Well...it's been a long week. I've been home all week nursing a poor, sick, baby. Lauren started to feel bad on Tuesday and by Wednesday she had a fever of 103.9 and was vomiting. We were able to control her fever with Tylenol and when her fever was down she was in generally good spirits...just not eating or nursing. We went to her doctor and he diagnosed her with Herpangina, which is basically a viral infection that is a variant of Hand Foot and Mouth Disease. She had blisters in her mouth and the back of her throat (HFMD causes the blisters on hands and feet as well). It is NOT related to Herpes..and NOT related to hoof and mouth disease that animals get. Because of her mouth sores, it was very hard for her to swallow so she refused to eat. Now, when babygirl refuses cheerios, you know there's something wrong!
She would not take a bottle because it rubbed against the sores in her mouth and she only nursed occasionally. I think she lost about 1 lb in 2 days, poor thing, and I was worried she'd get dehydrated. She would look up at me with the saddest eyes and I knew she was hungry but just could not eat. I felt so helpless, it's really the worst when you can't do anything to help except give a little Tylenol and extra hugs.
She seemed better on Friday but then she started developing sores on the OUTSIDE of her mouth...Mom P. took one look at them and said "Herpes!" and that's what it was. She's got coldsores (which IS related to herpes...but not the genital kind). Mom P. gets coldsores too so she recognized them right away.
So, my poor baby is still a little sick. Good news is that she's eating now..and she's got a big appetite to make up for the 3 or 4 days when she couldn't eat. Bad news is that she's got a couple of gnarly looking sores on her bottom lip and near her chin...
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