Have YOU had Swine Flu?

[Albertan mom]

We leave in 18 days and I am stressing over this H1N1 flu!

Have you had it?
I am looking for first hand experiences, not oh my sisters hairdressers brothers roomate had it!

How did it start? What was the first symptom?

What did you do? Go to Hospital? Did they give you anything?
How long did it last?
Did others in your house get it?

 

[damo]

I haven't had it and don't know of anyone who has. It doesn't seem to be going around yet where I live outside of Toronto.

 

[Subrbnmommy]

Our area was hit pretty hard in June. There was a few confirmed cases at my DD's school (one in her class)but by the time my DD5 got sick they weren't testing unless you needed serious medical help.

So, we're pretty sure she got it. Out of the 18 kids in her class 13 got sick.

It started with aches and pain then moved on to fever (we're talking 103-105 for a few days) with sore throat and cough.

She was sick in total for about 5 days but took about a week longer to get her back to her normal self.

At the same time, I had fever (but not as high) muscle aches, chills, sore throat and cough. I was sick about 3 days.

 

[drag n' fly]

I have not had it but my ds6 came down with it on the last day of school in June. Headaches, very high fever, very lethargic, red eyes. I took him to Childrens Hospital here in Calgary to be tested and they refused to do it because they said "everyone had it" and they were not randomly testing kids. Well I looked at the triage nurse and said I am not leaving this hospital until you test my son. She looked at him and said "there's nothing wrong with him". I then reminded her I was not leaving. We were finally put in a room and he really was not well. She took zero precautions in case ds6 did have it. Five hours later a doctor comes in and turns all the lights on and he was so lethargic he wouldn't open his eyes. She looked at me and said I think we need to test him. So they did and sent him home. It took 5 days from the day he was tested for the results to come back positive. Ds6 has asthma and they still sent him home. Symptoms wise it really seems like a mild case of the flu. As a Mom you just know when your kid needs to go to emerg. The symptoms I gave are the ones to look for. The red eyes is a symptom specific to this flu and is a really good sign though not all kids may get it. Once they suspect you have H1N1 you are on isolation and no one enters or leaves your room without protection. So basically we spent the first part of summer holidays on isolation in our home.

After it was all said and done the doctor exchanged words with the triage nurse on how we were handled. The nurse said in this syrupy 10 year old voice to the docotor "Ooooh are you mad at me". I wanted to kick her in the shins

What a tool she was.....the end!

P.S I forgot to add that ds15 is home with some sort of flu right now and he has severe asthma. He seems to be ok so far. Cough, fever, chills etc. Dd13 had flu symptoms last week and is doing fine now.

 

[c&m]

My DD13 had it on Oct. 2. It had been going through the high schools in Vancouver. She started with a sore throat, cough and moved on to a high fever of 103/104 deg F. She also had achy sore muscles. It only lasted 3 days and she was fine. We took her to the doctor, who didn't test her for H1N1. [As a side note: She said that if everyone who walked in with the flu were tested, it would literally break the medical system.] She said that H1N1 is the only strain of flu outbreak that's currently out there, so most likely it was what we all suspect it was.

It wasn't as severe as I thought it would be. No one else in the household got it from her. But we had quarantined DD13, and sanitized everything she had touched. We also washed our hands till they were cracked and dry.

As for DD10, she got it on Oct. 14. She caught it at school too. Same thing: Sore throat, cough, fever, muscle aches, lasted 3 days.

Honestly, the whole experience wasn't that bad. All the kids I know who have had it had 3 days of feverish hell but none required hospitalization. They were all healthy to begin with though. So if your children are healthy and they get it, take them to the doctor and get out the Tylenol or Motrin or Advil, quarantine them from other children, and ride it out for 3 days.

