Hand, Foot, Mouth...what?!

On our way home from Mexico, Paul and I were mega struggling. I'm sure that we looked like death walking around the airports, waiting for our flights. We were both having serious chills to the point of our whole bodies shaking uncontrollably. We were probably the only ones with jackets and long-sleeves in the entire Phoenix airport. And we had bad body aches and sore throats. Plus Stewart was still sad as ever and fighting with all his little might to avoid napping. We were all so happy to finally be home sweet home. The next day was Mother's Day but Paul and I agreed to take a rain check on our little celebration since we were both so sick. Thank goodness Grandma Heslop came to take Lily for the day so that all of us sickies could rest as much as possible.

That night we decided to take Stew to the insta-care because I was sure that he had an ear infection. But when we went in and got him all checked out, no ear-infection. The poor little guy did have Strep Throat though. The doctor could clearly see that Paul and I weren't in great shape and we all assumed that we had whatever Stew had. So he prescribed antibiotics all around. We thought it would be down hill from there and we'd all be back in no time. 

BUTTT... that morning when I woke up, I felt like a spider had gone to town on the palms of both of my hands. Weird! and disturbing! My throat was also get worse and I didn't feel like the antibiotics had done squat. Throughout the day my hands got itchier and more spots were popping up on my palms. I remembered something that the insta-care Dr. and Jeff both barely mentioned when they say the rash on Stew's feet and legs. They had each said something to the effect, "Oh, I hope it's not Hand, Foot, Mouth Disease.." I kept wondering if that was what I had!

The next morning, I had spots all over my the soles of my FEET! Oh no. I was so itchy and buggy. I felt like I waking on rocks and anything I did with my hands just irritated them that much more. I did my own little googling research on the bizarro disease and it says that it is a virus and there is no meds for it, just pain killers to help. It also is not common in adults, just kids under 10... of coarse. Each day my throat was getting worse and by day three I could see spots all over it too. On my tongue and really bad ones at the back of my throat and I'm sure all up and down my esophagus. It felt like acid even when I drank water! Luckily, from my good friend Abbey, she let me in on a tidbit of good news called 'Magic Mouthwash' (I know, it sounds about as made up as this disease I had). I called my friends over at Rock Hotel and they got me some. All you do is swish and swallow and it numbed everything. Kind of felt like my throat was closing off but at least I could eat some food before it wore off each time. 

So "in my experience" (funny joke between Paul and I, because we actually have no experience in this, but I think that I do), I think that poor Stew Stew had Hand, Foot, Mouth Disease and Strep. Which he then gave me Hand, Foot, Mouth and Paul got Strep. What a sweet little guy, dividing up his sickies to his parents. Luckily, and shockingly, Lily never got sick through any of this. But that's just because it wasn't Croup!!