It's here!

So we all sit, and anxiously hear about all of the hype of the H1N1 "swine" Flu. Should I get vaccinated, or should I not?

Well, as of this week, that is no longer an issue for us. We ARE the ones being talked about on the news. Yea for us! My brothers family in IF had it, we were not around them. So who were we around that could have contaminated us all at once? The only place we all go at once is church. I don't know. I'm just curious to know the cycle of it.

Maycie has had a little cold, and it started into a bit of a cough on Tuesday. By Tuesday night she was fevered. I knew if it continued I needed to get her to the doctor. Wednesday morning I got her to the doctor. She was so weak, just laying on my shoulder whimpering, and if I'd move her or she'd try to crawl or walk, she'd say "Owwee". So before the doctor even saw her, they did "the" test. When he came in, he brought the little test strip that had a bright pink stripe indicator on the "Influenza A" space. He was very informative, and I appreciated the time he took to explain things to me. He did say that they had been sending every positive test off to a lab, to see for sure if it was swine flu, and 99% were coming back positive. So the lab said, "please don't send us any more right now." He said since the seasonal flu has not hit us here yet, we're positve that all of these flu cases are swine flu.

With all of the talk, and news coverage, and mis-reporting my kids were pretty upset. Some asked if Maycie was going to die. Here's my understanding, with the doctors help. Swine flu has the same symptoms as any other flu out there. However, it is new, it has not been around before, so no one has built up immunities to it. So, chances are, if you are exposed, you will get it. Because so many people are getting it, we are hearing of more complications, because more people have it. And, people who have medical conditions are going to suffer more, and so there will be more reported deaths.

The rest of the story...

The doctor wanted to put Maycie on Tamiflu, to shorten the duration and severity of her flu. I agreed, because she was so sick. He advised me to put everyone on it-because we WERE going to get it. But, he said that it would be expensive. I told him I thought I should wait. I talked with the pharmacist when I filled Maycie's (gasp) $94 perscription, and, to fill enough for our family, we'd be looking spending around $800! Ummm, I think I'll hold off!

I've kept Josh home from school for a couple days, because he's been coughing (just in case). They say it's contagious before you know you have it. I haven't let Matthew play with his friends (much to his great sadness and sorrow). The night Maycie was diagnosed, I started feeling a weird tight cough, and some achiness. Yesterday, every move I made ached. My toes, my ankles, my knees, my hips, my fingers, and I was saying owwee! As bad as I felt yesterday, I don't hurt nearly as bad today. I really hope that with all the vitamin C and D that we've been taking, our immune systems will just kick this in a hurry! :) Maycie was sooo much better the second day, and I don't think it was the tamiflu, since, I have experienced the same thing, without it.

Matthew fell asleep early last night on the couch - he's a little fevered. Josh's throat hurts "SO BAD" Ally's does too, and she aches, Tyson's Ab's are killing him, Jaron's throat, stomach and cough only hurt "a little"! (He wanted to go to school) It's going to be a long weekend!!

Wow, long post. Wanted to document it, so, there you go. Watch out for a spontaneous cough, sore throat, severe aches, fever, chills, stomach ache, head and neck ache (Did I mention any aches?) AND hopefully if you do get it, It won't be because of us. We're not going anywhere!!!