Symptoms of hand-foot-mouth disease in France!

Since Saturday, Stacy started to develop rashes on her arms. She was ok in the morning, then we decided to bring the children out for a drive. Stacy came out of the car with rashes or red spots on her arms. We brushed it off, thinking it was just the heat from the weather. When we were having dinner, she felt cold and feverish. We again brushed it off, thinking she was just tired and needed to sleep. Sunday came, no fever but some tiny blisters developed on her sole of her foot. We thought she recovered from fever, she should be fine. Went to school on Monday, more rashes on arms and legs and her blisters on one foot seem worse. I told teacher she was a little cranky as she felt pain on her foot. And silly me, I kept thinking it was her shoes that caused the blisters.

Today, as usual, she went to school. Stacy even told me she was happy to be going to school. Ken and I already thought we should take her to the doctor after her school and see what the doctor say. When I picked her up around noon, I was shocked to see her in a tantrum, crying loudly (I mean, really loud and all other children came out to see the commotion) and even rolling on the carpark ground. Yes, I was embarrassed as so many people were watching us and the teacher kept asking her to be quiet. But at the back of my mind, I had a feeling she could be in pain.

Her appointment with the doctor was at 1.30pm (the receptionist told me on phone in French, of course). Ken came home during his lunch hours so that he could drive us to the doctor's. Reached but was told on phone by doctor this time round that consultation hour was at 3.15pm. Sigh... Maybe my French was that bad and I mistook what the receptionist had said. Ken went back office and I had to drive the kids to the doctor at 3.15pm.

So glad to see the doctor but he could only speak French. I brought a little book of basic French to utter a few words on the conditions of Stacy. Hehe... It was really difficult for me, I broke out in sweat.

Doctor suspected Stacy has hand-foot-mouth disease (hfmd) and said it was contagious but could resume school on Thursday. Wow, that was fast! Do you know in Singapore, hfmd) is a serious thing? Apparently, It got so serious, some schools closed down because a lot of children got infected. Toys and furniture have to be sanitize, children's hands are wash very often during these period of time. Children infected have to be at home, no party, no going out, some serious cases have to be admitted to hospital and even parents got infected by their children. Seriously, i do not know much about this hfmd but I know you will get fever, blisters on tongue, hands and legs. And it is painful, you can't eat and drink.

But in France, I heard from a friend, it's minor, closing down of schools are unheard of. Some people have not even heard of hfmd. Hehe, it make Singapore sounds like a third world country. I blame it on the weather and climate. Singapore is humid (more than 95% humidity) and hot, a breeding ground for germs and viruses.

        Her arms covered with red spots

blisters on her foot

Sores on her tongue

... stacy is still energetic. Drawing her face with a magic pen and said she is an elephant. And went on to draw on Erica's face and said she is a monkey. Lol.

I just hope Stacy recover soon. Now Erica is also feeling feverish.