I’m sure it’s the H1N1 virus and all the media attention it is garnering. And now the President has declared a state of emergency over the flu. How can a mother not obsess?
Ashley and I both had the seasonal flu last year. She and I both had the seasonal flu shots – like we do every single year – but we still contracted the virus. We both also took Tamiflu, and while it may have lessened the symptoms and duration of the flu, we were still both in bed for a week – not just sitting around feeling miserable – in bed.
I was administering round-the-clock nebulizer treatments to Ashley. She had stopped eating so we had to go back to pushing fluids through her G-tube, and I had to sleep in her room each night just to make sure I heard her still breathing. It was a miserable time and I absolutely do not want to go there again.
This year, however, protection against H1N1 is little more out of my control. Sure, I can insist everyone wash their hands and use hand sanitizer frequently. I can tell them to cough and sneeze into their elbow, and suggest they stay away from obviously sick people. But I can’t get us the H1N1 vaccination. There just isn’t enough to go around.
Why is that? Government agencies have been talking about pandemic flu for a long time. My agency, in fact, has had a pandemic flu plan in place for two years. We knew last Spring that H1N1 was here and would be getting worse. Why didn’t we do something to ensure enough vaccine? I haven’t heard any good answers to that question yet. Have you?
Oh, and for the record, Ashley did not have the flu yesterday. Her test came back negative. She does, however, have a sinus infection, and as far as I know, there are no vaccines for that yet!
Today I am thankful that I was able to borrow another computer. Ashley, you see, doesn't have the H1N1 virus, but apparently my computer does!
10 comments:
Glad to hear it wasn't the flu. My hubby is at the Dr. right now. He probably has a sinus infection. I now have his cold. We are thankful that we appear to have a cold in the midst of the H1N1 peaking in the next week.
Hope she feels better soon and that you both avoid ANY flu this year.
i thought walgreens had all americans cover? I saw adds, I mean if you can afford to come to canada we have a few to spare but not many. We have priority shots and she would deffinatly be on the list OHIP provides. I'm surprised with the limited numbers your gov't didn't think of in adavance.
Sorry for the short very deaf sounding post ( i have to work sound hearing) a very sick, (but non H1N1)
deafDalya
All of your kids are under 25 and are thus considered to be high risk automatically due to age and should be able to have access to the vaccine. Have I got that wrong? I am 24.5, and I think this means I could still get one (just barely) should I ever make up my mind... running out of time I know...
There is a definite shortage of the shots right now. None of the pharmacies or doctors offices have them. The schools were going to vaccinate everyone starting today but had to cancel due to the shortage. There is apparently a lot of the flu mist, but anyone with a compromised immune system - like Ashley and me - can't take that and can't be around people who do (like my other children).
I'm honestly just as terrified of the vaccine as I am of the flu. I wanted to ask, how did the trip to the cemetery go? Did she enjoy it? I had my own trip to the cemetery today when I went to register for my classes at college (the cemetery is right next door to the college) and I visited my papa. I hope she enjoyed her trip and maybe learned a thing or two ;)
I'm glad she is okay. I hope she doesn't get the viruses. I hope your computer recovers.
Azaera, I understand your concern about the vaccines. For me, it came down to weighing the risks of the vaccine versus the risk of my extremely high risk child getting the flu. My decision is to get the vaccine, but I'm having no luck doing that because of the shortage. I've seen Ashley several small steps away from death, and I just cannot go there again if the shot may help.
Ash did love her trip to Hollywood Cemetery. Beside the gravestone of a child that is buried there stands an iron, life-size dog. The little girl had a dog like that that was always with her. So, her family wanted the dog to watch over her even in death. Ashley loved the dog statue!!
So glad she does not have the flu. I know the anxiety you are having. It sounds like A has a lot of extra health issues that make having the flu a lot of extra work and even more scary. Same with M. I am constantly questioning what I am doing in order to help her stay healthy. I can't keep her in a bubble but when it is all over her school I can keep her home. Does that do any good in the long run since these outbreaks could go on and then there are different viruses anyway that can send her into CVS and then to the hospital. Sigh. Argh. I go around and around about it.
I have been pretty nervous also. My son has Angelman Syndrome, and our community has lost three children very recently to pneumonia as a secondary infection to H1N1. Our pedi has not seen any of the vaccine yet, but I just read that Texas is giving all of it's prisoners the vaccine before making it available to the public???? Crazy. Glad your girl didn't have it!
Yvonne, that is crazy...and horrible. I finally heard from our pediatrician yesterday that my kids can get shots on November 9. Now if I can just keep them well until then and for 10 days after getting the shot.
We also have lost children in our community to complications from H1N1. Scary, scary stuff...
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