10 things you can do to ease your HFMD discomfort

If you read my previous post about Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD), you would know that I had a really hard time dealing it. The infection lasted for about eight days in my case, and seven days for Elric. Our symptoms were the same. Sudden high fever, sore throat, fatigue, followed by ulcers, rashes, blisters and diarrhea. We also had problem sleeping, often caused by pain.

Since I put up the previous post about HFMD, two of my friends had dropped me messages to ask what could be done to minimise the discomfort from the symptoms. I guess it is good for me to share some suggestions with you here. 

1. Stay Hydrated

Drink plenty of water even if it is extremely painful to the throat. As HFMD is a disease caused by  intestinal viruses, you would likely get diarrhea (or vomiting) which will drain away a lot of fluid from your body. Sports drinks like H2O or 100Plus are helpful to replenish the electrolyte lost from frequent diarrhea. If your child refuses water, give to him his favourite beverage or soup.  Having some form of fluid is very important. 

 

2.  Be equipped with a straw

If you are having ulcers on the lips like I did, remember to use a straw when drinking water. It makes a WHOLE LOT OF DIFFERENCE. Even if it means to drink soup or porridge with straws, just do it. Nobody will judge you for that. If your child's HFMD is severe and has many ulcers on the tongue, avoid disposable straws which may prick the tongue.

3. Soft diet 

I know this may sound ridiculous. I didn't have appetite but was feeling hungry all the time. It was too painful just thinking about swallowing food. I guess that was what Elric went through too. He was very fussy with food those few days. You will probably have to keep to soft diet, with smaller but more frequent meals. e.g. Porridge,  Noodle soup, Cream soup.
Please make sure they will not too hot when served!

4. Yoghurt and Ice cream

These two items were the best things on earth for me during the week of my life! They were the only food items I could swallow without cringing. I am sure the kids will be happy to eat them too.Having said that, do serve in moderation.

5. Vaseline (100% pure petroleum jelly) 

In case you don't know what I am referring to.

My lips were very dry and peeling especially at night. The Vaseline 100% pure petroleum jelly was very helpful and effective. I reapplied the product on my lips throughout the day. 

6. Liang Teh (herbal tea) 

Doctor and pharmacist would tell you that there is no medication for HFMD. However, some Chinese Senseh advised patients to drink cooling tea. Herbal tea such as Luo Han Guo and Crysanthamum tea may be helpful.

7. Wash your hands

Keeping your hands clean is very important to prevent further the disease from spreading. Be it the child or the caregiver, frequent hand wash is necessary.

 

8. Bedroom slippers and gloves

The blisters on my palms and on the sole of my feet caused me a lot of pain!!! Unless I stayed lying down for the entire day, it was not possible for me to neglect those painful blisters on my feet (and so I walked like a penguin). My hands were in such pain when I washed my hair and ran my fingers through my hair. I am pretty sure I didn't washed my hair thoroughly. haha.. Gloves and bedroom slippers can be very helpful to reduce the pressure the the blisters.  

9.  Vitamin C

Due to the ulcers, it was difficult to for me to eat fruits. Yet you need to strengthen your immunity and fend off those germs. Taking Vitamin C will be very helpful. I took Vit C pills while Elric had his Vitamin C gummy bears.

10. SLEEP

I lacked sleep during the entire week of HFMD. I am not sure if it was caused by the pain which shocked me up whenever I swallowed saliva or when I turned and hit my blisters. But I read that sleeplessness is one of the symptoms of HFMD. So try to take naps through the day. It will help. 

Finally, remember you request from your doctor Calamine lotion and antiseptic lozenges. Calamine will ease the pain and itch from your rashes and blisters. Antiseptic lozenges will help to manage your ulcer pain.

I hope my suggestions are helpful to you. However, these are only from my experience. When in doubt, always clarify with you PD or family doctor.

Cheers,
Mummy Kaye

If I have a MINION...

If I have a MINION...

 I would... 

 Make him wash my clothes for me.

I would...

 

get him to clean my floor. 

I would...

 

 

get him to hang the clothes.

I would... 

get him to wash the dishes...

and tidy up the house for me!!

Alright. Maybe not...

touch my light bulbs.

MUAHAAHAHA... 

From bored and busy Mummy Kaye. Have a good Sunday!

My hobby: Art

Mummy Kaye just had her very first attempt on acrylic painting!!

