Today Dinky was diagnosed with hand, foot and mouth disease. We are supposed to be heading out of town tomorrow to visit my parents and friends for a few days, because everybody has been seriously ill, and I want to try to help them out as much as possible during this very difficult time.
I didn’t know very much at all about hand, foot and mouth disease. I thought it was something that children only picked up from other children and were only likely to get if they are in daycare. Since Dinky isn’t in day care and hasn’t been in the church nursery for two weeks, I was very concerned about how she got it.
As it turns out, adults can carry the virus as well, though they almost never show symptoms. It is just as likely she got it from me or her father as she did from another child. How frustrating!
My poor Dinky is in pain. She’s not feeding well, and my mother is pushing me to force feed her solid food, which hurts her poor mouth. The doctor said that she needs to be kept on formula and extremely smooth foods like pudding and yogurt. There is a risk of her becoming dehydrated if she doesn’t want to drink (which has been the case for two days) and solid food fills her up and doesn’t encourage her to drink. I can tell that this is going to be a struggle.
The treatment for hand, foot and mouth disease is painkillers to help her to deal with the pain that she is experiencing in her mouth. I purchased some neosporin tonight for when the blisters begin to burst, and I’m going to keep her loosely dressed to ensure her comfort. I also bought her a cup with a straw, since she knows how to use one and it will be easier for her to drink.
I want to cry. My poor little girl is in pain and there is so little that I can do to help her except to wait out the week-long period that it’s going to take before she starts to get better!
Please pray for my darling daughter. She needs the prayers right now as she has been having such a tough time!
Marriage, Motherhood and Miracles 