Showcasing a few dishes I had cooked during "homestay"
K had her mouth full of chocolate cookies when she
went for clearance at the pediatrician's!
The whole HFMD woes started in the noon of 15th March 2010 when my mum called to inform me that K was running a temperature :( From that moment on, my world turned bleak and gloomy...yes!! it was that bad as I had to take on the role of a "yellow-faced" housewife, isolated from civilisation, for a whole week!
15/03
- K's fever hit 37+ degree Celcius.
- My mum gave her the leftover Progesic from her previous fever episode.
- I brought her to see her regular pediatrician at Mount Alvernia.
- Doctor first assumed that it maybe HFMD as it was the peak period of this dreaded contagious disease and K did not want to swallow her saliva as her throat was most probably sore.
- Doctor confirmed HFMD after he claimed to have seen 2 wicked dormant ulcers in her mouth.
- Told to feed her with whatever food/liquid she can consume e.g. ice-cream, soda etc...eeeekssss......to prevent case of dehydration.
- Went home with some medicine to help alleviate her discomfort (there's no known cure yet), a 7-days medical certificate and $100+ poorer :(
- K looked very lethargic, didn't want to play with her toys.
- Very, very red lips, burning forehead and poor appetite. K rejected all kinds of food/liquid we offered e.g. milk, yogurt, yakult etc. Both hubs and I were very, very worried and it pained our hearts to see her suffer but could not do anything to take the sufferings away.
- Temperature rosed to more than 38 degree Celsius. Gave her Ibuprofen and sponged her throughout the night.
16/03
- Asked for milk in the morn possibly due to the empty stomach the day before.
- Temperature subsided to 37+ degree Celsius.
- Able to swallow her saliva but lips just as red.
- More active than yesterday :)
- The start of me being Super Nanny cum Cook.
- Lunch: udon with fish cake for lunch. Finished only about 1/3 bowl of udon but all of the fish cake.
- Cooked a cooling water chestnut and apple soup for the first time and boy was it delicious!! Easy, cooling and delicious - the recipe's a keeper!! Got it from another mummy's bloggy. K drank quite alot for lunch and dinner..."strike"!
- Tea: the ever cooling green bean soup but K did not like it :(
- Dinner: "mee tai mak" with meatballs. K finished the whole bowl..."strike"! Cooked other stuff for hubs and I.
- K did not nap at all, so I had to tend to her the whole day! It drained me for I didn't even have time to make lunch for myself! Only managed to catch a breather when Daddy came home.
17/03
- No more fever...yay!!!
- K was active and has enough energy to go "mi-mi, mi-mi" (K calls me "mi-mi"instead of mummy...hehe...I want her to call me this)
- Appetite was good! Definitely did not show any sign of erupting ulcers in her mouth! No rashes on her hands, feet, groin either! Started to doubt diagnosis but decided to give the benefit of doubt and observe another day.
- Breakfast: milk & "mee tai mak" with meatballs. K even asked for second helping!!
- Lunch: water chestnut and apple soup & "mee tai mak" with flakes of salmon. K didn't take to the salmon as usual perhaps because I had omitted the mirin and soya sauce.
- K finally napped and allowed me time to cook my own lunch and vent my grouses/gossiped with Joycelyn ;)
- Tea: green bean soup but again, she rejected it. Gave up :(
- Dinner: rice, water chestnut and apple soup & eggs with tomatoes. Finished everything on her plate...hip, hip hurray! Cooked other stuff for hubs and I.
- Self-proclaimed that K did not have HFMD but mere fever and sore throat. To call and seek pediatrician's opinion tomorrow.
18/03
- K has definitely fully recovered as she drove me nuts!!
-Called the clinic early in the morning to speak to the doctor but was told by the nurse that the doctor would only return my call when he is free i.e. no patients.
- Breakfast: milk & udon with meatballs. Finished 3/4 bowl.
- Lunch: old cucumber soup & pasta with meatballs. Finished everything :)
- K didn't nap :(
- Tea: yogurt
- Dinner: rice & old cucumber soup
- Doctor failed to return my call and Friday is his weekly offday, so I called the emergency hotline. Managed to get him on the phone and booked a consultation for Saturday. If K is cleared of HFMD on Saturday, she would be able to attend her enrichment classes and Leroy gor-gor's 4th birthday party.
20/03
- Waited almost 1.5hrs to see the doctor.
- K had her mouth full of chocolate cookies when she saw the doctor! Proved that K had no ulcers. No spots on her body either.
- Cleared of HFMD immediately and was given a letter which must be shown to her enrichment classes and submitted to her kindy as it is mandatory for the clinic to inform the Ministry of Health whenever HFMD is detected.
- Our ordeal finally ended!!!
- Enough of cooking! Went to restaurant to settle our lunch. Dinner was at Anna's home as it was Leroy gor-gor's 4th birthday! So glad we are able to make it :)
- After this experience, I conclude that it is nearly impossible for me to stay at home as a homemaker. I was so happy and looked forward to going back to work on Monday! LOL.....
P.S. Although I had misgiving in the doctor's diagnosis, I still have trust and faith in him for in the past, he was able to detect symptoms which other pediatricians couldn't and administered the correct course of treatment. When I went back to work on Monday, one of my colleagues told me that she had gathered from the internet that there is a chance of preventing full-blown HFMD if the child takes alot of "cooling" stuff. K drank plenty of "cooling" soup, so could it be the soup? Oh well...I'm just glad that K is in the pink of health!!
My favourite picture!! Her school's hat was a good match for her kimono! 
K helped to keep the toys. Wish she could be as organized at home! 
Auntie Shuyee with K & Joyce. The girls taking a picture with a fellow schoolmate who wore a Hanbok
03/04/2010: Happy K having a hearty brunch of chocolate 
