and the doctor –

– also thinks it’s hand, foot and mouth disease.

Itches like crazy. Seems this doesn’t cause the rash and hives for everybody, nor does it itch for everybody, but the itching, even severe itching, more often happens to adults. Plus it can be over in a week, or it can last several weeks, although a week is more common. And sometimes people lose at least some of their nails, which at some point just fall off… great. Just great.

There are several somewhat different viruses which cause this, and different people react differently, so no saying beforehand how it will go for you. Most times it’s a very mild disease, but occasionally it can become severe enough to require hospitalization, and it can come in kind of waves – you are sick for a few days, then it seems you are recovering, only to become even more sick after a few better days. And like several other kid diseases more often the worst cases happen when adults get it, kids usually can handle it better.

Okay, I think I will go back to lathering something on my arms. And maybe it’s time to take another antihistamine pill, those seem to help some too.

I could use an old fashioned big blackboard right now. If I was writing ‘I will not scratch my arms’ one thousand times I would not have the time to scratch them. 🙂