 

[Alderbrook]

My DS & I were both sick just before thanksgiving (I got sick the friday night before the weekend). I thought it was strep & went to the hospital. They wanted to test for H1N1 but I told them no & that I knew it was strep as I've had strep a million times & I also had no cough. I had pus on my tonsils to they gave me antibiotics. By Sun I was feeling better but my strep ended up turning into a cold which it never has before. I didn't have a cough but I never get a couch when I'm sick.

When i took my son back to school on Tues 50% of the kids weren't there & the teacher wasn't either. When i talked to her on Monday of this week she ended up being hospitalized & they have tested her for H1N1. She has not got the results back yet. If she does test positive I'm can probably be 99% sure that's what we got. My mom has it now but my dad doesn't. Funny thing is, when they vaccinated against a similar strain 20-30 or so years ago (yes swine flu is not new) he remembers getting the vaccine at work.

So if I had it I had slight fever, muscle aches like I've never had before especially in my neck, so tired you could have thought I had mono, sore throat to the point I couldn't eat or sleep for 3 nights plus vomiting. My son had the same symptoms.

Total I was out for about 5 days.

Right now one of the mothers in my sons preschool class said their older child's class at elementary school has 13 students missing, 2 in the hospital. Nothing confirmed yet on what they have.

 

[drag n' fly]

My DD13 had it on Oct. 2. It had been going through the high schools in Vancouver. She started with a sore throat, cough and moved on to a high fever of 103/104 deg F. She also had achy sore muscles. It only lasted 3 days and she was fine. We took her to the doctor, who didn't test her for H1N1. [As a side note: She said that if everyone who walked in with the flu were tested, it would literally break the medical system.] She said that H1N1 is the only strain of flu outbreak that's currently out there, so most likely it was what we all suspect it was.

It wasn't as severe as I thought it would be. No one else in the household got it from her. But we had quarantined DD13, and sanitized everything she had touched. We also washed our hands till they were cracked and dry.

As for DD10, she got it on Oct. 14. She caught it at school too. Same thing: Sore throat, cough, fever, muscle aches, lasted 3 days.

Honestly, the whole experience wasn't that bad. All the kids I know who have had it had 3 days of feverish hell but none required hospitalization. They were all healthy to begin with though. So if your children are healthy and they get it, take them to the doctor and get out the Tylenol or Motrin or Advil, quarantine them from other children, and ride it out for 3 days.

It is important to not overreact. But it is also equally important to not underreact either. Ds6 became so lethargic he was not waking up. That combined with the fact he had asthma warranted a trip to ER. I certainly never felt I was taxing the health system because of my request. People with confirmed cases of H1N1 are contagious to other people within the first 72 hours of the onset of symptoms and must be isolated for a full seven days.

 

[Calgary DISHeads]

I am so worried about this for our trip at Christmas, especially the flights and the fact that we are exposed to people from all over the world (not enough obviously for me to cancel it though . The fact that we are so helpless against it and you have no idea how seriously it will hit you is what really scares me.

 

[Canadamom]

Hi Albertan mom! We leave in 18 days too! And the same question has concerned me. My son was sick over the weekend and we kept him home from school on Monday (flu-like symptoms and temp.). 5 kids were missing from his class that day. Yesterday it was up to 7. Haven't heard yet about today but there's definitely illnesses going around. Stay healthy everybody and happy travels!

 

[Canadamom]

Oops...sorry...you were looking for first-hand experiences and I'm not sure my son even had it. I was just so excited to see that someone else gets to leave in 18 days as well!

 

[chasbos]

My family could have had the swine flu and I would never know it. It is the flu and we have never, ever gone to the doctor for the flu. It is something that most healthy people recover from after a few awful days of being sick.

Why the need to get tested for it?? There is no magic cure for it - it takes time to run its course.

 

[Albertan mom]

Thanks for all your replies. It is scary how quick it hits. To think we can be walking along the Magic Kingdom, and then a few hours later be sick in bed for days is too depressing!!
And how to quarantine the sick person in a small Pop Century room!!??

I am just praying that nobody gets it in WDW!

