First day of school -- First day of Swine Flu

[BLTtinkerbell]

My dd started suffering from a very painful headache, chills, fever and a cough all of a sudden last night so I took her to her pediatrician this morning where they diagnosed her with Swine Flu . The nurse swabbed her nostrils and pricked her finger for blood. The doctor prescribed Tamiflu for her..I contacted the school and notified them of this as well as that the docter feels she will be ready to return to school on Wednesday. I will assess her symptoms before I send her to school.

I must say I am in the camp of not sending my child to school if she is ill. There was only one confirmed case of SF at my dd's school before now and numerous other kids staying home due to fever..I am sure it is being spread around without anyones knowledge.

First, I hope your dd feels better soon.
She was diagnosed w/swine flu and her school will let her back on Wed. if she feels better? School starts tomorrow here & we got an email saying any student/staff member w/swine flu or similar symptoms must stay home for at least 7 days and be totally symptom free before returning.

 

[luvmy3]

My dd started suffering from a very painful headache, chills, fever and a cough all of a sudden last night so I took her to her pediatrician this morning where they diagnosed her with Swine Flu . The nurse swabbed her nostrils and pricked her finger for blood. The doctor prescribed Tamiflu for her..I contacted the school and notified them of this as well as that the docter feels she will be ready to return to school on Wednesday. I will assess her symptoms before I send her to school.

I must say I am in the camp of not sending my child to school if she is ill. There was only one confirmed case of SF at my dd's school before now and numerous other kids staying home due to fever..I am sure it is being spread around without anyones knowledge.

to your dd and you. I hope that your ped is right because when my dd had it she had a fever for 7 days, 4 of them it was over 104. She wasn't on tamilflu so hopefully your dd will not be sick for that long. Back in June when the kids were symptomatic they were to be out of school for 7 days, and even with a doc's note they wouldn't be allowed back. I wonder if they will still have that policy when school starts next week. Did/does your school have anything like that, or will they let your dd back that soon? (if she's better of course).

 

[NewCrew42]

We had a confirmed case of swine flu in our school today.

 

[Terry36]

First, I hope your dd feels better soon.
She was diagnosed w/swine flu and her school will let her back on Wed. if she feels better? School starts tomorrow here & we got an email saying any student/staff member w/swine flu or similar symptoms must stay home for at least 7 days and be totally symptom free before returning.

to your dd and you. I hope that your ped is right because when my dd had it she had a fever for 7 days, 4 of them it was over 104. She wasn't on tamilflu so hopefully your dd will not be sick for that long. Back in June when the kids were symptomatic they were to be out of school for 7 days, and even with a doc's note they wouldn't be allowed back. I wonder if they will still have that policy when school starts next week. Did/does your school have anything like that, or will they let your dd back that soon? (if she's better of course).

Thanks.....Just to clarify even though the return slip says Wednesday "I" will not send her to school until next week. I want to be sure she has recovered and not relapse.

 

[C.Ann]

My dd started suffering from a very painful headache, chills, fever and a cough all of a sudden last night so I took her to her pediatrician this morning where they diagnosed her with Swine Flu . The nurse swabbed her nostrils and pricked her finger for blood. The doctor prescribed Tamiflu for her..I contacted the school and notified them of this as well as that the docter feels she will be ready to return to school on Wednesday. I will assess her symptoms before I send her to school.

I must say I am in the camp of not sending my child to school if she is ill. There was only one confirmed case of SF at my dd's school before now and numerous other kids staying home due to fever..I am sure it is being spread around without anyones knowledge.

I was afraid of this - after you posted the other night asking about flu symptoms.. I'm so sorry it wasn't just the ear infection instead.. However, she was seen soon and hopefully that will make all the difference.. I will be sure to keep her in my thoughts and prayers..
---------------------------

As an FYI to all: Just wanted to mention that I received a letter from a friend in another state yesterday and two weeks ago they had two children in her area - 9 and 12 years old - who died from the Swine Flu with NO PRE-EXISTING conditions.. This is not meant to scare anyone - but it is meant to alert those who are under the assumption that the only people who are dying from Swine Flu are those who have other medical issues to begin with..

