I wanted to share this information because when this disease entered our household I couldn’t find anything like this online and I’m hoping it will be helpful to others who get it and it also shows how different this sickness can present itself in different children and adults. Also, it does get better and it will end. There was a few days there when I didn’t think it would and got very depressed. We’ve had Covid, stomach bugs, so many horrible other viruses that caused mucous to ooze from the eyes, ear infections, chest infections, RSV, croup… and this was by far the worse. I can give any more information if any one requests.
Daughter (3years, 9months)
Day 1 (Sept 27): fever started around 6pm, irritable, struggling to sleep.
Day 2 (Sept 28): noticed some spots in the afternoon, thought it might be bugs from outside? Difficulty sleeping, no appetite.
Day 3 am (Sept 29): no more spots
Day 3 pm: more spots, definitely HFM, very restless sleep. Issues falling asleep and staying asleep. Little appetite.
Day 4 (Sept 30): more spots, nothing extreme, in better mood
Day 5 (Oct 1): same amount of spots, some drying out already, none blistered and popped
Day 6 (Oct 2): less spots, more drying out
Day 7 (Oct 3): back to daycare, back to normal, still few spots, no blistering or popping.
Son (1year 1month)
No fever to indicate sickness coming
Day 1 (Sept 30): notice spots, very irritable, no appetite, falls asleep for 5 mins, wakes up crying. Goes to sleep very late (11:45), wakes up every 15-45mins, wakes up at 4am
Day 2 (Oct 1): many more spots, very irritable, refusing to eat, napping poorly, doesn’t want to nurse, doesn’t want to play, refusing sleep - screaming every time he wakes (10mins at a time). Rash on bum, groin, armpits, mouth, nose, hands, legs, feets. desperately take him to the ER because he’s screaming. Doctor says “this is the disease keep doing what you’re doing and if he’s dehydrated or not better in a week come back”.
Day 3 (Oct 2): non stop crying. Many more spots, blisters filling with puss, Eats cold mac and cheese and watermelon. Eats pudding but only if I spoon feed him. crying at the breast, poor naps, fussy at bedtime, Wakes every 2 hours after 10pm bedtime.
Day 4 (Oct 3): blisters popping, still seems to be more coming up. In a better mood, has a 75min nap and 20min pm nap. Eats cold mac and cheese and watermelon. Eats pudding but only if I spoon feed him. More interest in breast. Fussy for bedtime.
Day 5 (Oct 4): woke up at 4. Incredible fussy, super unhappy, eating better. Short naps. More interest in the breast. Sores seem to be drying out, smaller ones seem to be fading. Fell asleep for bed no problem.
Day 6 (Oct 5): woke up at 7am, only two wake ups. Best sleep he’s had since he got sick. Eating better. Protesting naps, very upset when being put down. No new spots, smaller ones continuing to clear up, some spots are drying and some that blistered are popping. Fell asleep no problem at bedtime
Day 7 (Oct 6): rash/sores in diaper area looking better, any smaller rashes (thighs, armpits, back) have cleared, only larger sores/blisters/scabs remain, fussy for naps but eventually settled. Good sleep.
Day 8 (Oct 7): diaper area clearing, mood back to normal. More scabs, more healing, only 1 blister that hasn’t popped (popped by end of day).
Day 9 (Oct 8): same as day 8, diaper area looking better every day, all blisters have popped and are healing.
Day 10 (Oct 9): Last update. Sores/blisters have scabbed and clearing up. Some peeling on his hands.
I will provide more another update when all the sores/scabs have completely gone away. Also, if any nails fall off.
My husband got it too, very mild compared to my son, but worse than my daughter. He had cold symptoms the entire time and a few days of aches/chills/fever. The only symptoms I had was cold symptoms that lasted about a week (sore throat, cough, congestion).
Husbands timeline was:
Day 1 Oct 1: pm, noticed some spots, assumed bug bites since adults don’t usually get it
Day 2 Oct 2: am, definitely HFMD, notice more spots, “hands and feet feel itchy and tight”
Day 3 Oct 3: walking incredibly painful, “feels like walking on hot coals” limping around, more spots, hands, feet, around the nose and face up to ears, no sores inside his mouth
Day 4 Oct 4: walking still painful, very uncomfortable, very unhappy, more sores appearing, none appear to be blistering,
Day 5 Oct 5: lots of spots, walking still super painful, none blistering though. Hands hurt. Grumpy, but rightfully so.
Day 6 Oct 6: hands and feet not hurting as much, can walk comfortably, spots clearing up a bit.
Day 7 Oct 7: hands and feet no longer hurting, spots clearing up quickly and suddenly.
Day 8 Oct 8: sores clearing even more, healing incredibly fast.
Day 9 Oct 9: back to normal, few lingering sores, barely noticeable.
