Sunday, 19 August 2007
.:: HFMD Free ::.
Back from vacation, my son had fever on last Monday....gave him some crushed panadols for children before we went to bed...
Then on Tuesday, my mom called me in the afternoon.... she said Ilyas complained of a bad sore throat and refused to take in any food.... I was merely thinking that he had another tonsilitis attack and told my mom to let him have some vanilla ice cream coz it helps to soothe the tonsilitis...
When I checked his mouth, I was quite astonished to see it was all red and ulcers were forming up...and I had this bad feeling.... I was hoping that my intuation was wrong! "Please God, don't let it be HFMD!" I prayed silently....and we quickly brought him to the Doctor to check.
Doctor was a bit skeptical to confirm it was a HFMD attack as there wasn't any blisters formed on his hands and feet yet. However, he suspected that it was likely to be HFMD looking from the ulcers in his mouth and he wanted us to ensure that Ilyas won't have more fever or dehydration as these factors would made HFMD more critical on a child. He said the blisters on the hands and foot would appear soon and that would confirm that Ilyas has HFMD and true enough, the blisters appeared the following day.
For those who's wondering what's HFMD, its known as the Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease. It is an illness caused by intestinal viruses, commonest being Coxsackie virus and Enterovirus 71. A person with HFMD usually presents with the following symptoms:
- Fever for 2-3 days Sore throat and runny nose
- Rash (flat or raised red spots, some with blisters) on palms of hands, soles of feet, or buttocks
- Mouth ulcers
- Poor appetite
- Vomiting and diarrhoea
- Tiredness and weakness ("feeling sick")
HFMD is usually mild and self-limiting. No specific treatment is available, however, treatment - can be given to relieve the symptoms of the disease.
With little help we can offer, we were left to watch Ilyas crying each time he has to drink or eat. It must have been too painful for him to swallow that he refused to eat. Desperate and not wanting him to dehydrate, we have to forced him to take small sips of water and diluted porridge for a few days....
It was a heart-wrenching experience for me and my family...having to see my only son looked almost dehydrated, slouching in a corner and keeping mum each time we tried to have small talks with him. For those who knew Ilyas personally, would have known that it is so not of his character and it almost dampened the family spirit.
Then by Friday, we saw improvement, he could take in more food and water... He even started to strike some conversations with us.... He was getting better and stronger by the day and as of today, I'd like to safely announce that my son, Ilyas is free from HFMD and he's going to school tomorrow. Yippee!
Alhamdullilah...
