H1N1 Go AWAY....

So we have all heard the recent hype in the media over the H1N1 flu. I seriously feel like it's all that is in the news all day, everyday. I had been debating back & forth about getting our family vaccinated. The pediatrician recommends we all be vaccinated to protect Olivia, since she is not old enough and in the more susceptable group for possible complications should she get it. Well would'nt you know, that Sunday I woke up all stuffy, and with tightness in my chest, from there the symptoms escalated, and quickly, before I knew it I was achy, had a screaming headache and by 5pm had a fever to go with it all. When I woke up the next morning the over the counter meds were not working, and I also had an earache, sore throat, had an extremely painful cough which produced yellow/brown mucous. I took Drew to school, and took myself into the doctor. The doctor examined me and said he would give me an antibiotic, but then at a last thought decided to test me for the H1N1, although he thought it would be negative.... well about 1- minutes later the nurse came back in, said I tested positive and handed me a mask to put on. I just sat there while holding Olivia, thinking "Oh crap, what if the kids get this" the doctor came back in, gave me a script for Tamiflu and asked me to leave out the back door, and call the kids Ped. right away. Since the outbreak in so many states, there is a shortage of the medication so they will not just write everyone in the family a preventative drug like they have done in the past. Long story short they ended up calling in one for Kevin, which was good as he began getting symptoms that day. The kids were both seen, Drew was tested and he was negative, and was diagnosed with an upper respiratory illness and given nasal spray and cough medicine, Olivia checked out well, but was not tested as the test is not always accurate and can provide false negative results, and the docs thought it was to invasive for her. The Ped. recommended the kids stay with an alternate caregiver for 5 days or until I was fever free w/o meds for 24 hours. So lucky for us Kevin's wonderful parents took the kids for us. Boy are we lucky to have them close by and so willing to help.

After about 36 hours on the tamiflu I started feeling some improvement, then finally the fever broke, we cleaned the house, and prepared for the kiddos to come home today. Then at 2:30pm I get a call from Drew's school that he has a fever, so long story short called the Ped. and he is now on the tamiflu... guess it finally made sense to them the fever, coupled with his congestion, cough.. they said we should keep him and Olivia seperated, but it did not seem fair to take one and not the other, and he has been with her at Grandma & Grandpa's anyway, so I guess if she is gonna get it, it's too late.... praying she does not of course though... she has only been home 25 minutes and Kevin has taken her temp 3 times. So all I can say is the media in not lying it is a nasty flu, but the good news is if you can deal until the tamiflu kicks in, about 36 hours, you'll be fine. Still I am praying that none of my friends and family gets it.... I would like to say just wash your hands as much as possible, but seriously I do, and I use hand sanitizer and I still got it, so I really think if you are gonna get it, it's just gonna happen - best of luck!