Oink, oink

[scoutldr]

Well, I knew it would happen. SWMBO, the school nurse, is down hard with swine flu...oops, I mean "Novel H1N1 flu"...don't want to hurt the pork industry, dontcha know. Woke up yesterday with a sore throat and temp rose steadily through the day to 102. Dr confirmed and prescribed Tamiflu. Just in time for #2 son's wedding this weekend and Friday rehearsal dinner that we (I mean, ME) are hosting. A special thanks to all those parents whose kids were sick with 101 fevers, but put them on the bus anyway, hoping no one would notice. Really appreciate it. Put her and her 78 year old mother with severe COPD at risk, not to mention ruining my son's wedding. But at least they didn't miss a day of work and made someone else deal with their sick kid. Did I mention my wife doesn't have any sick leave, because she's always having to take her mother to the Dr. Of course, H1N1 shots aren't available. One location had people lining up at 12:30 am for a 9-12 am clinic...then at 10 am, they ran out of the 200 doses they had available. Talk about some pissed off people.

[gcnphkr]

Of course the school absence policy might have a little to do with the little vectors coming to school.

 

They actually tested for it? It generally takes 1-5 days to get results and many MDs are just giving the Tamiflu -- although it is only really effective if given before you are symptomatic. Hopefully you got a Rx as well.

 

(jet makes a note to check his Tamiflu supply and get it restocked while it is still available)

[Lisabob]

I'm sorry to hear your wife is sick, scoutldr. I wish her a speedy recovery, and wish you and the rest of your family good health too.

 

My son's school has asked that any potentially sick kids not come to class. I work in a university and have asked the same of all my students. On the other hand, some of my son's teachers have such ridiculous make-up policies that missing a day of school on the mere suspicion of illness would be problematic. Doctors in our area are (by and large) not actually testing to confirm H1N1 any more. A large percentage of my own students lack health insurance and don't want to or cannot pay $60 to visit the campus health clinic where they'll be told that they probably have the flu that tests are not being performed. And not remarkably, large percentages of my students missed their first round of exams, claiming swine flu as the reason. Some of them are probably actually sick.

 

I do think teachers, school nurses, and others who come into contact with vulnerable populations ought to be included in the early rounds of vaccinations, but what are we going to do. THere simply isn't enough vaccine to go around at this point in time.

 

Again, I wish you and your family well. From your other posts, it has been evident that there's a lot of stress going on these days. I hope you'll be able to find the way to soak in the joy of your son's wedding, despite these challenging times.

 

 

 

 

[scoutldr]

Thanks, Lisa. The Doc did a "rapid flu test" and a strep test, since she had "the worst sore throat I've ever had". Flu test was positive, and they are not doing further serotyping, because it's ALL H1N1 right now. The regular flu has not showed up yet. He did say if anyone else in the house gets sick to just stay home and NOT go to the Dr. They are doing vaccinations in the schools, but hers is the last on the list...some 3 weeks away. It will probably be too late by then, because her clinic has been full every day this week. I really don't understand the sudden shortage in vaccine...just a few weeks ago we were being told there was plenty and not to worry...

 

We had the same publicity (and absence policy) here...if you're sick, stay home and don't go back until you are fever-free for 24 hrs without meds. But some people just will NOT do it. Some of the kids never make it to the classroom...get off the bus and go straight to the clinic with a fever. I don't know if it's stupidity, or cluelessness, or they just don't care. I suspect all three. I just don't get it.

 

She swears she will be at the wedding come hell or high water...we'll see. We may all be wearing masks in the wedding pictures...talk about memories! Thanks for all the good wishes...and keep up the hand-washing and sneeze etiquette!(This message has been edited by scoutldr)

[Basementdweller]

The wife and daughter have both already had the dreaded H1N1. Somehow my son and I avoided it.

 

It takes about 2 weeks to be completely free of symptoms. Head ache, sore throat, dry cough, lots of mucus, temperature, and body aches. No diarrhea or vomiting.

 

They both just toughed it out. Both parked on the couch and slept for 3 days straight.

 

Not much worse than the seasonal flu.

[eisely]

Not enough vaccine? Clearly George Bush's fault. Oh wait, that was last year. I get so confused.

[John-in-KC]

No, it's still his fault. It'll be his fault 7 years and 3 months from now, too.

 

Sigh.

 

Like so many others, Scoutldr, thoughts and prayers for their recovery.

 

Of course, chicken soup is the home-made curative for the flu...

Here's my recipe for home-made chicken soup. You'll need a large Dutch for this.

 

5 lbs chicken parts (I prefer dark meat, so I use leg quarters. Besides, they're inexpensive)

 

Water to cover.

 

Spices as you see fit (my mix is bay leaf, sage, thyme, cumin (just a shake), oregano, basil, parsely, and Mrs Dash table).

 

Bring to the boil. As it comes to the boil, remove scum.

 

Lower heat and simmer 2 hours. After 1 hour if you like, add diced carrots and celery.