The fact that previously healthy children and previously healthy young adults are still dying from this flu is about the strongest evidence that Swine Flu is absolutely not in the same category as the regular "seasonal" flu.. I have to wonder why it is that people are still making that comparison.. I can only assume it's because they are not staying informed and/or up to date on the most recent medical information that is available..

I'm sure there is not a single person on this board who doesn't "wish" that Swine Flu was nothing more than the regular seasonal flu - but unfortunately, wishing doesn't make it so..

 

[HM]

Our school district is saying stay home if you are sick. But, you can return to school 24 hours after your fever has broken...even with Swine Flu.

My kids could not afford to stay home for a week from school. HS here is too hard...even missing one day is detrimental. My son stayed home sick last winter for two days.....it was a bear for him to catch up. So at our house, it's all about prevention. A good night's sleep to start and washing hands frequently, and no sharing food/drink with friends.

 

[maroo]

Was that in MS? We had a 7 year old and a 13 yr old die this past couple of weeks. But the CDC is not showing those deaths yet?? Sorta confusing to me.

The 13 yr old was just confirmed to have swine flu and no pre-existing conditions were mentioned. The 7 yr old did have other medical problems. We have another case where a child died of flu like symptoms, but they are still trying to determine cause of death.

Too, too sad. And the fact that no one is paying attention to it is just scary.

 

[luvwinnie]

I did! But we sure are on the same wavelength!

Are you concerned about this? I would not say I was worried, but I am not concerned and very interested in the whole thing.

As an asthmatic with autoimmune arthritis and now, possibly another lung disease (seeing dr. on 21st), yes, I'm a bit concerned. Also concerned about my nieces who are in their early 20s. Two work at schools, one is in grad school.

 

[maroo]

As an asthmatic with autoimmune arthritis and now, possibly another lung disease (seeing dr. on 21st), yes, I'm a bit concerned. Also concerned about my nieces who are in their early 20s. Two work at schools, one is in grad school.

my post above says I am "not" concerned...that should have read...I AM concerned. And interested in this.

I also have some risk factors, but I am more worried about my 2 good friends that are severely disabled. One is in high school the other is out of school, so I feel better about her. They are avoiding pharmacies and such, but still living life. Life is too short. But we are all doing lots of handwashing and using hand sanitizer and keeping an eye on the news.

It has made the front page of the paper every day for the past 3 days - so folks around here are starting to pay attention.

Seems like the states where the kids are back in school are starting to an increase in cases...which was expected.

 

[kpm76]

My 2 yr old DD was really sick in May. She had a very high fever (105), congestion, coughing etc. I don't know if she had a headache because she could not tell me She suffered a febrile seizure due to the rapid temp spike and we went to the ER via rescue. They did not test her for H1N1 because she did not have any of the risk factors. I didn't demand it because I figured there really wasn't anything I could or would do with the information. Whatever she had would need to run its course. Now I am wondering though, if she had H1N1, can she still be vaccinated?? I guess I will have to ask her ped.

I'm pregnant so I am very nervous for myself and my baby. I'm not one to worry about little things like this and certainly not one to run out for vaccines, but once the H1N1 is available, I will be at the front of the line

 

[sbell111]

My 2 yr old DD was really sick in May. She had a very high fever (105), congestion, coughing etc. I don't know if she had a headache because she could not tell me She suffered a febrile seizure due to the rapid temp spike and we went to the ER via rescue. They did not test her for H1N1 because she did not have any of the risk factors. I didn't demand it because I figured there really wasn't anything I could or would do with the information. Whatever she had would need to run its course. Now I am wondering though, if she had H1N1, can she still be vaccinated?? I guess I will have to ask her ped.

