Canker Sores

I think what Laila has are canker sores. Her pedia mentioned a different, more ominous name but I am guessing that's the medical term for her sores.

A quick search in Wikipedia proved informative. Here it is:

"An aphthous ulcer or canker sore is a type of mouth ulcer which presents as a painful open sore inside the mouth, caused by a break in the mucous membrane. The condition is also known as aphthous stomatitis, and alternatively as "Sutton's Disease," especially in the case of multiple or recurring ulcers.

The term aphtha means ulcer; it has been used for many years to describe areas of ulceration on mucous membranes. Aphthous stomatitis is a condition which is characterized by recurrent discrete areas of ulceration which are almost always painful. Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) can be distinguished from other diseases with similar-appearing oral lesions, such as certain viral exanthems, by their tendency to recur, and their multiplicity and chronicity. Recurrent aphthous stomatitis is one of the most common oral conditions. At least 10% of the population suffers from it. Women are more often affected than men. About 30–40% of patients with recurrent aphthae report a family history."

Apparently the virus burrows deep into the body and comes back out through the same vein it used so that the sores appear in the same spot every time. It's caused by a virus but anything--like accidental bites or Vitamin B12 deficiency-- can awaken the hybernating villain.

At least I know Laila is not afflicted by some life-threatening disease. But I am mollified only slightly.

I am afraid that she might have some other fatal condition. Apart from her low low-grade fever and bouts of throwing up (which happens right after she takes her paracetamol), there is no reason to worry that she has anything more than the sores. But I still worry.

There was a five-year old pupil in my neighbor's school who passed away recently. From dengue. The kid's had fever for several days and then the fever went away. A day or two later the kid started vomiting blood. Then she passed away.

It's a sad sad story that is more scary than all the Freddy Kreuger movies put together.

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Daddy Cat will bring her back to the pedia this afternoon for some blood tests. For my peace of mind.