Flu has descended

[JamesMom]

I live in North Texas and the flu is alive and well here.

My DS6 best friend (5) who lives next door got it on Thursday
My Mother-in-law started feeling bad on Friday
best friend mom succumbs on Sunday
My DS6 got a fever on Sun and positive flu test for A on Monday.
My DS4 has an elevated temp today (no 'fever' yet but probably by tommorrow am)

I am swimming in purel and hope my husband who burned 2 sick days on his stomach bug last week doesn't catch it --not to mention me!

It is so weird how it so early this year. Both my kids had flu B last Feburary and are sick again with another strain just 8 months later! Doc suspects it Swine. yeah.

Just wanted to moan a little - thanks for listening.

 

[Our 2 Princesses]

Sorry your family is so sick! Everyone is sick around here too!! Between the kids I babysit and my own, I don't think our family has a chance. My oldest dd came home from school today with a fever of 102.5. Don't you just love when school starts? My m-i-l works at our children's hospital and said the e.r. was just packed today with kids wearing masks. UGH!

 

[kaliope]

I hear you. We are in central OK and the flu is ravaging schools. We leave in 11 days...I am thinking about keeping my son home from preschool to try to avoid it (I work from home). Argh.

 

[khanna]

We live in South Carolina and it is everywhere here. I have 6 kids and all of us have had it but the baby (6 mo old)--I kept him in quarentine for a week and when I had to feed him I wore a mask. If you look on the CDC site it has a map of the US and you can just see it spreading from week to week as more and more states become widespread. Most physician offices are not even tracking it now b/c there is so much of it--what is being tested is coming back H1N1 so if in the office it tests as Influenze A they are assuming it is H1N1 and not spending the extra money to send it off to be tested to see what strain of A--most A's are the H1N1 right now.

Interestingly, this flu has a nausea/vomiting component to it--so most people get it and think they just have the stomach bug--when in reality, it is probably the flu and they hop back into work or school too early and spread it. It is highly contagious and is airborne. Can live on surfaces 2-8 hrs but all it takes is breathing in someone elses air--cough/sneeze/or just simply too close and you have caught it. Also, you are most contagious 1 day before you come down with symptoms....and up to 7 days AFTER your symptoms start EVEN IF you don't have a fever OR are fever free for 24 hrs. The problem is most ppl cant take off a week from work just to stay home. So when they feel better, they go back, yet they are still contagious and are spreading it. All of this info is on flu.gov and the CDC site--they have more info than you probably care to see. I do think the map is interesting though. They update that every Friday.

Anyway, wash your hands, stay 6 ft away from others, if caring for a sick one with it WEAR A MASK, and STAY HOME if your sick! That is the only way to stay well. Ok, enough (can you tell I am a RN?) Also, I had a very bad case of this nasty flu and wouldn't wish it on anyone.

We leave in 6 days and I am praying we all stay well. Hopefully, now that we have had it, we have immunity to it and can't get it again (I hope). The baby is staying home with Grandma so I am glad he is NOT going!!!
Stay well everyone!

 

[RMulieri]

I hear you...it is here in PA! Yesterday poor dh was on a flight and was seated near to a man that literally was coughing up a lung and was all sweaty ..The flight attendants tried to get the man to put on a face mask and he got nasty and refused to.So I am sure that whole flight will be bringing the Flu home! I don't care if I get it( I got my seasonal shot already) as long as we get it out of the way BEFORE our trip to WDW in December!

 

[Our 2 Princesses]

Sorry your family is so sick! Everyone is sick around here too!! Between the kids I babysit and my own, I don't think our family has a chance. My oldest dd came home from school today with a fever of 102.5. Don't you just love when school starts? My m-i-l works at our children's hospital and said the e.r. was just packed today with kids wearing masks. UGH!

My dd woke up with a 104.2 degree temp this morning. She was tested and has Type A - probable H1N1. The dr wants our whole family on Tamiflu. I sure hope no on else gets it!

 

[eyor44]

DH is taking DD to the doctor right now. Swine has been going around our schools since they started the beginning of August. Not sure what she has. Fever of 101.6 Monday, gone all day Tuesday. Fever of 100.6 Tuesday night, gone today, but she has a sore throat. Major problem is we will probably have to fly this weekend as MIL was only given 48hours to live. Called the nurse to explain the situation and she worked DD right in. I'm thinking strep though not the flu. Which is going around also.

 

[phins_jazy]

Another North Texan here too. We've got the flu as well. When I talked to the school to tell them my oldest dd would be at school, she said that there were 6 other kids in dd's class that are sick too. And just in time for an overnight field trip. DD was mad that she was going to miss that. And the drs office said they aren't giving tamiflu to anyone who isn't currently in the hospital. So she told me to go to walmart and get something over the counter. We ended up with dayquil.

 

[sahm1000]

I'm another North Texan (north Dallas actually) and the district just sent out an email asking for parents to please keep their children home if they suspect that they are sick since it is spreading so quickly here. I know of two little girls here who have it that got hives as a symptom (along with 7 days of fever so far). They eliminated drugs to make sure it was a symptom and sure enough they decided the h1n1 was to blame for the hives. Their pediatrician said that new symptoms are popping up every day. Fun times! I kind of feel it's like a situation of when not if we will get it. Yuck!

 

[james'mommy]

We're here in NC and I'm sick with the H1N1. I think I got it from volunteering at school. It really sucks.

 

[tinytink]

I just read on a blog of a mother of my daughters former classmate and her son is positive for the N1H1. I am feeling under the weather but I think I am getting better, just a sore throat. I suspect it's from volunteering at the school as well, I am there 5 days a week. My youngest DS tested positive for Strep but no flu, thank goodness.

 

[cheerforchelsea]

My daughter works at a local hospital as a Physical Therapy Assistant so I was not surprized at all when she brought the flu home a little over a week ago. Somehow my DH and I managed to avoid catching it from her. The worst part of the whole thing was that she became was disgnozed with the flu exactly 1 week from her wedding day. With lots of Tamiflu, Vitamin C, and juices she was able to get over the flu in time for her wedding on Friday. Right now she is on a plane to the Bahamas!!!

 

[CastleCreations]

Florida here...I'm just getting over the worse flu of my life. I was so sick. I literally went from the bed to the couch and back again. I've had a raging fever for days. It's just now under 100. I have to work tonight and I'm dreading it. I'm so weak. I didn't do the meds this time. I wanted to go to the emergency room one night, but got into bed and decided if I lived until the morning, I would go...LOL. I lived and decided just to tylenol, advil, water, and chicken soup it up and see what happens. so far, I'm still alive..

 

[stmize]

here in GA too. My kids were diagnosed with the H1N1 flu on Fri. yuck hoping my husband and I miss it