Our experience with swine flu

[NikitaZee]

Hi all, my family just got back from WDW on Wednesday. Unfortunately, 4 out of 5 of us ended up getting swine flu during our trip . A little background - I called all over my area for a couple of weeks trying to get my family the H1N1 vaccine before we left for our trip. I finally succeeded in getting my 3 kids their first dose of the vaccine one week before we left. On our 4th day at Disney, my 8 year old woke up feeling terrible - headache, sore throat and painful cough. My husband brought him to Centra Care and the doctor told him it was a virus. He wasn't swabbed for flu, since he had no fever. Well that evening he developed a fever of 102.3 and vomiting. Since he's asthmatic we started giving him nebulizer treatments and Motrin for the fever. By the next evening, he was a lot better - no fever, still coughing but no longer a painful cough.

Day 7 of our trip, I got sick. No fever, but painful cough, sore throat and general malaise. My 2 year old got a fever later that night, so we ended up at the Celebration Hospital ER. I was swabbed for H1N1 - even though I didn't have a fever - as a precaution because of my asthma, and it turned up positive. I was given a breathing treatment and Tamiflu, and the ER doctor gave a script for the baby ( he was presumed to have it) and one for every member of my family, to take in case anyone else developed it. We stayed an extra two days, recovering in our room at the Polynesian (thank God for room service). My five year old got it the day we left, so she started taking Tamiflu on the ride home (we drove - 1300 miles, through Hurricane Ida). Now we're home, everyone is almost well - in spite of 2 of us having asthma - and my husband never got it. Our pediatrician told us yesterday that the kids likely had some protection from the first dose of vaccine, and that may be why they had a mild case. I ended up with secondary bronchitis, but am doing well on antibiotics. I was very worried about this flu -I have several postings on this board about my attempts to get the vaccine - and we ended up getting it anyway - luckily for us, it turned out well and with no major complications. The upside - we're going back in April to make up for this past trip

[Goofycampers]

Glad you're all feeling better! We've been sick on vacation before too-not fun. Good reason to go back though.

[sharonW]

YIKES!! What a time to get sick!!
Hope ya all feel better!

[NikitaZee]

Thanks - we're all pretty much on the mend - just a nasty cough that keeps hanging around. We were so happy to be home in our own beds

[kirbydog48]

So sorry this had to happen on your vacation! You definitely deserve a do-over!

[mtemm]

so glad you have a make-up trip scheduled! Am sorry you were so sick, and hope everyone is better soon!!!!

[C.Ann]

I'm so glad to hear that you're all on the mend..

I've got to tell you though - the very last place in the world I would want to be when I was sick with swine flu (or anything similar) is in a hotel room, thousands of miles away from my home, my doctors, and the hospital that I use - and having to face that long trip home..

(Not to mention my health ins. would not cover any care in another state unless it was a life or death situation - like a heart attack - and it resulted in my being admitted..)

So glad you all made it home safely..