Tuesday, October 20, 2009

If you ever want a vacation...

...just say the words..."swine flu".  So last week actually ended up quite nice.  Kelley tested positive for Influenza A (could possibly have been the swine flu, but they didn't send on for that test) and Strep on Monday.  We started her on the Tamiflu and antibiotics that night.  Tuesday I felt like a total train wreck.  I was exhausted, starting to get a little cough and congestion and a slight fever (101).  So I ran in to get tested.  It came back as negative for Influenza, but they put me on the Tamiflu anyway.  I had the same thing happen to a friend if Richfield, so I get the sense that they aren't really messing around with pregnant women with this.  My pediatrician was also kind enough to prescribe it for Tyler as well, without a test.  He'd been pretty exposed to Kelley and had started running a slight fever (didn't even get up to 100), but he has his history of lung problems and so is considered high risk.  So all three of us had started the Tamiflu by Tuesday night.  Wednesday and Thursday I didn't have any daycare kids and we actually all felt great.  We took the rest of the week to just relax and get some stuff done at home.  We had a few kids here on Friday, but most people were steering really clear of our house.

I felt kind of guilty and started to wonder if we were really sick in the first place, but I think the combination of rest and the quick start of the Tamiflu must have done wonders because the kids that were here on Tuesday ended up with H1N1 for sure (their doc did send out for that test) about 2-3 days after they were here.  So I guess I can take my "sick" vacation guilt free and with gratitude.  Joe still thinks that we all sick in reaction to the flu shot we had received the week before we got sick.  He's very skeptical about those things...

So the question now is do I and Tyler go get the H1N1 vaccine?  We probably had it, but enough to develop immunity?  Really neither of us were sick for a full 24 hours because I got so paranoid after Kelley tested positive and didn't let it get bad before we ran in and got drugs for us too.  Should I try to get Kelley the vaccine too even though she's not high risk?  Plus she actually probably had it last week...  I don't know what to DO!  What do you think?

5 comments:

Anna said...

Ask the Dr? If you've already had it, can it hurt to get the shot?

Andrea said...

I have no answers for you, but what is Tamiflu? We didn't get flu shots, but maybe I should have had the kids get the shots since Zoie's in school now and around all sorts of germs.

Pete & Colleen said...

The protocol is anyone from ages 6 months to 24 years are high risk, no matter what. Anyone who cares for babies 6 months or younger are high risk (infants can't get the shot unless they are at least 6 months old) Pregnant women are high risk. Health care workers are high risk. Any one with a chronic illness (asthma, diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, etc)up to age 64 are high risk. Because of short supply at this point, Pregnant women (they have to have the preservative free kind), children up to 24 years,caregivers of infants under 6 months and health care workers are the target groups.
If you had the flu mist (live virus vaccine) you could get the flu from that. If you got the shot (dead virus vaccine) you can't get the flu from that and it takes about 2 weeks to develop antibodies. Just an FYI for Joey (from MOM) If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there it does make a sound. You cannot get the flu from the flu shot. You may get a slight fever because your body is fighting something, BUT you cannot get the disease.

Pete & Colleen said...

PS I agree with Anna. If you think you've already had it, ask the Doc.

Heather said...

good question. I am debating it myself...