I'm pregnant so I am very nervous for myself and my baby. I'm not one to worry about little things like this and certainly not one to run out for vaccines, but once the H1N1 is available, I will be at the front of the line

Yes. Someone can receive a vaccination, even if they already had the flu. It won't help them in any way since they already are immune, but it won't hurt them, either.

 

[kpm76]

Yes. Someone can receive a vaccination, even if they already had the flu. It won't help them in any way since they already are immune, but it won't hurt them, either.

Thanks! That's what I assumed but wanted to be sure. I wish now I knew for sure if she had it, then I could skip having her vaccinated and save it for someone who needs it.....

 

[Poppinsme]

No anger, just stating the docs and nurses here respect parents decisions to treat their child the way they see fit. They (at least the ones I've interacted with when my dd had swine flu) realize that a kid with the flu symptoms of any flu, can be/become REALLY sick. When I read the bolded (by me) parts of your post it really doesn't seem like you share the same feelings and attitudes as the medical professionals here. Sorry you see that as mean, but I won't apologize for being thankful for the docs and nurses I have here that don't share your feelings.
Oh and I'm one of those parents who *demanded* a script for Tamilflu from my pediatrician for my kids to take at the first sign of flu symptoms. Of course he was more than willing to prescribe it, so maybe you should realize that those docs have the power to say "no" to those demanding patients of theirs. the blame for the shortage can be blamed on them as well, not just those who want the Tamiflu.

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/
As you can see the flu season at this time was worse in 2007/2008.

And sweetheart the Dr's. and Rn's that I work with have enormous respect for patients or they wouldn't be doing health care. What a stupid thing to say!!!!!
And you are not a medical professional.
And I won't apologize for my statements.

We had over 500 children come into ER yesterday because parents were afraid there child had swine flu. They were scared by the media and the schools. Maybe luvmy3 you think this is a good thing because "your docs and nurses don't share my feelings". That if your sick or not it is OK to go to ER and have your child looked at. Well sorry but ER is for EMERGENCY care not for something that a pediatrician can handle. If you go to a pediatrician and they think you need to be in the hospital then off you will go like always. And that is what I stated in my first post.

Out of those 500 children 10 were admitted to the hospital, but not for the flu. More then 3/4 did not have the flu. Some had colds. Those that had the flu (not just swine) were given Tamiflu and sent home. And I'm sure there were parents like you who "demanded" Tamiflu because there child was exposed to the flu. Which they wouldn't have been if they hadn't come to ER to begin with.
One of the reasons our country is in a health care crisis is because people come to ER instead of just going to there Dr's. office. (I'm not talking about emergencies)

Well I am very proud of what I do. And Ive saved thousands of lives in my career.
What have you done?

And why did you have to bold the part where I stated that I was sick and stayed home? You wanted me to go to work and infect others? Yes, I'm glad to be alive. Got a problem with that?

Have a nice day.

 

[Terry36]

GM - DD is still not feeling up to par...yes her fever is gone however she is very congested and coughing. My husband and I do not feel she is ready to go back to school therefore she will stay out the remainder of the week.

 

[luvmy3]

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/
As you can see the flu season at this time was worse in 2007/2008.

And sweetheart the Dr's. and Rn's that I work with have enormous respect for patients or they wouldn't be doing health care. What a stupid thing to say!!!!!
And you are not a medical professional.
And I won't apologize for my statements.

We had over 500 children come into ER yesterday because parents were afraid there child had swine flu. They were scared by the media and the schools. Maybe luvmy3 you think this is a good thing because "your docs and nurses don't share my feelings". That if your sick or not it is OK to go to ER and have your child looked at. Well sorry but ER is for EMERGENCY care not for something that a pediatrician can handle. If you go to a pediatrician and they think you need to be in the hospital then off you will go like always. And that is what I stated in my first post.