 

[snickerboo]

Albertanmom, we are off to DL California in 12 days and I am just as nervous as you are! The middle school here is full of a flu-like illness. I am reminding my two kids constantly to wash/sanitize their hands regularly at school. So far, no sickies here. I just want to get through the trip. Dd has asthma as well and qualifies for the immunization clinic to take place here next Wednesday, but she's 9 so she'll get the half dose and not have immunity for about a month later, after the second dose takes full effect. Dh is refusing to get trip insurance which I think is assinine since this is a trip that could be cancelled if we get swine flu. Meanwhile I'm shopping the various sites for trip insurance and I'm forcing him to buy medical insurance just in case.

Anti-flu vibes for all of us heading to WDW/DL soon!!!!

 

[iluveeyore]

My DD14 is home sick today with a headache, slight fever and stomach pain, plus sore throat, cough and stuffy nose. She had a sore throat a couple of days ago, but no other symptoms. I'm keeping her home tomorrow too just in case. I've had a headache for three straight days and been very tired, but no other symptoms (thinking it's just stress). The two of us leave in 11 sleeps, and I hope it's all clear by then.
Can you get it again once you've had it?? I'm hoping that since DD is sick now, she'll be fine when we go, but if it's being passed around at school, I'm scared to let her go back next week!

 

[CanadianPaco]

I'm home with DD right now who has had the flu since Monday. Headache, then tiredness and body aches, then fever and cough. She is still battling the fever and cough along with cold symptoms... I work in Public Health and know that she wouldn't be tested even if I took her to the doctor. Rest, fluids and advil... and time. GL.

 

[slg]

I work at the University of Victoria in BC and we had a nurse come and talk to us about swine flu. The big determining factor on swine flu versus a cold is that it has sudden onset of symptoms. Having a headache and a stuffy nose or sore throat for a few days, is NOT the swine flu, it is a regular cold. And colds can also make us tired, cough, feverish (slightly) and achy. But the feeling of being hit by a mac truck with very little notice is the flu.

Lots of folks are over-reacting and calling severe colds the swine flu, but in fact, colds are all over the place at this time of year. If you have been feeling poorly for a few days, then don't worry, its just a cold! Of course, cold lower your immune system making you more susceptible to colds, so the best thing is to stay hydrated, and rest.

The minute I can I'm having a flu shot. I have 3 kids in 3 schools, and I work at a theatre department in a university. Its not if, but when I'm going to get it! We have a trip to DL in Dec. and I don't want to have to cancel it!

 

[drag n' fly]

I'm home with DD right now who has had the flu since Monday. Headache, then tiredness and body aches, then fever and cough. She is still battling the fever and cough along with cold symptoms... I work in Public Health and know that she wouldn't be tested even if I took her to the doctor. Rest, fluids and advil... and time. GL.

That is the way it is here to. If you are not comprmised in any way and are managing the symptoms fine there is no point in being tested. In fact they do not even want to see you at the doctors office so you wont make anyone else sick. In the beginning when what seemed were normally healthy people dropping dead from it I think the testing was being done to confirm pandemic levels? For the most part it is a regular flu there seems to be a select few who need hospitalization. Ds15 (he has severe asthma) is on day 5 today and his cough is breaking up now. Hopefully he will be well enough to go back to school on Monday!

 

[CanadianPaco]

DD's cough is breaking up today and the fever is gone. What a relief!!!! She no longer has the glassy eyed "i"m sick" look! Wishing everyone a speedy recovery!

 

[photomama]

Got this info from my daughter's school and thought I would pass it along:

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible not coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation (ie., rapid reproduction) is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face.

3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above...clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. Not everybody may be good at using a Neti pot, but blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton swabs dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.

5. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C. *If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6. Drink as much warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm

 

[snickerboo]

That's intersting photomama. Not sure if it will work but it's all worth a try. Been doing most fo that except the gargling/nose cleaning.