's like his mom and gets mild childhood diseases. When I had chicken pox, I don't remember being covered with pox. But my sister and brother had them so bad that they got them on their eyelids. I probably was just a spotted, itchy kid that was visibly sick but just wanted to play. Barbie was calling my name. That is what Evan has been up to. He hadn't eaten all weekend, was crabby because he only sleeps if he has a full tummy, and he just wanted to play (not with Barbie). If anything he was in pain and stir crazy because he has been cooped up in the house forever. 

Last night he finally ate some yogurt and slept. He only woke up twice to nurse which is normal for him. He ate breakfast today, and is taking his morning nap. We are still avoiding other children because the coxsackie virus like all other childhood illnesses can have dangerous sequelae, i.e. meningitis. So even though his is mild, the next kid could have something worse.

I wonder why there is no vaccine for this. We have flu vaccines, and chicken pox. Not to mention the various viruses in the MMR. I wish there was a vaccine for this. My kid is not inflamed with blisters but he is in pain and doesn't want to eat because of it. Shouldn't that be enough. I am not opposed to another shot for him. He is fully vaccinated so far. I'm even going to get the HPV vaccine for him when he's older even though its not on the list for boys right now.

I hate hearing about the resurgence of measles and the dreaded chicken pox party. There a vaccine was developed. It's not the matter of red bumps on your kid but what can happen to some other kids that don't fight the virus so well. Too many of the non vaccinators fail to realize this. Just because you lived through chicken pox and your parents lived through measles, mumps and rubella, does not mean there weren't kids that didn't make it. I would rather Evan get some discomfort from a shot (last time he got 4) than have a serious illness that some think isn't. 

But alas there isn't a coxsackie vaccine so who's up for a hand, foot, and mouth party?