Adult HFMD is so rare till no one believed I have caught onto this virus.
HFMD stands for Hand Foot Mouth Disease.
Damn painful to go through the initial phase without any obvious symptoms. Yours truly have done this walkthrough guide to surviving 10 days of Adult HFMD for you to get by your days without much pain. Hopefully, you’ll be able to re-prioritize your life and come up with a (small) plan to change your life. Let’s go.
Click directly to the Guides to skip all the long-winded log
The Hand Foot Mouth Disease Guide
The Guide to Relief Blistering Sore Throat
Day 1 – High Fever and Chills
12am
I don’t feel well and excused myself from a group meeting to head for a quick shower. I started perspiring and felt extremely cold the moment i lie down on the bed. Put on my Uniqlo fleece Parka and try to withstand this pain.
Hot on the inside, Cold outside seriously applies here. When people ask me to chill, how about no? You may get my virus and you try saying that.
Fever hotspot
Head
neck
Groin region
Heavy perspiration on neck and back (Prepare additional clothes to change)
Chills
Shoulder
Arms
Hand
Leg
Chest
The wife found me shivering and turning back and forth at 1:30am.
She touched my forehead to realize I am running a high fever. Quickly had me take 2 Panadol Extra.
8am
Right after another 2 Panadol extra, we went ahead to do our errands.
I managed to stay up till 1pm with super body ache and tiredness.
1pm
Back to rest on bed.
There was total of 4 toilet visits, all passing water. Every journey to the toilet requires alot from me to get up and groggily stagger with bursting bladder.
Slight fever and chills combo, but the giddiness overcame me.
5pm
The wife bought porridge for lunch – dinner.
I was able to eat, but no appetite to finish everything took only half a portion.
Went back to bed. Fever and Chills continue.
Visitation to Doctor
8:40pm
Visit the Clinic.
Doc checked my temperature 38.9˚C (very high) and used Stethoscope to hear, see throat condition (very bad) but not painful. Look for rashes on hand and leg and body, clear.
Suspect Dengue. And asked if I wish to head over to the hospital to do the blood tests.
Then he proceeded to prescribe medication for me. Lozenges, and fever medicine. I can have this option of having this particular fever medicine which is very potent. Fever will be brought down much faster than paracetamol.
But there’s a side effect – internal bleeding. If I would experience black stool or rashes anywhere of my body. I will have to head to the hospital immediately. He left the choice to me.
I took the option to try it out.
Then he also added the anti gastric medication. To counter my strong fever tablets, and tablets to stop giddiness and diarrhea.
Lastly, 1 course of Antibiotics 10 tablets.
No spicy food, oily and hot food.
Upon medicine collection. The total cost was about $30 plus and he also added a bonus 2 slabs of paracetamol. No, it’s not free.
10pm
Had remaining porridge from earlier and took doctor’s prescription.
11pm – 6am
Heavy chills started and I try to sleep. The fever came fast and furious. But it was not as bad as the 12am one.
So again I changed my damp t-shirt to a dry one. and went back to sleep. 5 Toilet visits that night. Terrible full-blown Flu-like symptoms less the snort and cough and sore throat.
Day 2 – High Fever Chills and Sore Throat
8am
I woke up feeling bad, my grogginess didn’t go away. Fever and chills still there. And an additional problem. Above all, the throat pain is acting up and added on another obstacle for me. This is just like a level 4 bug got stuck onto me, further draining my energy.
But it’s just day 2, the worse have yet to come.
Breakfast was porridge with Veg and Cod Fish. Appetite dropped further than yesterday. In short. Everything following breakfast quickly went downhill.
9am-6pm
Lie in bed, semi wake and snooze. No not the good kind. It was uncomfortable. Well, i don’t have a great back, so what i did was to keep adjusting my position, in the hope that i can find right spot to rest in.
Meanwhile wife actively used cold towel to pat down my forehead to cool me down a little. That really helped. Take note guys.
7-11pm
Reddish Spots on fingertips and various parts of my palm.
I thought it was the side effects of a strong fever tablet. We had dinner and sort out some home logistics and admin issues.
11pm
Extremely chilly and shivering to the max.
The night was hard to bear. I woke up for toilet visit 3 times.
Perspiration on the back caused me to stay awake and change a fresh T-Shirt. Sore Throat reached its optimum pain. Blisters around internal of mouth.
Day 3 – Sengkang Hospital
8am
Fever subsided. Sore Throat ulcer excruciating pain. Yes some mentioned it felt like Fire burning down, some said a spike ball force down the food pipe.
More red spots appear on palm and feet sole, slight bump and sensitive to touch. Felt groggy and slept somemore. Usually mornings are the best time to get things done.
12pm
Colleague come by the house and pass me 2 bottles of coconut water. The moment he saw my hand and feet. He offered to drive me to the nearest hospital for confirmation on HFMD or Dengue.
Upon arrival at Sengkang Hospital A&E and attended by Sr Nurse to ascertain my severity. She checked on Throat, Hand, Feet, Temperature. Swiftly escorted me to the isolation section of A&E, told to lie down on hospital bed.
After about 30minutes waiting, I was introduced to Doctor Immanuel David. Super kind guy.
The procedure quickly went into drawing blood and treat me with a 500ml drip. You are dehydrated, he said.
