Hand, Foot and Mouth Hits

It isn’t something I watch horribly closely, since this blog is primarily for friends and family (and newer bloggy friends), but it has been hard not to notice the HUGE surge in hits I’ve had lately, due to one post – Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease – The Continuing Saga.

Since I posted our battle with that common childhood disease, specifically my experience with it as an adult and the lovely side-effect of losing my nails, I have had 239 hits on that post – which only went up within the last two weeks. And most of the hits appear to come from various searches being done on, “nails peeling after hand, foot and mouth,” or something similar.

Between this, and talking to the teachers at Little Dude’s school, who have informed me that a few of the kids have been dealing with the nail peeling problem, I think it is safe to say that this lovely side effect is more common than the medical community knows.

If you are here due to you or your childrens’ nails peeling after Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease, welcome and you have my sympathies. I’ve been assured the nails should grow back normally after this first peeling stage.

As for an update on my nails, the ones on my left thumb and right middle finger have peeled quite extensively. Yuck. I have some minor peeling which could lead to more on both pointer fingers and my right ring finger. I have yet to see anything happen with my toes, but one of Little Dude’s big toenails is looking a bit suspicious. I haven’t seen any other signs of nails peeling on Little Dude beyond the one.

This is vain, but it really bothers me.

I was a nail-biter until junior high. And yes, I have the bad habit of picking at my cuticles. My nails and cuticles were actually looking quite good before this happened – which is one of the ways I keep myself from both of these habits (when things look good, I tend to leave them alone).

Right now, I’m just embarrassed for anyone to see my hands, even though I know it isn’t anything I can help. I have been using cuticle oil, which does seem to help – I think that is why some of the minor peeling hasn’t gotten worse.

So, I just thought I would share – not Hand, Foot and Mouth – but where we are at and how others appear to be dealing with the same thing. If you have never had this disease – avoid it at all costs!