Tadah!!! How How? Not bad right? I am so proud of my very first acrylic painting.

I went to Arteastiq @ Mandarin Gallery with my colleagues recently and I really enjoyed myself. The paintingis not like fantastic!!!! but I think it turned out pretty decent! :P

I have always enjoyed art. Be it cartoon, shading or or just simply just doodling. When I was in school, I often went to the library for picture books and copied the drawings . I took art as a way of express my feelings and a chance for me to relax my brain.

Some pages in my doodle book. (1997 - 2001)

I learnt Chinese painting when I was five years old but I did not pursue it as I enjoyed music even more. I took up military band as my extra curriculum activity during my primary school years and subsequently symphonic band in secondary school. I was so obsessed with it I totally neglected my studies. SERIOUSLY. (I was that crazy band major)

Drew this while I accompanied my grandma in the hospital during the last month of her life. (2000)

My Chinese paintings. (1989 & 1990)

How about Elric?

As I observe at Elric, he seems to be developing similar interest as I do. I wonder if it is genes or simply my daily influence. He enjoys singing and drawing.

While I don't want to be a Kiasu Singaporean mummy who send my son for all sorts of courses and lessons, I'll be interested to observe his interest and allow him to pick up one to two skills which will benefit him and help him grow. Be it art, sports, music or marshal arts, these activities build up certain discipline, patience and other values. 

If he does enjoy art and music, I will looking forward to painting and playing music together with him when he is slightly older. ^_^

Cheers,
Mummy Kaye

What does the Fox say?

What is the most popular question people are asking right now? 

WHAT THE FOX SAY????

After Ylvis' The Fox video went viral, I literally checked a few kids songs that teach the sound of animals. 

So what does the fox really say?

None of them talks about it!

This one is pretty comprehensive... 

It does mention that wolf says, "Awooo Awooo Awoooooooo"!!!

But guess what. No FOX!

So how??? 

If Elric ever asks me that question, what should I reply?

Maybe... I should show him the video by Ylvis?

Imagine...

Elric: Mama, what does the fox say?

Mummy Kaye: Son, the fox says.... Gerding-ding-ding-ding-dingggg....

Elric: *shocked*

Mummy Kaye: the fox says... Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-paw....

Elric: *jaw drops*

Mummy Kaye: and the fox also says...Fraka-ka-ka-ka-ka-kaw...!!

Elric: *Freak out*

HAHAHAHA

Just for laugh.

Cheers,
Mummy Kaye

PS. Foxes are capable of screaming, barking, whining, squealing but otherwise they are quiet animals.

Happy Teacher's Day

Dear lovely Teachers, 

Happy Teacher's Day! 

This is the first time Elric celebrates Teacher's Day with his teachers, of course I have to let him show some appreciation to them! I prepared some flowers and cookies for him to hand to his teachers. Otousan said he was very excited when he reached school and quickly handed the flowers to his favourite teachers.  :P I wish I was there to see! So fun right?! haha

Too bad we were quarantined for 10 days because of HFMD and didn't have enough time to prepare cards. I shall plan ahead and do more for the Teacher's Day next year! 

I worked as a childcare teacher for more than two years and was always encouraged by little things my students did for me and to be honest, those memorable ones were never during Teacher's Day. (hahahahaha...) 

But still, it's a meaningful day to celebrate! 

Thank you teachers!

Mummy Kaye

Kaye down with HFMD

Hello! 

Here's an update: I am down with Hand Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD).

Yes. I am one of the rarer adult-HFMD cases. I used to think that I have certain immunity to it since I had worked in a childcare centre for more than two years and had never came down with the disease. I guess I was wrong.

It started with my whole family down with flu, causing us to weaken up and more susceptible to catching the HFMD virus. Elric's childcare centre had high number of HFMD cases and he became of the last few cases before MOH requested for a 10-days centre closure. 

It's pretty obvious how I caught the virus, right?

The initial symptoms were very close to flu symptoms. I had high fever at 39.5ºC, cough, sore throat and diarrhea. Even the doctor diagnosed it as a recurrence of flu. I realised it was bad news when I found ulcers in my mouth on the following day. The doctor diagnosed it as HFMD on my second visit.

