I would love to tell you that I had some fantastic reason why I have been absent from here, but that just wouldn’t be true. We have had a busy summer, working in the garden, hosting family and friends, but my latest distractions was little ones not feeling well.
My children started with cold symptoms, and then ran a low-grade fever. Next the spots came. Samuel was the first to start with it and he had it the worst and was quite miserable for a few days.
He had them on his feet…
On his hands….
His diaper area…
and his face…
Samuel had them the worst around his mouth, hands, feet, diaper area, and then it spread up the legs and up the arms. He had a few small ones on his eye lid and ears and just one or two tiny ones on his back and tummy. Nothing on the scalp. Poor little guys feet got so bad he could hardly walk.
Joel’s oncology doctors still like to know what he is exposed to so I wanted to take Samuel to the doctor. Unfortunately, our doctor was away so that meant I had to take him to emerge. The doctor there took one look at his legs and said, “Poison ivy.” I guess the look on my face said enough as he said something like,
“Has he been in tall grass?”
I shook my head, “No I can’t think of anywhere he could have been exposed to poison ivy.” I mentioned that his face around his mouth was bad so he pulled out his soother.
“That’s an infection, he has a skin infection! He is going to need antibiotics to clear that up.” I asked if it was contagious. ”No it is a bacterial infection of some sort but he isn’t contagious.” Hating to put him on a med I took the prescription and headed home.
Only to arrive home and find Joel with a very few spots, but nonetheless spots. Hmm seems contagious, Joel had just finished with the fever and Hannah was starting with one. I decided to take all 3 children back the next day as clearly something was catchy.
As you can see Joel was a much milder case, and Hannah ended up having even fewer than Joel.
The doctor the next day came in looked at Samuel and said,
“Are they vaccinated?”
“No…”
“It’s chicken pox, they are not vaccinated, it is chicken pox!”
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“100% Chicken pox.”
“But Joel only has them on his hands, foot and mouth, are you sure it isn’t hand foot and…”
“Madam, 100% chicken pox look at the pox, see that tiny dark spot in the middle of the pox it is 100% chicken pox, you didn’t vaccinate, it is chicken pox.”
“But he doesn’t have any on his torso???”
“They will come, you’ll see, it isn’t uncommon to start in the extremities you’ll see.”
I felt more confused than ever. I guess I wanted him to say hand foot and mouth disease because that is what made the most sense to me. No more spots appeared, none of the children ended up with any spots on their torsos. If it was the chicken pox it was the strangest case I have ever seen. Most of Samuel’s spots did scab over, but Hannah and Joel’s spots just faded away. So what do you think chicken pox, hand foot and Mouth disease, or did they have two different things?? I’d love to hear your opinions.
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Oh! the poor babies! This makes me so sad! I know hand foot and mouth disease is much more common than we think. It could honestly be that.
I know, I felt so bad when I would look at him as it looked so uncomfortable.
it could be a combo of two– but I know a few people who've had very different reactions to pox–one friend only had a bout 5 spots on her arm and two on her leg–but it was the pox…each child might have different reactions-the littlest one might have more around his mouth do to the soother–The virus can exist in airborne respiratory droplets…so the build up under the soother around the mouth could have been stronger.
Glad to hear what ever it was they are all doing better now =)
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That is an interesting point he does use a soother, so that definitely could have been a contributing factor!
Those poor guys. I"m so sorry you have to go through this and that they had to too!! I'm glad it cleared up. I have no idea what it is.
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Hmmmmm, looks suspicious, whatever it is. And itchy!!!! Poor babies and mama!
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My kids have had both hand foot and mouth and chicken pox. Based on your pictures I would say yours had hand foot and mouth. My daughter had ulcers in her mouth but my son didn't. It seems no cases are identical!
I am so lucky to have had family doctors that don't freak out when I say we don't vaccinate for everything. I don't understand the concern about NOT vaccinating for chicken pox. Chicken pox in children is no big deal, but pox in adults can be severe. Do we know beyond a doubt that this current vaccine will stay active through adult hood? Or are we setting up a bunch of adults to get chicken pox? And yes, I know, shingles are linked to chicken pox, but that's a huge stress related issue too!
Trust your instincts, I firmly believe moms (involved moms) know their kids best!
Thanks Mrs. Pugh I agree with you that we could have a bunch of adults having issues with chicken pox one day or at the very least all needing to be re-vaccinated. I find you do just have to go with your gut. Thanks!
Cheryl… my heart goes out to all the kiddos… My sons had chicken pox… first one got it and 21 days later to the calendar the next one got it… funny my brother was about 21 y/o or so at the time and thought he was out of the woods when my second son got them and he did not… but low and behold he got them 21 days after the second… as you can see there is a 21 day gestation period and it was ALL over… and my poor brother was the worst! They say it is very dangerous for adults to get them, even death. But thank God, my brother survived them. It could be chicken pox, but it would be odd for them to get it all at the same time… and I really doubt it is hand, mouth and foot disease
… sure it's not poison ivy? are there any leaves-of-three anywhere near? hmmmm. Grace, peace and blessings! Carla PS… if it was Chicken pox… chances are that they will never get it again 
very rare if they did.
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My hubby has had a rash lately that we can't figure out and none of the doctors know what to do with it. He gets it every August and we're wondering if it's from Ragweed. I was thinking Hand, foot and mouth when I saw the first pictures of yours, but I really know nothing about it. I hope everyone clears up soon!
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so weird, doesn't it drive you crazy not REALLY knowing? I know it is a pain in the rear to head to YOUR doc but I think I would see if you can't get an explanation. Dang, I wonder what he would have come up with if you argued with him about THIS diagnosis after giving you the 'poison ivy' business. Yah, ok, we let you off the hook for being MIA for a while.
love to you!
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Oh no, I feel so bad for your kiddies, IIt looks like hand, foot, mouth disease, my 3 older boys got it a long time ago, I didnt know what is was, and the doctor, told us it was that, and its contagious, thats why they all got it! i hope they feel better
I don't know, but I am glad they are feeling better. Awww!
When I had chicken pox I had the little red thingies all over!!! My scalp to my feet. Hmmm… maybe next time you should go to another doctor?
Hope all is better now though.
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Aww! We had hand foot and mouth here about 2 years ago (my oldest got it right after a bout of family-wide stomach bug 3 days after I delivered my middle baby). His mouth was filled with white ulcers. He couldn't eat for a week because of the pain. I'm not a doctor, but my first guess from the pictures was pox. Glad they are doing better!
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