My Google diagnosis for Dyl, no it's not cancer...

I am not entirely convinced that the pickle didn't have a terrible case of hand foot and mouth. I asked the doctors specifically about it and he said he didn't think it was it, likely because she had no sores IN her mouth and no one else in the family is sick. (HFM is VERY contagious). But, doctor's don't know everything right? I mean, I think Dylan has proven this time and time again...

Yes, I have Google diagnosed my daughter and her doctor probably thinks I am crazy. BUT...

Stick with me here...
Monday she started the day out with a vomit and then she slept for hours and hours. I took her temp and she was at 101, so I gave her meds for that and she continued to sleep. The first signs of HFM are decreased appetite, drooling (but what's new?), lethargy and a fever between 100-102. It's during this time that they are the most contagious. Dylan was in her room and isolated from most everyone the entire day, actually... Until the next morning. It was this day we first saw the spots on her face.

During this week she also had a rash on her inside thigh. It was a speckly rash, not the usual type of rash I see and and am a pro at taking care of (trial and error, you would call yourself a pro by now too. Thank you Ilex and Calmoseptine, I heart you). It was along the line of her diaper, not in her diaper and so different for her I even told the doctor about it and showed him. Coincidentally, the HFM symptoms also say that they may get a rash on their buttocks. It's looking better today.

Dylan now has blisters all over her hands and feet. Blisters!! They started out as speckles, red raised bumps and have developed into blisters. Starting with her foot, but then the red bumps on her hands also turned into blisters. She has probably 10 blisters on her left hand, on the inside of her fingers. Her left hand is the worst, followed by that right foot (which was the worst yesterday). Several blisters there, including in between and on top of her toes! OUCH! If you search "blisters on hands and feet" what is the first thing that comes up on pages and pages of Google? Hand Foot and Mouth.

Now, now, I understand most (MOST, it actually says that, not all) HFM is accompanied by sores inside the mouth but sometimes you get them around the lips and mouth and let's face it, if someone's going to get the very worst cast of something, it's going to be Dylan right?

HSM is a virus, therefore nothing you can do about it, it takes 7-10 days for the symptoms to go away. (Monday will be day 7.) She will carry the HSM virus for a little while, it can be passed in stool for up to a couple months. Good thing we are good hand washers! (Bordering on freaky hand washing...)

Yes, I admit some of this is me hoping, and hoping, and hoping it's not the Herpes virus and every time she is stressed she will look like some sort of flesh eating bacteria is eating her face off. So, hope with me!

She is starting to get better. Her nose which was all one one big sore is actually peeling today, we are steering clear from it but there are several places where the yucky skin is peeling off. and then of course, the blisters all over which I hope is a sign of it going away. We just need to make sure none of the blisters get infected. Gross. Hoping this whole mess doesn't scar her pretty face.

And yes, she is still smiling. My family whom I have shared gruesome pictures with have marveled at how she has been smiling the whole time. Poor kid. Good thing she has an incredibly high miserable tolerance eh?