Well, so much for prevention. When you have a 12-year-old and a 3-year-old who provoke each other by trying to lick each other, there is no defense against a pandemic virus like H1N1. Eve came home from school with it last week. This week, her school has shut down for three days--and now Lucia has it.
We were lucky to catch the infection early enough to get the kids on Tamiflu (the pediatrician said his office is experiencing a deluge of calls). But there is no sign of a vaccine in sight, and now it's too late anyway.
Of course, I saw the article in the Washington Post about how more girls are suffering serious consequences than boys, and then I saw the 60 Minutes episode which described the seriousness of the pandemic. Needless to say, I am scared. I am scared for my kids, scared for me, and scared for all parents out there who are facing unexpected and possibly tragic consequences from this illness.
And yet it feels like there is only so much I can do: Keep them hydrated, rested, well-fed. Give them fresh air, but not too much exposure to cold air. Vitamins. Baths. Take their temperature every hour with the SpongeBob SquarePants thermometer. (Check the online Rodale Remedy Finder and our swine flu news stories for more flu treatment tips. It's also a good time to add a copy of The Big Doctors Book of Home Remedies, just published, to your bookshelf.)
But at a certain point it feels like we all just have to surrender to fate. And pray.
I've gone to work, but when people hear about my kids they can't help but step back and lean away from me. I have no idea if I'll catch the flu or not. I've rescheduled a few appointments just in case.
Meanwhile, today is an absolutely gorgeous day and I know it's a cliché--but I can't help but feel that things will get better--partly because today I planted peonies. Last week in Washington I bought some peonies from a place called Peony's Envy. I mean, how could I resist? Not only do I absolutely adore the flowers, I love a good funny name. So today I dug holes (never as deeply as I should, I am fundamentally a lazy gardener). I put the roots into the soil and covered them up, and thought about next spring. Who knows what will happen between now and then? Anything might. I hope and pray it will all be good. But I can be pretty certain that next spring, there will be peonies growing right where I planted them.
And today, this moment, that's enough to get me through.
Postscript: Turns out I was right to reschedule those appointments. As of this morning, it's day 3 since my doctor diagnosed me with swine flu, and it totally sucks.
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Peter Christian Hall: Will We Suffer Two Flu Seasons This Year?
The last sentence should read:
Even though various "bird flu" viruses are NOW resistant to Tamiflu, it will only be a couple of months or years that the swine flu will be resistant to Tamiflu. (Please take this and the previous post with a large dose of irony in which it is offered)...
Research has shown that Tamiflu does reduce symptoms of the flu by ONE full day. That one day is worth of risk of teenage suicide...and various other potential side effects...
Even though various "bird flu" viruses are n resistant to Tamiflu, it will only be a couple of months or years that the swine flu will be resistant to Tamiflu.
This is my rough summary --- read for details.
Tamiflu to prevent the flu. If you're in a high risk group, such as pregnant or have asthma and someone you come in close contact with, gets the flu or it looks like they've got the flu, then check with your doctor to see if you should go on Tamiflu until the other person isn't infectious.
Tamiflu to treat the flu Need depends on symptoms and whether you're in a high risk group such as pregnant or have asthma.
Go to http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1flu/antivirals/
Benefit wll outweigh side-effects. See wikipedia for discussion of side-effects.
Are you listening Obama Administration?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3XlJB7J5-o&feature=related
In the U.S., an estimated 25–50 million cases of the flu are currently reported each year — leading to 150,000 hospitalizations and 30,000–40,000 deaths yearly. If these figures were to be estimated incorporating the rest of the world, there would be an average of approximately 1 billion cases of flu, around 3–5 million cases of severe illness, and 300,000–500,000 deaths annually.
Flu-related deaths can result from pneumonia and from exacerbations of cardiopulmonary conditions and other chronic diseases. Deaths of older adults account for more than 90% of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza.
Truly
The Japanese use Tamiflu the most, according to reports, and they also have reported the highest adverse incidences in children. If I were to give it to my child, I would be as informed about those side effects as I would be about the swine flu.
I read a post, somewhere, about someone who had their child vaccinated with the pneumonia vaccine, and this makes a lot of sense since all of the problems I have read about have been secondary infections.
I hope that as your family comes out of this, you will post about the recovery in the same way as the infection. The only real media coverage of people getting over the swine flu are political figures who have all gotten over it in a few days. By all accounts 99% of people who get the flu get over it, although no doubt it is an unpleasant experience. Although we were not tested, I am pretty positive our entire household already came down with it.
At least if you came down with it, you know you don't have to be vaccinated for it.
