October is coming.  And I'm not looking forward to it.

I love fall.  I really do.  There's something about the fall air that makes me feel alive, and cozy.  But October is always one of the worst months of the year for me.  Without fail, in October, my life starts to come apart at the seams.  If the year was a metaphor, October would be the shove down the stairs, that "it's all downhill from here moment".  The remaining winter (and sometimes early spring) months are a combination of me falling, spiraling, and hitting the ground.  And laying there, until summer comes, and I pick myself up, brush myself off, and slowing ascend to my happy place.  And I'll spend a few months there, if I'm lucky, before October rolls around, and it all happens again.

I guess all I'm saying today is that I see what's about to happen.  I know I'm about to fall.  And this year, like every other year before, I'm just hoping that I'll be able to pick myself up off the ground when it's over.  This year, like every other year before, I hope there's enough of me left to pick up off the ground.

Jayy.

I apologize for the influx of HFMD posts.  I just really want to add to the little pool of info on adult HFMD.

DISCLAIMER: Below are rather graphic pictures of sores on my hands, feet, and face.  If you do not want to see them, don't scroll down.  You've been warned.

My HFMD Experience, Day By Day
HFMD FAQs

Anyways, here are the pics:

Reference Photo: Day 1, before sores. 

Day Five Of Infection | Day Two Of Sores

 Day Six of Infection | Day Three of Sores

Those lines on my hands are as a result of the gloves I was wearing.

Day Seven of Infection | Day Four of Sores

You can see that some are beginning to crust over.

Day Eight of Infection | Day Five of Sores

If you look closely, you can see that my middle finger is beginning to peel.  The white spot is not a blister, rather it is from my top layer of skin peeling away from the lower layers of skin.  Those sores are beginning to heal.

Sorry for the thumb in the picture!!!

More crusty blisters.

These blisters are healed and not contagious (according to my doctor)

You can tell that the blisters are flattening out, though they look more red than they did before

You can see some of those blisters are healing as well.

This one is blurry.  Sorry.  But you get the gist. More peeling blisters.

In case the previous blurry photo wasn't good enough.

Day Nine of Infection | Day Six of Sores

Redness is fading.  Peeling continues.

Day 12 of Infection | Day Nine of Sores

Sores are healed.  Callouses and peeling remain.

That skin just cracked open.  I had to trim it off.

In the process of trimming!

I just needed to gross someone out with this.

You can't tell, but most of the skin on my toes is not attached to my actual toe.  It's kind of like having a rubber glove/sock on my foot.

I'm trying to show you that two layers of skin are coming off.

 And that brings you up to date!