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[kaytieeldr]

Some of you are just so nasty... kind of makes me wonder about the people behind the masks. Why do you care what I think or why I think it or how I feel or why I feel it?

You keep claiming the information doesn't exist, that nobody (at the CDC or in the media) "cares" about asthmatics. Other people have posted links to sites showing the information does exist.

Its good that your Dr told you about the Tami-Flu... mine have been utterly silent.

That's not the responsibility of the CDC, the media, or any other acronymed group. That lack of knowledge or information or advice or action can only be ascribed to your doctors.

 

[Crankyshank]

I am in the high risk group, because I have asthma. I am aware of my condition and it is my responsibility to seek out information and discuss a plan of action with my Dr.
I am a bit confused as to what you are looking for. There was specific information in the links provided as to asthmatics. If you are not getting information or guidelines you think you should be getting, then I would say it's a conversation that you should be having with your family Dr.

 

[Christine]

How can we behave as if nothing is different when things are, in fact, different? I'm no Dr. but it is my understanding that although the normal Flu has a sobering mortality rate, usually people die after a while, not suddenly, not within a day or 2. The boy in Florida died suddenly, and that hit a nerve with me. There is no way to prepare or treat something that can be lethal in under 48 hrs even in a hospital setting. There is no amount of attention or care to treat something that aggressive after the fact and if this is sizing up to be more lethal in certain sub-sets of the population then those sub-sets need special consideration before we are over-running the hospitals.

I think you are making some assumptions here and not having enough information to do so.

So, the boy who died had asthma. He was 6 years old. That is all we know. Did the media say that this boy, with asthma, was under the care of a pulmonologist (like our kids are) and has his asthma well-controlled? No, because the media NEVER tells you the whole story. You can bet on it that if someone with untreated asthma (who actually may have it aggravated due to living with smokers let's say), gets a respiratory illness, they can darn sure die in 24 hours and that has NOTHING to do with the strain of the flu.

Based on this media report(s), you are assuming that this flu puts asthmatics in more danger than other strains, assuming that asthmatics are going to die if they get H1N1, and assuming that the asthmatic child was properly treated and died anyway. I'm betting the oppposite, but hey, maybe I've had my rose-colored glasses on for too long.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't be concerned, especially with asthmatic children. You can bet I'll be really scared if my son gets this; however, I'm just not going to buy into the fact that this strain is deadlier, that asthmatics are more at risk then they normally are, or that this is some killer anymore than any other flu. Alternatively, I never get a false sense of control that a flu shot actually works but I do it anyway. So not having this shot for this H1N1 doesn't really mean anything to me.

I said this earlier in the thread and I'll repeat it. I believe that many young asthmatic children are not properly treated. I know that my son exhibited asthma symptoms when he was 2 years old and we couldn't get anyone to properly treat his asthma until he was 7 and had two hospitalizations. Totally unavoidable. But I believe that many asthmatics are undertreated and I would almost bet that this boy succombed so quickly for that reason.

A friend of mine has asthma (adult) and she refuses to treat herself properly. She also keeps a cat which she is allergic to. She decided to go on vacation to Florida. With the drastic weather change and humidity change, she was in the Florida ER within 24 hours after arriving. This is someone who should be worried about the flu.

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

Backing away from this post. From the tone of the OP it seems while so much information has been furnished the response threads are "baiting".

Unsubscribing.

 

[LuvOrlando]

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[JessicaR]

Did they scrub his office space, NO... .

I remember hearing and reading this about a month ago when schools were closing all over NYC.

Workers began disinfecting some of the schools that have closed. But health experts said that the virus generally dies on surfaces within 48 hours and that scrubbing closed schools is more of a public relations move than a health move.

Tuesday (yesterday) congress approved 7.7 billion dollars to combat the A(H1N1) flu virus.

My son has well controlled moderate asthma. I worry just as much with the flu as I do with the cold virus and take the same precautions.

 

[LuvOrlando]

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[HelenePA]

Can I ask.. which is worse the reg. flu or this flu?

 

[goofy!]

So your well thought out advice is to pack ourselves into our house and not go anywhere. As helpful as I am sure you are trying to be, it's not.

