Three weeks ago, Brendyn got hand, foot and mouth. On Monday night, we noticed that he was drooling excessively - it's teething time! Then he woke up around midnight with a high fever, which resulted in an early Tuesday morning trip to the pediatrician. My initial guess was an ear infection, but I was completely wrong. As I lay Brendyn down on the table in one of the patient rooms I noticed 4 small little red bumps around his mouth and I knew EXACTLY what it was
For the record, I had a very miserable experience with this nasty virus a couple of years ago when Kate picked it up at daycare. It took a full week for the virus to run its course with Kate, so when Brendyn got it I knew we were in for it. And of course, with Brendyn being so young there wasn't much I could do for him except give him Tylenol or motrin for the fever, oh and did I mention he was also teething? Double bonus.
I figured he picked it up at daycare, and I was right, but I was also learned how he really got it. For my mom friends, you may want to stop reading now - you're going to get ANGRY!
Joey was able to work from home and with Brendyn Wednesday and Thursday, so since he was doing that I was in charge of dropping Kate off and picking her up from school. I went to pick Kate up from daycare on Wednesday night close to 6:30 pm and as we were leaving I ran into one of Brendyn's infant room teachers and she asked me how Brendyn was feeling. I told her that he had HF&M so he wouldn't be back for a few days.
I admitted to her that I didn't know what the school's policy was for letting a child with hand foot and mouth return - did he have to be fever free and blisters gone or just stop running a fever?? -- I needed to get clarification, and in that moment I got some clarification that I wasn't exactly expecting. Brendyn's teacher proceeded to tell me that I could go ahead and bring him back to school (Umm, okay...you clearly are the wrong person to ask -- he's still contagious) because her son has the virus and also has been attending school all week long - and the school owner and directors had no idea.
"WTF... are you kidding me?" was the first the first angry thought that entered my mind after I buckled Kate in her seat and started the car to drive the one mile to our home. I immediately tried to call Joey and no answer, and having no one to confide in only fueled the fire that was raging in my mind. I couldn't believe it. How could someone who works with small infants every day be so stupid, wreckless, careless, negligent. And why on earth did I just stand there silent and not call her out on her stupid behavior? Completely shocked.
I called the school back after I told Joey what happend and spoke to the assistant director that evening and the owner the following morning I told the owner about my surprising conversation with Brendyn's teacher . They were as equally surprised as I was. Both assured me it would be handled immediately so I felt better and went to work.
Since this has happend, the teacher at fault has been removed from the infant room, but still remains employed at the school... and thankfully is not working in the infant or the preschool room.