It does not really matter in my area anyway, since the vaccine will not be available for at least 2 weeks, probably four. Since I live in an area with high amounts of fog (the summer "dry spell" theory of flu doesn't work here), I believe it has been active all summer. Reports in my area verify this. That is my decision. If I had kids, I would vaccinate them, but if I had kids coming down with it before the vaccine became available I'd be doing fluids, vitamins (and D) and all other normal options.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33459423/ns/health-cold_and_flu/
Bracing Ourselves for More Sham Vaccine Studies
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=15669
"They can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but they can not fool all of the people all of the time."
Must be lonely in your world.
::shrug::
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/10/22/New-Study-Demonstrates-Significant-Harm-From-Just-ONE-Mercury-Containing-Vaccine.aspx
All flu shots have mercury in them & have been proven dangerous. This fast tracked vaccine hasn't even been proven effective.
"Washington Health Department Suspends Mercury Restrictions for Swine Flu Vaccine"
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/10/17/Washington-Health-Department-Suspends-Mercury-Restrictions-for-Swine-Flu-Vaccine.aspx
CBS Reveals that Swine Flu Cases Seriously Overestimated
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/10/24/CBS-Reveals-that-Swine-Flu-Cases-Seriously-Overestimated.aspx
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/23/us-swine-flu-deaths-surpa_n_332360.html
From your link we just have to take some guy's word for it. For being a vaccine skeptic, you are quick to drink the Kool-Aid.
The doctor in the video tries to say it had nothing to do with the seasonal flu vaccine she had gotten ten days earlier & she tries to convince us it's psycho genetic & the poor girl has seizures, too.
This unfortunate beautiful young lady can barely talk as you can see. Be careful with all flu shots, especially fast tracked H1N1 which basically is untested for safety as well as effectiveness.
Before you offer up your children or roll up your sleeve, willingly, know the odds of being one of the unlucky has better percentage in it for you than winning the lottery does.
http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=011008&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=10731546&referralPlaylistId=949437d0db05ed5f5b9954dc049d70b0c12f2749
This was good news for the healthcare workers & these comments are a must see so you can learn all the important facts & make your own informed decisions that will help keep you & yours safe;
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/16/mandatory-flu-vaccines-fo_n_323923.html?show_comment_id=33049075#comment_33049075
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-christian-hall/will-we-suffer-two-flu-se_b_326751.html?show_comment_id=33221593#comment_33221593
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/20/suzanne-somers-new-target_n_328063.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=mh5F5wP8RdU
I wish you and yours all the best and a speedy recovery!
Just a little note on the peonys...I have several around my yard and love the smell and beauty of these flowers (even the freakin ants :). As a child, my grandmothers yard was also full of 'em..so, they really have a special place in my heart. I just love the name of the shop too..how clever some people are..lol.
.
The idea that we should rely on a healthy immune system and eating right is OK only in the most general terms. Against a virus that targets children and is twice as lethal as its recent predecessors, such advice is not much use.
Three of the schools in my daughter's district have had to report the 5% threshold to the state. My incredibly busy daughter worries every day as her schoolmates fall victim all around her, she believes that she cannot afford to be sick for a week with her rigorous school workload, extracurricular activities and Nutcracker rehearsals.
We've done what we could - she's received the seasonal flu vaccine and a pneumonia vaccine (having contracted it three times secondary to seasonal flu in her young life), the only other precautions are frequent handwashing and minimizing direct contact with schoolmates and dance colleagues.
Thankfully, the state of Minnesota established a hot-line yesterday serviced by nurses that have the ability to prescribe anti-virals.
Here's hoping that you and your family recover and feel better as quickly as possible!
Now that the flu epidemic is getting worse, and deaths are increasing, there are fewer deniers of the efficacy of prudent vaccinations. As has been said before, frequently, by experts far more qualified to speak on the subject than myself, the dangers of the flu vaccine are far exceeded by the benefits to be had from its use.
While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 i nfection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):
1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).
2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat or bathe).
3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.
4. Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water . Blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.*
I've seen this before & told them all.
Second, not enough people are dying on the street for our personal experiences to provide advice for others. A small proportion of those infected get hospitalized and a small proportion of those die. This time, it's kids, adults and especially pregnant women who are in trouble. Fortunately, there's a risk-free (1 in a million chance of real problem, 1 in 10 million of dying if not plain zero) vaccine that will work great on those in danger if they just vaccinated properly long enough before the virus strikes.
Maybe this is wrong, maybe there's a conspiracy so wide and vast that only Cuba is not planning to vaccinate as many of its population as it can.
Should I get the new H1N1 vaccine?
"Are there any downsides or risks associated with the new swine flu vaccine?
With many people asking that question, here's a compiled a list of frequently asked questions - along with some less frequently asked ones.
This article will help the reader to make an informed decision about the risks and benefits of getting vaccinated."
http://www.thevaccination.com/article/2/Should-I-get-the-new-H1N1-vaccine.html
Read & learn more from the comments at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/16/mandatory-flu-vaccines-fo_n_323923.html?show_comment_id=33133162#comment_33133162