Poor Little Jacko....

Jacko Smacko has come down with a case of 'Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease' also known as the Coxsackievirus. Symptoms include, but are not limited to, sore throat, headache, muscle aches, high fever, red sores on the mouth, face hands and feet, etc... Some people experience no real symptoms at all. Coxsackievirus can also cause more serious infection in the brain and heart. Scary! There are so many different symptoms and the virus spreads very easily, from saliva or unwashed surfaces. The most common time of year to contract Coxsackievirus is Summer to Fall.

I'm not really sure where baby Jack picked this particular strain up from, but I know of several people, family members, neighbors and friends who have had recent experiences with the virus. It wouldn't take much for a young toddler, who puts everything into his mouth, to contract the virus.

Dr.'s say the best thing you can do to prevent it is good hand washing! There is very little that can be done to treat it because it is viral, Tylenol can help ease discomfort and reduce fevers, but beyond that you are very limited unless the infection becomes serious enough to warrant hospitalization.

He looks way to happy in this picture to be sick! If it weren't for the little red dots covering Jack's face and his complete loss of appetite, I probably wouldn't have known he had it. He hasn't had a fever, but he has been drinking a LOT lately and has been slightly more needy. His case is far more mild than my nephew (who's five days older than Jack). His was an absolute nightmare. He had huge sores inside his mouth and around his face and hands. His poor little tongue would just lull outside his mouth because it was so swollen with sores! It was so sad to listen to him whimper...

Jack has been very good, especially considering the discomfort he is probably experiencing. I've given him some Tylenol before bed time and nap time to help him feel more comfortable when he sleeps. I'm sure the rest alone will help speed his recovery!

The next few pictures are of him standing on a chair in the kitchen window looking for the dogs and chickens. He is so in love with animals right now and it is wonderful to see the excitement on his face when he sees them! He sure is a good little boy and I hope he is feeling better soon.







Jacko could spend hours watching the chickens in the backyard, or chasing after them, and he loves to see the neighbors dogs. He can say, "Chicken" and, "Dog", but Dog is easier to distinguish! You can hear him yell, "Dog!" as he's trying to see the chickens and dogs...he is so darn cute.