 

At the end of simmer time, remove the chicken, remove skin, and debone.

 

At this point, remove the stock to a smaller pot and remove grease cooked out.

 

Return stock and chicken to Dutch, bring back to boil. Add commercial chicken broth as needed for the level of soupiness you like.

 

Add egg noodles (I use a noodle about the same size as angel hair pasta) and cook until noodles are soft per package directions.

 

Serve and enjoy.

 

(This message has been edited by John-in-KC)

[Nike]

Sctldr, here's hoping everything goes well for your son's wedding. You can always photoshop the mask(s) out. I would be at my child's wedding come hell or high water, too.

 

John in KC, thanks for the chicken soup recipe. I may try it on the stove this week.

 

So far only our teen has come down with H1N1, probably because he retreated to his cave and stayed there except to eat, mostly chicken soup.

[packsaddle]

I had almost exactly the same thing back in early August. I felt a lot better after a week but it took about 3 weeks to stop hacking my way through every day. But it immunized me for teaching this Fall and I appreciate it.

Scoutldr, I hope she recovers quickly but if it was like mine, she's really not going to be very well for the wedding. In fact she should stay home, perhaps the nicest gift she could give.

I'm sorry it worked out this way for you...but it could be a lot worse.

 

Lisa, Our health center didn't test either until this month. Up to now they've assumed that flu is H1N1. Absence hasn't been much of a problem for my students though.

[scoutldr]

Thanks for the well wishes, everyone. And John, I may try that soup tomorrow...rehearsal is at 1600 with dinner after at a local seafood restaurant, so all I have to do is show up with the checkbook. She's a little better tonight...fever is gone, but the body aches have set in...and real congested. Hope for the best...

[John-in-KC]

As I recall, the health authorities are only testing for swine flu if the "go to Doc or ER" criteria are met. The one I remember most of all in those is sustained high fever.

 

Of course, that's in my neck of the woods. Your health departments can (and probably do) vary.

[Twocubdad]

OneCubSon had it last week and missed three days of school (Monday was teacher conference day). He spent the three days on the sofa in the rec room memorizing all the lines of Godfather III (he already has I and II memorized.) TwoCubSon has missed it so far. Doc says the older you are the less likely to catch it.

 

Troop attendance has been hammered the last two weeks -- probably half of normal. I'm concerned about our upcoming campout with the Webelos IIs. Of course the boys run the program and do all the cooking for the Webelos and it takes a lot of manpower. A Scout was working on his patrol menu by himself and I told him he needed to find the rest of the patrol and work together. "I'm it." he tells me.

 

Bingo on the school attendance problem. OneCubSon (I really need to find another nickname, he's now an Eagle and driving) had a really bad cold last year and trying to be consciencious about it, we kept him home for the whole week he was sick. The school really hammered him with makeup work. Basically, they will let you make up the work, but you're on your own doing it. He's taking a bunch of AP courses, so missing the class discussions and work was a problem. And with after missing another day or two here and there, if he had caught the flu last spring, he would have been looking at summer school.

 

If schools don't want sick kids coming, they really need to rethink their policies.

[frank10]

I hear the best thing to do when some one comes down with swine flu is to put them on a strict diet of tortillas and pancakes.....

 

It may not make them feel any better but at least you can slide them under the door. Just too risky to offer them chicken soup - way too much contact.

[Eamonn]

After being on vacation for a week, I toddled back to work.

Came home feeling not so great, which then became feeling really bad.

Needless to say it was a Wednesday, the day our PCP isn't in his office! I have his cell number, so I called that. Left a message.

Two minutes later he called back.

I explained how bad I was feeling and requested he get me some Tami-flu.

He asked what I was taking?

He didn't seem that impressed when I said honey, lemon and Irish whiskey along with a couple of Tylenol.

He said that there can be some nasty side effects from the Tami-flu and suggested that I try Advil. He also said not to go over board on the whiskey.

I called work telling them that I'd be back in on Friday.

I didn't make it until Tuesday.

I still have a bit of a cough, but nothing that a drop of Jameson can't handle.

Today I was teaching a class and the medical department called asking me to come and get my flu shot (I was on vacation last week.) I toddled in and got my regular flu shot.

I asked if we would be getting the H1N1 shot? The medical department thinks we will sometime in November.

Strange thing was that after being off work and telling anyone that asked that I had the flu. People who as a rule are nice enough to ask "How are you feeling?" Or " Are you feeling better?". Didn't! Instead they asked "Did you have the swine flu? " And then tried to get as far away from me as possible.

This cough is really strange. I don't cough that much at work, but after being home for a while it returns and nothing seems to work except my own home remedy. I'm thinking it might last till spring!

If chicken soup is Jewish penicillin?

I'm not sure what Bushmills Black Bush and Jameson is?

Ea.

[John-in-KC]

I'm not sure what Bushmills Black Bush and Jameson is?

 

Sterilization?