Out of those 500 children 10 were admitted to the hospital, but not for the flu. More then 3/4 did not have the flu. Some had colds. Those that had the flu (not just swine) were given Tamiflu and sent home. And I'm sure there were parents like you who "demanded" Tamiflu because there child was exposed to the flu. Which they wouldn't have been if they hadn't come to ER to begin with.
One of the reasons our country is in a health care crisis is because people come to ER instead of just going to there Dr's. office. (I'm not talking about emergencies)

Well I am very proud of what I do. And Ive saved thousands of lives in my career.
What have you done?

And why did you have to bold the part where I stated that I was sick and stayed home? You wanted me to go to work and infect others? Yes, I'm glad to be alive. Got a problem with that?

Have a nice day.

The truth of the matter is, you are a medical professional, and thats what makes your attitude on how the swine flu is *just the flu" very concerning. I don't need to be in the profession to understand how the influenza virus works (thanks to a great book my dh had for me to read), and I don't need to be in the medical profession to know how this particular virus is working (that horrioble media informing people of whats going on, and the CDC website and the WHO website etc etc) and to know that H1N1 is not acting like just another flu. If you'd like the name of that book so you can read it I'd be happy to pm it you, sweetheart.
As as the ER visits I never said it was right to flood the ER, My only issue was with the attitude displayed by you, which IMHO is not one I would want from the very people who I rely in to keep myself and my children healthy and yes I am thankful for those in the medical profession that save lives, but I am also thankful that most are caring, compassionate and respect the fact that the swine flu is more than "just the flu".
With regards to the Tamiflu situation, your annoyance/anger (whatever your problem is) is misdirected, again displaying your attitude about concerned parents. From someone in the medical field that is very concerning to think that us parents are to blame for whats going on, how about some of you (not saying you personally, just those in your profession) take a look in the mirror and take some of that responsability as well.

Just to explain, I bolded the part about you staying home because you made mention of your age, I believe it was "I stayed home, I'm 53 and I'm still alive." I took that to mean that you were saying see I had the flu, I'm 53 and lived through it, no big deal. If that is not what you meant then I will apologize for that.

GM - DD is still not feeling up to par...yes her fever is gone however she is very congested and coughing. My husband and I do not feel she is ready to go back to school therefore she will stay out the remainder of the week.

I'm glad to hear that your dd's fever has broken, I hope she's feeling like herself again soon.

 

[maroo]

I think the CDC and WHO update their sites on Fridays - so hopefully we will have a little more information tomorrow regarding cases and if there has been the expected increase.

I am also curious to see if they report the two children that died in MS these last two weeks. I would think they would be reported in this week's report. (Since they are a week or so behind in counting). One child, by the way, was healthy and one had other health problems.

We also had a third child die in a doctor's office waiting room that had flu like symptoms - still doing an autopsy to determine cause of death. (Which makes me think maybe he should have been in the ER - maybe they could have saved him there?) But I definitely hope parents don't take their kids with the sniffles to the ER.

I wish there was some more education for parents about what to look for to determine if they have a severe case or not? I have read that the children that are dying are having fairly normal sytmptoms (even being sent home from ER's), but a few days later it gets really bad, really fast. If that information could be confirmed and get out to people, maybe they would know when to go to a regular doctor's office and when they should come to the ER.

Today was the first day I have not seen anything about the swine flu in a quick look at the paper - so hopefully that is a good sign that maybe things are leveling out here.

 

[disney1990]

Most people that visit their doctor are not tested for H1N1. If they have symptoms of the flu, they are just treated for it. There is a lot of talk about the number of people with H1N1. I hear people talking about people they know that have H1N1 -- whether or not it has actually been confirmed by testing. With the number of people getting sick, it is simply impossible to test everybody and it really doesn't matter because both season flu and H1N1 are treated the same way.

If you are sick, call your doctor. As stated before, don't go to the emergency room. If you didn't have H1N1 before you went to the emergency room, you definitely increase your chances of getting it from being there.

If your child is sick or you are sick, stay home. Even if your child is in high school, do not let them go to school before they are completely well. There is talk in the Washington/Maryland/Virginia area about doing away with "perfect" attendance awards because so many children go to school sick just to get the award.

Most of all, teach your children what to do everyday to keep themselves well.