The result of my sickness will be revealed within 90minutes.
Result
4pm
The doctor came back and calmly report to me all the symptoms and test reveals that i have Hand Foot Mouth Disease – HFMD.
10 days of hospitalization leave was given.
Hospitalization Leave could mean:
1) Admission to Hospital.
2) Not hospitalized, can go home immediately and rest. In hibernate of quarantine state.
3) Stayed in Hospital and discharge. Stay home rest.
(According to MOM Sick leave eligibility and entitlement Section)
Ok game on.
Survival Guide 10 days of Adult HFMD
IF any point does not apply for you, feel free to skip down and take whatever fits you. May you enjoy your time in the midst of pain.
Call/message/whatsapp everyone who was in physical contact with you for the past few days.
Especially on the day before your illness started.
Do inform your family/loved ones and friends of your HFMD diagnosis and have them prepared. If you crashed at friends’ place, please have the courtesy to call them to disinfect their house.
Start going Redmart and shopping for your 10 days worth of groceries.
***Get Coconut Water
Order disinfectant products for your laundry, detergent, hand wash, vinyl gloves, disinfectant wipe and spray.
Please purchase product that contains bleach or 70% Isopropyl Alcohol (no less)
At some point, you will definitely feel like an outcast. by your family or friends and spouse. Chill, it will happen.
Better to spend time to pick out your (Quarantine) cutlery, plates, bowl, glass/mugs.
If you stay with your family, then it’s better to have a personal dish sponge for only washing your own stuff.
Minimise your foot print at home. (Unless you’re staying alone)
5:30pm
I quickly went home and started sorting out my personal stuff, and thinking about what do I really need to use for 10 days.
I quickly isolate myself into the room and try not to move too much outside.
8pm
Fever slight but manageable. No fluctuations. Sore Throat very bad. Ulcers / Blisters inside are visible. Grogginess subsided.
Dinner: Porridge
12am
Sleep
Day 4 – Hand Foot Mouth Disease Home Rest
7:30am
Feel better!!! Already feeling thankful for the improvement.
Fever slight.
Sore Throat ulcer, bad.
Body Ache, subsided.
Hand and Feet, Spots redder and more spots found.
REST! This is one of the most important period. Why? Because you won’t know the HFMD virus will tilt on better or worse?
So to err on the safe side. I choose to steer away from devious food which may tip the virus into action again.
Guide For Blistering Sore Throat Relief
Take a pinch of salt and 1 glass of warm water(for best result)
If no warm water it’s fine.
Gargle slowly and gently.
Do it throughout the day and before you sleep.
Day 5 – Home Rest
Fever slight.
Sore Throat, slight.
Body Ache, no more.
Hand and Feet, Spots lightened.
Thankful to choose the discipline of rest. I have regained much of the lost energy albeit being dehydrated. But now, i can focus on tweaking my health back in order. At the same time being cautious should the virus rebound.
This day I will talk about hair….loss. It’s a bitch since day 1. The amount of hair loss is no joke. All i can do is use my THREE Scalp and Hair Reinforcing Shampoo
Day 6 – Home Rest
Fever very minor, slight perspiration.
Sore Throat, subsided.
Body Ache, no more.
Hand and Feet, Spots lightened further, fingertip harden.
Things looking pretty good, I’m on the way to recovery.
Hair Loss is still evident.
Day 7 – Home Rest and Start Cleaning Up
What changed from this day as i am starting to do a little more cleaning at home. Wash dishes and threw soiled clothes into the washing machine.
Fever cleared! Whoohoo.
Sore Throat, almost clear.
Body Ache, no more.
Fingers, Spots bump hardened and felt icky.
Overall my health is back except for the hands.
Hair Loss no change, bad.
Guide to Wash and Disinfect Clothes
First throw clothings into washing machine and wash using normal detergent. No spin dry. After cycle done.
Go for second wash with spin dry, but this time round add Dettol to disinfect all your fabrics to kill bacteria and germs.
This second round, remember to Spin Dry.
Day 8 – Home Rest and Skin Issues
Every bodily sickness has fully subsided.
But the next issue appears at quite a furious rate.
The outmost skin on my fingers is separating from the skin’s inner layer. I can feel it bubbling out after every shower session. Hoping it will heal on it’s own. (I’ve uploaded the progression of how HFMD actually affects skin on our finger and feet at the bottom of the post)
I uploaded in smaller thumbnail images for those the benefit of the fainthearted.
Viewers discretion please. For those who cannot stand gross images, please do not scroll to the bottom.
Day 9 – Home Rest and Skin Peel
The true nature of HFMD reveals from here on. No, it did not heal. Instead, the outermost skin is like 2.5ply tissue thick. I can see the almost raw skin underneath.
Nasty disease, some parts have holes and crust threatening to peel out of fingers.
Day 10 – Home Rest and Skin Peel
2-2.5ply (tissue thickness) hard skin started to harden and crack. It’s not painful. But after peeling, the raw portion on my fingertips does feel very sensitive. The raw skin felt really thin and feels almost painful at every touch. Anyway, it has become an ugly sight to behold. An alien with diseased hands.
You ready for the images? Scroll below.
Hand Foot Mouth Disease Photos
You’re done! It’s actually not that bad, right?