High Maintenance Mom

Our oldest had hand, foot, and mouth (link to CDC) twice and both times I got it too. It's a common illness that is characterized by sores in the mouth and a rash on the hands, feet, and diaper area. It's a different disease than foot-and-mouth disease of cattle, sheep, and swine (that was the first thing I thought of when I heard it was going around our day care). We kept our son home for a few days until the rash disappeared and he felt better (he was cranky). Both times I found myself feeling completely wiped out with a high fever. Fighting off the virus while trying to take care of my son was difficult. Because it's a virus, there is no "cure". Wash your hands a lot and hang in there.

What to look for: fever, poor appetite, feeling sick, sore throat, sores in the mouth, and a rash with blisters (palms of the hands, soles of the feet, and diaper area). Cause: Several different viruses cause HFMD. The most common cause is coxsackievirus A16; sometimes, enterovirus 71 or other strains of enteroviruses cause HFMD. The enterovirus group includes polioviruses, coxsackieviruses, and echoviruses. (from the CDC)