 

[2girlsmom]

I am very concerned about the swine flu, I am an asthmatic and my 9 year old has a heart murmur which might be considered a preexisting health issue, plus my 11 year, despite all my efforts, is still underweight (she is on add meds which decrease her appetite and is very petite anyway, is 4'6" and 65 pounds). I think it is terrible IF the child's parents sent him to school knowing he was running a fever. That said, my 9 year old has a nervous stomach, so if she is excited/nervous/tired, she will have a tummy ache. She also has seasonal allergies, as do I, and will have a runny/stuffed nose and often a mild cough much of the allergy seasons. She is also very susceptible to getting common cold bugs, at least for a day or two. If I kept her home every time she had a stomach ache or runny nose/cough, the child would be gone more than she is there, she complains of the stomach ache at minimum twice a week, usually Thursdays every week, as by Thursday she is getting tired. Our school says only that children should be kept home until they are fever free without meds for the fever for 24 hours, this is also what our health department is saying for adults and children. There have certainly been times when my children have been fine in the morning and a fever cranked up later in the day, also have been times when my kids have gotten over an illness, been fever free for the 24 hours resting but when back at school with the excitement and extra moving around they relapse and get sent back home yet again. I certainly am willing to keep them home when they are truly sick, but can't possibly keep them home for every little illness, so will continue to follow the school and health department's policies.

 

[pilesoflaundry]

Are the symptoms of swine flu different than the symptoms of the seasonal flu? I wouldn't panic quite yet. Unfortunately I know a few teenagers who seem to be raising themselves. The kid's parents may not have had a clue he was sick.

I hope your trip is germ-free.

Either way who on earth sends a kid to school with a 102 fever? You know they are going to get sent right home anyway and now they have infected everyone.

I hope you all don't catch anything at all and have a great trip!

 

[kpm76]

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/
As you can see the flu season at this time was worse in 2007/2008.

And sweetheart the Dr's. and Rn's that I work with have enormous respect for patients or they wouldn't be doing health care. What a stupid thing to say!!!!!
And you are not a medical professional.
And I won't apologize for my statements.

We had over 500 children come into ER yesterday because parents were afraid there child had swine flu. They were scared by the media and the schools. Maybe luvmy3 you think this is a good thing because "your docs and nurses don't share my feelings". That if your sick or not it is OK to go to ER and have your child looked at. Well sorry but ER is for EMERGENCY care not for something that a pediatrician can handle. If you go to a pediatrician and they think you need to be in the hospital then off you will go like always. And that is what I stated in my first post.

Out of those 500 children 10 were admitted to the hospital, but not for the flu. More then 3/4 did not have the flu. Some had colds. Those that had the flu (not just swine) were given Tamiflu and sent home. And I'm sure there were parents like you who "demanded" Tamiflu because there child was exposed to the flu. Which they wouldn't have been if they hadn't come to ER to begin with.
One of the reasons our country is in a health care crisis is because people come to ER instead of just going to there Dr's. office. (I'm not talking about emergencies)

Well I am very proud of what I do. And Ive saved thousands of lives in my career.
What have you done?

And why did you have to bold the part where I stated that I was sick and stayed home? You wanted me to go to work and infect others? Yes, I'm glad to be alive. Got a problem with that?

Have a nice day.

Wow! That fact that you have to build yourself up by bringing someone else down indicates self confidence and self esteem issues. My husband and I have several family members, including our parents, who are surgeons and nurses and I have never once heard any of them gloat that they have "saved thousands of lives." That statement is laughable They know the work they do is life-saving and that in itself is satisfaction enough.

I do agree with you on one point and that is that one of the main reasons health care costs are so high is because of misuse of the ER. However, if a person is without health insurance their only option when sick is to go to the ER. I suspect many of the people you see fall into that category. If we want people to stop using the ER as their PCP we need to make health insurance affordable. Until then, I am afraid you will be seeing many more people with illnesses that could be better treated elsewhere.