September 12, 2025

Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease

what the heck is goin on

My son—Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease Georg—spent all week home sick from daycare, in mostly good spirits but also covered in a nasty-looking rash. This is like the fourth time he’s gotten it, which already seemed excessive. how many coxsackieviruses are there? I typed, thinking, i dunno, maybe seven? or nine feels like a lot? and nearly threw my phone across the room upon learning it’s dozens. DOZENS!!! This feels like a personal affront. I still haven’t fully accepted it.

There were, uh, some other things going on this week that made being fully present for my sick child challenging at times. Inside my head, it’s just [WEAKLY ELECTRIC FISH NOISES].

So, in place of a song, my favorite TikTok, which I realized is now almost two years old exactly, yet continues to capture the ✨constant state of deteriorating vibes✨. Truly, the question of our times.