It was a hot hot day and everyone's temperament seemed a little off-kilter that day, Arissa included. She was going through an on-again/off-again fever, sore throat and general crankiness.
I didn't think much of it, blaming the weather for her malaise.
@ Toa Payoh. Wow, I can see my office from here!.. and the Singapore Flyer! It was also Hafidz's uncle's birthday that Diwali day and we decided to join them for dinner at Swensons at the airport rather than pop over to Sapna's, which was our usual custom every year. I wanted to cheer up this ashen-faced tot and going over to someone else's house after just leaving one just won't cut it for her... besides being with her Aunty Bana never failed to induce some boisterous behaviour.
Only to find whilst washing her hands after a little waterplay at Swenson's that she had red bumps all over her palms and feet and back. Horror upon horrors!!! Hafidz & I hurriedly took her to Raffles Medical at B2 of Terminal 2 but they were closed on public holidays. Leaving Maid & Baby with my MIL and the rest, we ran off to hunt down a 24-h clinic at Pasir Ris. $55 later, we got the dreadful confirmation that Arissa had contracted HFMD. *faints*
A Project D-contamination Bill was immediately passed in our House starting with several bottles of Dettol. I bought every conceivable variations of the deadly concoction- from hand soap to disinfectant to spray- hoping and hoping to stop the spread from sister to sister. It was used with hot water for disinfecting everything from laundry to floor to toys. Die germs, D-I-E!
A new wardrobe to distract her from the pain. I remember loving my ratty cardboard version..
Sofia came down with fever and a sudden loss of appetite a few days afterwards but we found out this was because she was sprouting 2 teeth concurrently.
The whole point of Project D was to ensure SHE came out of this episode unscathed.
And THANK GOD, I spared Anish & Sapna from having to swallow yet another bitter pill. :)