SO have you you walked a mile in my shoes? I think people who have not should count their blessings and not provoke people who are different. Then again, there is Karma and you might just find yourself in my shoes soon enough. I always find it interesting how that tends to happen.

Obviously there is stuff out there about this Flu, I do read and I am informed. But it is vague and directed at everyone. My whole point is that HIGH RISK GROUPS are not being addressed so I'm not surprised people who do not fall into this category couldn't care less.

My child with special needs has some high risk concerns. Due to cardiac issues, flu is always high risk, whether the regular flu or swine. I, myself have neutropenia, which means my immune system is compromised.

What I have learned over the years is you have to be your own advocate. Don't wait for people to tell you what to do, do it on your own. You are always your child's best advocate.

If you feel that your information is too vague for you, start calling experts and find out what you need to do to protect your particular child. Make an appointment with their primary care physician to discuss your options. If you feel he doesn't know enough, make an appointment with a doc that does or get a new doctor that you are comfortable with. If your specialist has problems with your primary care, that is a huge sign it is time to ask the specialist for a recommendation for a doc that understands your kid's condition. Never compromise your concerns because you feel obligated to your current physician. Do your research until you feel comfortable enough with your information to reasonably protect your child.

After doing my research and speaking with our docs, I know now that I have to insist on Tamiflu immediately if any of our family shows any signs of flu symptoms.

And I knew to ask about Tamiflu because it has been all over the media that H1N1 responds well to antivirals as long as they are administered within 24-48 hours of the onset of symptoms.

We don't wait around for other people to tell us what to do. We are proactive ourselves.

 

[debbi801]

LuvOrlando, I hope you are able to find the information you need to feel comfortable protecting your kids.

And OT, do you mind me asking what "shhh" you're talking about that is occurring on election day 2012? I thought we weren't supposed to have political signatures any longer.

 

[Metsfan520]

not important

 

[Nancyg56]

For the record, I would like more people to be aware, to ask questions and to put pressure of the medical community to provide MORE *****


Some of you seem to take issue with the very fact I am not satisfied with what IS available, and since that is the whole point of my post I guess we'll never see eye to eye. I happen to think things can, do & will change when people ask questions. I've never been the sort who just lets life happen and I'm not about to start now.....

I guess I just don't understand what more you want the "medical community" to do. There is a lot of information and what more you feel you need, that is your job to gather. It is there, you just need to look, if you cannot find the answer you need to call your DR. In your case I would have contacted his Pulmonary Dr for specific information how H1N1 would affect your child and what you needed to do to prepare.

My DD called her DD's pediatrician the other day when there were suspected cases in the school system and was given common sense advise. My sister is a respiratory therapist in a major children's hospital, she generally works in the NICU and the PICU, she suggests the same precautions that you would use to avoid the common cold. Malls are the worst places for contracting H1N1.

I wonder if you have yourself more frightened than you need to be. I understand children with health concerns, my DGD had them for years which placed her in a very high risk if she got any bug or virus. My DD made sure that she was prepared, that she was in contact with her pediatrician if she had concerns. I think that you are a little frenzied here and have worked up a fear that has you angry and looking for an action plan that is directed at your son. That is something that you must create on your own. Read the information and determine what applys to your son.

 

[LuvOrlando]

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[Cindy F]

OP, I know you are frantic for a definitive way to protect your children but there just isn't one.

My daughter has severe asthma and I know it's frightening. It's frightening to see your child laying there hooked up to a ventilator wondering if this time will be the time you have to say goodbye BUT, aside from educating yourself, taking precautions, making sure the asthma is well controlled, having specialists involved in their care......there is really nothing more you can do.

Our physician gave us Tamiflu and Relenza to keep in the house and start immediately upon the first sign of any flu like symptoms (along with nebulized meds). H1N1 is resistant to Symmetrel and Flumadine.

H1N1 and Asthma

Try not to let the fear to take control and cause you to panic and lash out in anger. We've been there too but it honestly doesn't help and just makes you more miserable. Prayers of comfort to you and your family.

