Help!!! Urgent!!

I agree with PP, reach out to her ASAP. Maybe you can video record your speech and they can play it. But it's absolutely not okay for you to attend if you and your children are contagious, not only are we in a pandemic, but that's extremely contagious and can be severe for infants and elderly. Please be responsible.

On your speech: is it possible for you to give it virtually in any way? Do you feel well enough to do that if it's an option?

Give her time to calm down and then consider reaching back out to see if there is a way for you to be present, at least for your speech. If not, perhaps once you are feeling better, you could offer to still give her your speech, just the two (or three) of you.

You are making the best decision by not going. HFMD is highly contagious, and your GI symptoms are, too. The bride may be upset, but it would be far worse if everyone's memory of her wedding a few years down the road is "remember how the MOH came to the wedding sick as a dog and got a bunch of guests sick??"

I work in child care. HFM is a toxic bane to my existence. You're contagious and most people won't know they caught it from you till they've already been contagious. Most likely the bride is just feeling overwhelmed and once she has taken a breath and realize that it is for the best that you be there. I wonder if her reaction might have been different if you said Covid? I've known many people to have no clue what HFM is unless they work in child care/are parents who have gotten it. You made the right choice. Don't beat yourself up. I agree with a PP to see if you can live stream your speech.

The fact that she's still so upset and essentially ending her friendship with you over something you couldnt control is absolutely absurd. I would evaluate if this is someone you really want as a friend in your life. If you do, I would reach out to someone close to her and see if they have insight as to why she may be avoiding you. I would also send her a very candid message about how this is hurting your feelings and that it is very unfair of her to ruin a friendship over you making the very responsible call to not attend while you were contagious with a really painful and very transmittable disease. I understand it threw a wrench last minute, but you did everything right in the situation and she needs to make the decision now. Is this friendship over, or is she willing to work through her feelings.