Christmas

Yesterday was Christmas. It was a long awaited moment to exchange presents with friends in the church. After two days (Christmas eve and Christmas day) of labouring with two big bags of presents to give out to the friends, we came home with one big bag of presents from others.

It was a moment of excitement tearing up one after another of wrapping paper. But the moment of knowing what was inside brought frown to my face. I would go, "Oh, not again?!" or "Why this??" I told my husband that we gave out more presents than we received. And what's more? The presents we received were not what we needed. My husband did not reply.

Before bed, I went to Jesus and said, "Oh, God. Please forgive me for forgetting what Christmas is all about. It's about You. It's about the birth of Jesus. Jesus is supposed to be the star of the day but we have put so much of emphasis on the presents to give and receive that we forgot about Jesus altogether. It was a shame! How wrong was I! Jesus is the best gift and He did not even ask anything in return."

Reflecting upon that, I saw myself as a little girl. Since young, I felt unloved. I am dark-skinned compared to other Chinese girls. What's more when I have single eye lids with uneven teeth. I envied people who get good gifts while I got mugs for every birthday. I didn't understand why my friends did not give me what I "wanted". I've always blamed that on my looks. I grow up with those thoughts in my mind and they will surface during each festive to create emotional swing in me. It is good that this Christmas God has opened up my eyes to see how 'a little girl' I was and it is time to move on to be a mother, a wife and someone with a motherly heart to love unconditionally. 

No matter how I look like or what I receive for Christmas, it is Jesus that matters. He shows me who I actually am and is able to change me. Thank you, Jesus. If possible, may I get another baby as my next Christmas present? Hehe....

Hand Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD)

First it was a blister on his lower lip and next, he refused to eat anything at all. A look by his teacher at the playschool and I was asked to take my son to the doctor. The doctor confirmed my son to have Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) and said there would be more cases from the same playschool as parents lack knowledge on this issue.

When I just got married, I was ignorant about HFMD and brushed it off each time I came across it as it had nothing to do with me. All I knew was that it would be a painful ride for the child who contracted it. Besides that, I knew nothing about Coxsakie, another name used in Western countries for the same disease.

This time, however, I beg to differ. I need more information. There really were many contracted with this disease due to ignorance and - selfishness from parents who know it is contagious yet left their children at the playschool.

A surf in the world wide web gives me a lot of information about HFMD. So, what is HFMD? It is an illness characterised by fever, sores in the mouth, and a rash with blisters. The rash does not itch, so don’t expect your child to scratch it to tell you he/she has HFMD. Constant notices of baby’s palms and feet, as well as their appetite and body temperature help to have an early detection. The most common cause of HFMD is coxsakievirus A16.

As HFMD is caused by viruses, it is contagious through direct contact with the saliva, stool and blister fluid of the infected persons. The most contagious period is during the first week of the illness. Although the most common people who get infected with this disease are children aged 10 or below, adults may get infected too. Pregnant mothers may pass on the disease to the newborns and cause complications such as developmental and other defects in the foetus.

There is no special treatment for the disease. A visit to the locum confirmed that doctor only gives paracetamol and painkiller to reduce fever and discomfort for the patients. At the time of illness, patients’ fluid intake is vital as one may not be able to take in any food. Constant sponging the head of the infected helps to reduce his temperature too. The disease will resolve around 10 to 12 days but may still spread infectious virus for weeks.

A major preventive measure parents can take is to stop sending their children to school for the time being until the children fully recover. Secondly, the items used by the infected person should be disinfected constantly to avoid leaving any infectious fluid on them. Thirdly, a strict hygienic routine should be followed such as washing the hands after each change of diaper or touching on the skin of the infected persons.

 

References

http://www.babycenter.com.my/a1614/hand-foot-and-mouth-disease-hfmd

http://jknns.moh.gov.my

http://www.medicinenet.com/coxsackie_virus/article.htm#what_is_coxsackie_virus

http://www.parents.com/baby/health/other-issues/coxsackie-virus-facts/

http://www.sarawak.health.gov.my/hfmd.htm

 

 

Viral infection can be prevented with a little consideration towards others

Recently my son contracted hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD). There was no point starting the blame game but it all started with one child, whose parents knew about their child’s condition, yet left him in the playschool and let the virus spread among his friends. It was plain selfish. My son and my friend’s daughter were infected too. And I advised my friend not to bring her daughter to an event because her daughter needs to be quarantined for at least one week to ensure she is fine before going to public places, especially getting in contact with other kids. She replied me with, “My husband said she is fine.” I was overwhelmed by her answer. How could parents be so selfish? They think that there is little chance of passing on the sickness to someone else and when it really does, they do not feel guilty at all? What have become of our society and mentality? Aren’t other people’s children, children too? Don’t we feel pain when our children are hurt, going foodless for days and yet we want other children to feel that pain too? Here I would like to plead to parents out there to not let your children join any function when they are sick. Hand, foot and mouth disease is infectious, just like chicken pox and tuberculosis. It can be prevented with a little consideration towards others, with a little time spent at home with the children and not to expose them to the public. When I visited the doctor, he said our country has more such cases compared to Westerners. This is because Westerners take other people into consideration and do not wish the virus spread to others. As a well-informed society, let us go to the next level, the level of not only thinking for ourselves but others too. Children around the world are the same – they feel pain the same way your children do. 

Hand foot and mouth disease (Kosaki)

My son is down with Kosaki or better known locally as hand, foot and mouth disease AGAIN! He had it last year end and it was a full year after that that he has it again now...

Last year, when I was told by my son's teacher that she suspected something, I was alarmed. I didn't know much about Kosaki and all I knew was that it would be a tough ride for both my son and I. The doctor prescribed my son antibiotics, paracetamol and painkiller. Thank God, it was easy last year. My son was easily duped into believing the white antibiotics was vanilla icecream and took them punctually. He did not go through pain or foodless days. 

This year, however, we went to another doctor. Well, frankly, I don't like antibiotics and I was saying, "Yipee! This doc didn't prescribe antibiotics." Doc said Kosaki is a viral infection and has nothing to do with bacteria. So, antibiotics is not needed. On the third day after contracting Kosaki, my son lost his appetite TOTALLY! He was not eating anything and kept throwing tantrum because the ulcers in his mouth hurt him so much. I could feel the pain too. I bought him coconut juice everyday and gave him watermelon. Those did not cool him down. On the fourth day, he started to have fever, reaching 39.1 degree  Celcius and started to feel dizzy most of time, wanting to sleep. My mom urged us to bring my son to another doctor and get a second opinion. 

We rushed our son to Hospital Selayang and was posted to the Fever Centre. Within half an hour, we had seen the doctor and my son's blood was requested to check whether antibiotics is needed. Thank God, it was fast and the doctor said that my son's blood showed there was higher white blood cells and that indicated bacteria infection. So, my son needed antibiotics. That very evening we gave him the first dose of antibiotics and the next day, he was jumping up and down and taking his three meals like usual! 

I wonder whether it was my tenacity of rejecting antibiotics that has caused much pain to my son or was it just the timing problem?