Rashes and blisters appeared overnight. The blisters are concentrated on my palms and the sole of my feet, while rashes are spreaded across the back of my hands, forearms, elbow and knees. These have been giving me difficulties doing simple tasks like eating, showering and brushing my teeth. oh... and now I walk like a penguin because of the blisters at my fore and hind feet. *laugh at myself*.

The ulcers in my mouth and throat are not sparing. hmmm... how should I put it? It's like... I can add up ALLLLL the ulcers I had through out my life, it would not be comparable to the number I am having. The ulcers from HFMD has this unique white ring around the ulcer. I peeped at my throat and thought it reminded me of octopus tentacles.   YUCK! But don't worry. I have been so disturbed by the sight, I have chosen not to take any photos. Instead, I shall show you my lower lip which is blood shot.

It's in time like this that I am reminded thank God for my body functions instead of taking them for granted. Holding a spoon is a simple task only because God had designed us well. This has been and a frustrating experience, full of pain (of course cannot compare with labour pain la) and I couldn't slept well either. Nevertheless, it's thought that HFMD will not last long, which is keeping me.... sane. hur hur... 

I went for a review yesterday and the doctor gave another 3 days of MC on top of the 4 days given previously. I was told to drink plenty of water and Vitamin C so that my body can quickly fight off the virus. He provided me with lozenges to ease these ulcer pain, a bottle of gurgle and calamine lotion to ease the pain and itch from the blisters and rashes. He also asked me to quarantine myself. Honestly, even if he didn't need to mention, I wouldn't leave home until all the blisters at my feet are gone. I don't want to go out walking like a penguin yo!*laugh at myself again*

I had also came to feel that it's pointless to go to the doctor when you are down with HFMD. I mean, when will a doctor tell you things like this? "Basically there is no medicine meant for HFMD, your body will have to fight it. Btw, it may be getting worse. HFMD can be more severe in adults, so take plenty of water and rest." Right... thanks loh. 

The only reason for me to have to head to the clinic was to allow doctor to ascertain my condition.

Lastly, I would like to thank you all who have showered concerns for me. I really appreciate them. Sorry for all the whining and ranting on my Facebook or other outlets. I had chosen not to rant to my poor husband who has to care to two HFMD patients. 

Cheers to happy tots!

Mummy Kaye

Receiving taobao goods: Part 2

Hi Hi!

Following the previous blog post on my Taobao purchase, here are more items I bought. I have decided not to list all, as there are just too many items.

Again, I am linking the items to the store I purchased it from so you can consider getting if you like.
If you are interested to find out about the local agent I use, it's Peeka, and here is the LINK. 

Let's start!

Ladies' handbag  (approx S$17)

The bags are, to me, two of the BEST buys I've got from this shipment. If there is one seller you would like me to recommend, THIS IS IT!

I got both the ladies' bags from MAOMAOBAG. MaoMaoBag has a large variety of bags, clutches, wallets and luggage. I read through the reviews given by their customers who purchased other bags and majority gave very positive reviews. You can certainly find bags in Singapore which are less than $17, but I must stress that the material and workmanship of the bag is certainly way better. 


I personally like that white version of this bag but I was worried that it may get dirtied easily.

Black Kitty Ladies' handbag (approx S$35) 

Meowwwww... I like black cats and I am attracted to the design of this bag, so how could I give it a miss?

According to their product description, this is the designer's favourite bag design, and hence high quality materials were chosen. From material to stitching, I must say that this bag is worth every bit.

 

... and this is no doubt my favourite from their collection too! :P 

Men's pants (approx S$13 per piece)

Alphonse lost quite a bit of weight recently, so I wanted to get him pants which are more comfortable and fitting. I personally like the design of these pants and was glad that the cutting fitted Alphonse very well. My only grudge would be that it is not easy iron. If you like, you can consider browsing through the same design from other sellers. :)

No. This is not Alphonse. I grab the pic of taobao to show you how it looks like when worn.:P

Mens' T-shirts. 

Similarly, the fabric used are both very thin. 

Their explanation it that it's summer wear.

Do you buy the reasoning?

I am not so sure. :/

Stripes T-shirt (approx S$9.50)

Polo T-shirt (approx S$10.50)

 

Casual shirt (approx S$25)

This denim-looking shirt isn't cheap, but considering the quality, I think it's well-worth it.