 

[arminnie]

OP, I know you are frantic for a definitive way to protect your children but there just isn't one. ......

Our physician gave us Tamiflu and Relenza to keep in the house and start immediately upon the first sign of any flu like symptoms (along with nebulized meds).

As for my health care providers, I don't think anyone is telling them any more than I get from the news. If they did have directives I am sure at least one of them would have let me know by now.

Doesn't sound like you have the right providers. My nurse practitioner has kept me informed about the directives that have been given. And high risk patients have been provided with Tamiflu to be available immediately if symptoms arise.

I truly hope your children are safe and continue to be healthy. I am elderly, asthmatic and have a compromised immune system - but honestly I am more worried about children such as yours than I am about myself. Children seem so defenseless.

 

[C.Ann]

Still, I want more from the medical community...

There is no way to prepare or treat something that can be lethal in under 48 hrs even in a hospital setting. There is no amount of attention or care to treat something that aggressive after the fact and if this is sizing up to be more lethal in certain sub-sets of the population then those sub-sets need special consideration before we are over-running the hospitals.

----------------------

I think the problem we're all having here is trying to understand exactly what you want from the medical community? Numerous links have been provided that address people who are at high-risk (as am I) - as well as asthmatics (as are your children) - and you still don't seem to have what you "need".. Can you be more specific?

You know what I went through a month or so ago - when it was thought that my son-in-law and DGD might have had swine flu.. The "directives" were that they stay away from me until 7 days after the last person in their household was sick and that if I exhibited any symptoms whatsoever that might be indicative of the flu I was to get to my doctor ASAP.. I would assume that something similar would apply to your children.. Until the vaccine becomes available, you're ability to keep them free of illness is extremely limited - unless you choose to quarantine your entire family until the vaccine does become available..

You then go on to say, "There is no way to prepare or treat something that can be lethal in under 48 hrs even in a hospital setting." - so what is it that you think you can do now that will make the situation less dangerous?

It sounds like your biggest problems are arising due to a lack of communication from the current health care providers that you are taking your children to - and relying on to provide you with the directives you need and/or want.. If that is the case, perhaps you could alleviate your fears by changing doctors now - rather than waitng until "after the fact"..

If that isn't the answer, then I honestly and truly don't know what it is that you are needing to "hear" (read) that isn't already available..

 

[HelenePA]

LuvOrlando, I hope you are able to find the information you need to feel comfortable protecting your kids.

And OT, do you mind me asking what "shhh" you're talking about that is occurring on election day 2012? I thought we weren't supposed to have political signatures any longer.

Ah ha! I was trying to figure out what her ticker was about!

OP I hope you got the info you were looking for. And thanks for the info between swing and reg flu. I dont watch the news often because it causes me to worry about stuff I have no real control over.

 

[kilee]

I work in a rather large health clinic that treats both peds and internal medicine patients. We have the largest asthma population in our city. We certainly cannot, nor did we call all our asthma patients to direct them on how to handle this.

If our patients are showing flu like symptoms, and they are not "high risk" we are not even bringing them in. We do not want to expose more people to it than we have to. If a patient is an asthmatic or other high risk, we do bring them in immediately- or if there are others symptoms w/ the flu-like symptoms that are cause for concern.

We have had positive H1N1 cases popping up over the last 3 weeks, and several schools in our immediate area have closed for several days due to wide spread illness.

I myself am an asthmatic (though well controlled), I came down sick on Fri (6/5?)- I went to work Monday morning- mostly to be seen. I was sent home for the week last week. I showed all the signs of the flu- but I was not tested. Just sent home for a week-- that was the sickest I've been in a long time. Nobody else in my home caught it. I did well...though I have some residual congestion. The only thing different I did, was the same thing I do w/ any cold--- I used my rescue inhaler twice a day even if I did not feel like I needed it.

Anyhow, I think you'll be fine. Remember that even w/ the flu vaccine you are not 100% covered (we had 6 employees test postive for the flu back in January even though the entire staff was vaccinated)-- so you'll take the same precautions as you would during every flu season. If you have other concerns or questions you need to call your provider. If they are not receptive to your concerns then it's time to look for a new one who will be.