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!