Bodycon dress (approx S$14)

This one is mine, of course. I like the design and quality of this dress. My only problem is its length.
It's a tad too short for comfort. I may just wear it as a top instead. =_="

Short dress (approx S$18)

Sad to say, the quality of this dress is not worth the money.
I don't understand why it received good reviews. 

 

 

 Bodycon dress (approx S$10)

 The quality of this dress is very good! 

I'm very impress! *glee*

European style coffee table (approx S$90)

Isn't this coffee table pretty?!

Before deciding to buying this, Alphonse and I order another coffee table from a local store. 

It was priced at $500++. I knew it was expensive but we really didn't have anymore energy to travel around looking for suitable coffee table. 

I was elated when the store assistant called to say that there was a shipment delay and asked if we wanted to drop the order.

Of course I dropped it and found this!

Whether pricing or quality, this European coffee tea is much better than the original that we almost purchased.

Bone porcelain dining ware set for 10 pax (approx S$80)

The shipment fee for this dining ware set is higher, which is expected, since it has to be packed separately as fragile. But all in all, the total pricing is still A LOT cheaper than if you get it locally or on other websites. 

JingDeZhen is also known as the Porcelain Capital, well-known for producing high quality pottery. Hence, the mark of JingDeZhen felt almost like a guarantee that the dining set is well-made and delicate.

I was only worried about breakage during shipment. 

Wondering what to get for your in-laws this coming Chinese New Year?
This is what you can buy! BETTER than buying BAK KWA can?

I am sorry but my pictures do no justice to the quality of the set.

Here's how it looks under good lighting.

.

Out of curiosity, I checked the price of the same set of  dining ware on AliExpress. 

Guess the price... 

It's more than three times the price!

Ceramic knives and utensils (approx S$36)


I purchased a ceramic knife from Cold Storage some year back at $49.90. It was a 10 inch knife which came along with a fruit knife. I was since convinced that ceramic knives are very sharp.
 
All I wanted was ceramic knives but I bought this entire set of utensils.:X
But I thought it looks really good!
This is another gift set you can consider for Chinese New Year!

 

Children's table and stool set (approx S$39)

 The plastic children's table from Ikea is priced at $59 without delivery and each Ikea plastic stool is $9.90.  This means that with the same amount spent at Ikea, I can purchase 2 sets from taobao!

Korean Style bedding (approx S$300)

This is technically not purchased by me because it's a house-warming gift from my colleagues. 

Weirdly, the size of the mattress is in between a single and a queen size bed. Which means none of my other mattress cover can be used. 

Sad... 

But anyway, the workmanship of the bedding and blanket is good. 

Made-to-measure curtains (2 layers) and curtain bars (approx $80-$100/set)

I am very pleased with this sets of curtains I bought. They are well made and a lot cheaper than I expected. The only problem is that you will have to communicate very clearly the dimensions, in case the seller cannot visualise the length and width you need.

Alright, that's all for now.
There are
I will probably update another round if I have the chance. Ta Ta!

Mummy Kaye

The Lee Family Kongfu Fighting!

It's Monday! Let me show you something lighthearted. 

Introducing the 李家 (Lee Family) Kongfu fighting.

The Big Lee and Junior Lee. 

You can see how happy Junior Lee was when he knocked out his daddy! 

LOL... 

Hope you will have a great week ahead. :D

Sponsored: Physiogel products with GIVEAWAY [Updated]

My skin became a lot more sensitive since I started my house renovation, and the recent haze hasn't been helpful at all. Therefore I gladly accepted when the Physiogel team approached for me to review their products. :D

The team provided me with their cream, lotion and cleanser to review, and I have been using them for about a month. I am very pleased with them.

AT FIRST GLANCE

If you place the Physiogel products next to those prettily-packaged Korean or Japanese skincare/cosmetic products, you may miss their existence completely. And as much as I know the value of a product should be based on how it works, I'm a sucker for packaging. This means that if I was not approached, I would not have given it a chance.

That being said, it is understood why they have chosen to give the product packaging a modest look, since Physiogel is a brand providing dermatologist-prescribed products over-the-counter.

You would probably stare skeptically at your dermatologist if he had prescribed a product that look anything like what you see in Etude House. (hur hur hur...)

PHYSIOGEL LOTION (Usual selling price: 200ml - $33.90)

***

Physiogel Lotion is a hypoallergenic moisturising lotion that provides physiological lipids in the Derma Membrane Structure (DMS)―a structure similar to the skin, hence, revitalising dry skin.