I hope this helps another family plagued by this sickness.
Daughter (3years, 9months)
Day 1 (Sept 27): fever started around 6pm, irritable, struggling to sleep.
Day 2 (Sept 28): noticed some spots in the afternoon, thought it might be bugs from outside? Difficulty sleeping, no appetite.
Day 3 am (Sept 29): no more spots
Day 3 pm: more spots, definitely HFM, very restless sleep. Issues falling asleep and staying asleep. Little appetite.
Day 4 (Sept 30): more spots, nothing extreme, in better mood
Day 5 (Oct 1): same amount of spots, some drying out already, none blistered and popped
Day 6 (Oct 2): less spots, more drying out
Day 7 (Oct 3): back to daycare, back to normal, still few spots, no blistering or popping.
Son (1year 1month)
No fever to indicate sickness coming
Day 1 (Sept 30): notice spots, very irritable, no appetite, falls asleep for 5 mins, wakes up crying. Goes to sleep very late (11:45), wakes up every 15-45mins, wakes up at 4am
Day 2 (Oct 1): many more spots, very irritable, refusing to eat, napping poorly, doesn’t want to nurse, doesn’t want to play, refusing sleep - screaming every time he wakes (10mins at a time). Rash on bum, groin, armpits, mouth, nose, hands, legs, feets. desperately take him to the ER because he’s screaming. Doctor says “this is the disease keep doing what you’re doing and if he’s dehydrated or not better in a week come back”.
Day 3 (Oct 2): non stop crying. Many more spots, blisters filling with puss, Eats cold mac and cheese and watermelon. Eats pudding but only if I spoon feed him. crying at the breast, poor naps, fussy at bedtime, Wakes every 2 hours after 10pm bedtime.
Day 4 (Oct 3): blisters popping, still seems to be more coming up. In a better mood, has a 75min nap and 20min pm nap. Eats cold mac and cheese and watermelon. Eats pudding but only if I spoon feed him. More interest in breast. Fussy for bedtime.
Day 5 (Oct 4): woke up at 4. Incredible fussy, super unhappy, eating better. Short naps. More interest in the breast. Sores seem to be drying out, smaller ones seem to be fading. Fell asleep for bed no problem.
Day 6 (Oct 5): woke up at 7am, only two wake ups. Best sleep he’s had since he got sick. Eating better. Protesting naps, very upset when being put down. No new spots, smaller ones continuing to clear up, some spots are drying and some that blistered are popping. Fell asleep no problem at bedtime
Day 7 (Oct 6): rash/sores in diaper area looking better, any smaller rashes (thighs, armpits, back) have cleared, only larger sores/blisters/scabs remain, fussy for naps but eventually settled. Good sleep.
Day 8 (Oct 7): diaper area clearing, mood back to normal. More scabs, more healing, only 1 blister that hasn’t popped (popped by end of day).
Day 9 (Oct 8): same as day 8, diaper area looking better every day, all blisters have popped and are healing.
Day 10 (Oct 9): Last update. Sores/blisters have scabbed and clearing up. Some peeling on his hands.
I will provide more another update when all the sores/scabs have completely gone away. Also, if any nails fall off.
My husband got it too, very mild compared to my son, but worse than my daughter. He had cold symptoms the entire time and a few days of aches/chills/fever. The only symptoms I had was cold symptoms that lasted about a week (sore throat, cough, congestion).
Husbands timeline was:
Day 1 Oct 1: pm, noticed some spots, assumed bug bites since adults don’t usually get it
Day 2 Oct 2: am, definitely HFMD, notice more spots, “hands and feet feel itchy and tight”
Day 3 Oct 3: walking incredibly painful, “feels like walking on hot coals” limping around, more spots, hands, feet, around the nose and face up to ears, no sores inside his mouth
Day 4 Oct 4: walking still painful, very uncomfortable, very unhappy, more sores appearing, none appear to be blistering,
Day 5 Oct 5: lots of spots, walking still super painful, none blistering though. Hands hurt. Grumpy, but rightfully so.
Day 6 Oct 6: hands and feet not hurting as much, can walk comfortably, spots clearing up a bit.
Day 7 Oct 7: hands and feet no longer hurting, spots clearing up quickly and suddenly.
Day 8 Oct 8: sores clearing even more, healing incredibly fast.
Day 9 Oct 9: back to normal, few lingering sores, barely noticeable.
I hope this helps another family plagued by this sickness.
) and again at 20 months at his first day of daycare. They can get it more than once! Luckily the second time he only had a few blisters on his hand, but still had a fever for a few days and was pretty sickly. The second time I got it too but my only symptom was a fever for 24 hours. 
such a gross disease.
thank you for the Info and I’m glad you guys are ok now.