Tuesday 14 August 2018

The dreaded four-letter word: HFMD

The PG class started getting HFMD cases a few weeks back. As a full-time working mum, I continued to send the kids to school. Just keep my fingers crossed..

But Thursday, 19 July, I happened to be playing with Yu's legs and saw two red dots on his left sole! Super sian. The doctor spotted five or six ulcers near his throat. No hope already. I received an eight-day MC that I never wanted.

Well, just nice for me to update more on Yu!

See the two red dots?


While waiting for the clinic to open - we were second in line!


I had permission to work half time at home for the six working days so that made three days of leave. But it proved difficult to do so. It wasn't quite as simple as saying, so N will take care of him when I work and I will take care of him when N cleans and cooks. No - Yu kept coming to me and cried for me when he was led away. In the end, N had to entertain him in the corridor - Mama out of sight, Mama out of mind. Sad :(

Happy with Mama


Since he was home, might as well help out!


He puked out all his salmon porridge when I was carrying him - the house smelled fishy for the rest of the day!


But he could eat despite the ulcers!


"What you looking at? Cannot eat ah??"


He pooped madly the next morning. All soft and gooey. Four diapers in one hour. But thankfully, that was all. No more such episodes.

I was supposed to quarantine him but how? He doesn't have his own room. His brothers refused to leave the room. I took him to my bed and put two of us at risk, but the two older boys somehow managed to find us and sleep together!

Playing together on Saturday - how to quarantine?!


Anyway, on Friday afternoon, Kai was found to have an ulcer on his left cheek. Super sian. I brought him and Yang home after nap time that day. I didn't bring Kai to a doctor since I already had an MC. But when he showed no other symptom, I brought him to a doctor on Sunday - certified no HFMD, yay!

So he was to go to school on Monday. As luck would have it, he puked on Monday morning. He was up at about 4 am and complained of a stomachache that was not taxi pain or poo poo pain, but vomit pain. Puked after a light breakfast. So he stayed at home. He was quite nua almost the whole day, except the hour or two after he had frozen yogurt for dessert after lunch, hmmm...

I was also unwell. Doc said it was a side effect of the antibiotics I was taking for a skin infection. I puked at 4 am on Sunday, and was very sore pretty much the whole of Sunday. Still weak on Monday. So was glad Kai wasn't too active else I couldn't handle two monkeys.

Yu having fun at the desk


Got expensive Japanese jelly for their tea


Is Yu ambidextrous? 


I woke feeling better on Tuesday. Sito helped bring Kai and Yang to school while I brought Yu to the pond. We walked for quite a while, and ended up at Heavenly Wang for breakfast. He didn't want my noodles but had almost the whole cup of milo! We then went to the supermarket before heading back. An hour and a half away, for N to clean up. And then it was time for me to work...

Happy to see bikes


Yummy milo!


Orea for tea - what ulcers?!


Anything can become a table


On Wednesday, he still has no additional spots on his hands and feet. I took it that that was it. But the two spots on his sole remain, albeit fainter. Was hoping to certify him fit for school earlier.. Out of desperation, I gave him YouTube Kids on the TV. Hope I don't regret it...

We walked along the park connector where we once saw caterpillars


This time, we saw a dragonfly. Yu kept blowing at the dragonfly which had chosen a low shrub to rest on. Poor insect!

Breakfast for us! He had some hashbrown and more milo


Bedtime wefie!


Funny faces! Think I was trying to check his ulcers...


Thursday came and went quickly. I found that he could talk a lot now, just that we don't understand most of it. And his actions are so cute! He's really growing up.

We went straight for breakfast after sending his brothers to school. Macs again! No-fail formula... He didn't eat much but it was fattening for me, sighs... I finally had appetite for lunch so we went out at lunch to walk walk - I had a hard time chasing him around!!!

He had some milk lying on me in the morning while watching YouTube Kids


He caught me trying to snap him watching Wheels on the Bus


My last baby to be smitten with the song!! He could sing and act with parts of the song. He also sings to the daddy finger song :) I also sang the fish song to him and managed to get him to do the actions with me, yay!

Getting good with shapes :)


And then, on Friday 27 July, Kai was rejected at school! He has some rash on his upper palate. The teachers first saw it on Wednesday, I think. But no one was sure. By Friday, the school was getting too close to closure and they became more stringent. So I had to take Kai home. With him at home, Yu was easier and cried less when I was working.

Bubble time at the pond!


Yu had hash brown again, this time at LJS


Kai was very happy to have Milo too


For the next few days, I took many such photos


I think that might be some broken capillaries from his vomit on Monday. But I'm ok with Kai at home so I didn't bother with the doctor at all. Just monitor.

On Saturday, only Yang was good for school and I knew there was no way he would go. So we all stayed home! There was a farmers' market that weekend so I wanted to go walk walk. As luck would have it, good or bad, Kai and Yang chose to stay at home. So Sito and I got to bring Yu out, just him :)

Yu on Papa


Waiting to pay for spinach ice cream


And he shared my bah chor mee


And every time we passed by the eatery, he pointed to it. Yes, baby, we were there!

A normal thing, two kids sitting on Mama


Sunday morning, Kai and Yang resumed their swimming lessons; we cancelled the last week coz of Kai's false HFMD alarm. Yu was certified fit for school, yay!

"I can go to school!"


Celebratory drink plus some prata


And every time we passed by the eatery, he pointed to it. Yes, baby, we were there too!

On Monday 30 July, Kai still stayed at home while his brothers went to school. Unfortunately, I got a call from school in the afternoon - ulcer near Yang's throat!!!

I couldn't see very well coz Yang wasn't terribly cooperative but I thought I caught a glimpse or a white spot near the back. He's fine at home so so be it. I let him stay at home on Tuesday. But I wanted to quarantine as much as I could so Kai went to office with me.

I had a meeting so I gave him YouTube Kids and left him at my desk. I didn't expect to be gone for two hours!! But my colleagues helped look after him. He was happy even though the battery went flat coz he was given yummy stuff.. I came back to a super messy desk with bits of paper and food crumbs...  The last time he came to my office was 2015. Now he is much more independent :)

Lunch was outside so I had less mess to deal with! But I had to put the noodles on a spoon for him coz he couldn't use the chopsticks! Somehow we survived the whole day! Or rather, I did.

Counting train stops on our way home


We bumped into the principal when we were fetching Yu. She gave Kai a check and said he could go back to school the next day, yay!

So it was just Yang at home for the rest of the week. I think he was just watching TV the whole time *.* When I called home, he was so cute. Every time he picked up the phone, he went "Mama, I'm sitting on the sofa, watching Rufus! Bye bye!" or something like that. Love :)

Needless to say, Kai was mighty displeased at having to go to school on Saturday coz it wasn't fair that Yang got to stay at home the previous Saturday but not the other way round. Ah well. I had things to do!

It was hard to spot Yang's ulcer. Eventually, he wouldn't even let me check! Ah well, I gave up la.

Finally on Monday 6 August, all the boys went to school! Yay!

Please, no more HFMD!

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