Physiological lipids are natural and essential components of normal healthy skin.

• With physiological lipids to protect and restore healthy skin
• Non-comedogenic.
• Contains no colourants, perfume and preservatives.
• Hypoallergenic.
• For the daily care of dry and sensitive skin conditions.

***

As compared to my face care routines, I must say I am pretty lazy with those bodycare products. I purchased different brands of body butter (e.g. Bodyshop) and lotions (e.g. L'occitane) but gave up using them after awhile. I do not know if you face the same problem as I, but whenever I apply the body lotion after showering, I would perspire profusely once I step out of the bathroom. Could it be caused by slow absorption? I'm not sure. 

However, whenever I apply the Physiogel lotion over my body, it feels very light, making it easy to apply. I feel that it gets absorbed into the skin quickly too. I don't get the greasy feeling after application and I hardly perspire the way I would with those other lotions. 

One of it's selling point is it being hypoallergic, which means it's suitable for the entire family, from the young to old. Elric has sensitive skin. I guess he inherited it from Alphonse and gets skin irritations easily. I took the courage to apply the lotion on Elric for the passed two weeks and it has been pretty encouraging. He hasn't had problem with his eczema since I starting using the lotion on him.

Best of all, it is pretty affordable if you want to get a bottle just to try if it works for you.

PHYSIOGEL CREAM (Usual selling price: 75ml - $22.85 / 150ml - $42.10) 

***

Physiogel Cream is a hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, high lipid moisturising cream. It uses
Derma Membrane Structure (DMS) to help repair the skin and lock in moisture for up to 3 days for longer lasting hydration.

***

The Physiogel Cream, compared to the lotion, is thicker and is useful for drier parts of the skin such as your elbow and knees. If you tend to have drier skin, you may prefer this option. I personally prefers the Physiogel lotion. :D

However, I was told that this cream is a good option for pregnant ladies who wants to keep the skin at their baby bum moisturised.
Hmmm... Nope. It probably does not prevent stretchmarks, but will most likely stop the itch.

PHYSIOGEL CLEANSER (Usual selling price: 900ml - $29.90)

***

Physiogel Cleanser is a hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic soap-free cleanser that cleanses, soothes and softens without drying the skin. Its non-greasy formula does not contain animal fats, providing a gentle cleansing and maintenance of the skin's natural pH balance.

 ***

The Physiogel cleanser is what I'm be giving away in this post.
I was a little paranoid with washing my face with a soap-free cleanser. How would I know if my face is clean? I managed to convince myself to give it a try since they gave me the product . I guess it's really about getting used to it.

I first thought it didn't clean my face well enough, but as I gave it a few more tries, I noticed my skin feels more supple. Using a soap-free cleanser has also made me mindful that I must massage my skin thoroughly while cleansing.

I will continue using this product, but I will use it only as my morning cleanser because I am still unwilling to part with other of my cleansers which provide functions such as anti-aging, whitening and collagen. I am sorry. I just can't give them up!

By the way, it is so gentle you can use it to clean your baby. I'm going to try this on Elric too! (heh heh heh...)
I believe it is also a good product for pregnant and lactating mummies since your skin tends to be more sensitive when hormones go crazy.

Ah yes... I must not forget. You can use it with or without rinsing! You can choose to wipe the cleanser away with cotton pad!

HERE COMES THE GIVEAWAY!

I have 3 bottles of Physiogel Cleanser (300ml) to giveaway.

Simply leave a comment below with your name and contact details (email) by 6 July 2013. 

*Please note that this giveaway is valid only for those residing in Singapore only.*

A random draw will be done on 7 July 2013. 

Name of winners will be announced in this post and I will contact your through email to arrange for the cleanser to be sent to you! :) 

Looking forward to your participation!

Love, 

Mummy Kaye


 ~~~~~
  Thank you all for your participation in this giveaway!

I did a mini lucky draw using a mobile app.

Here are the four of you who left a comment:

1. Kylie T
2. Cen-Lin Ting
3. Agy
4. Happy Teo Family 

 Here are the three of you who won a bottle of Physiogel Cleanser!

1. Happy Teo Family
2. Cen-Lin Ting 
3. Kylie T

I will be getting in touch with you soon for your mailing addresses. 

Thank you very much!