Comments on: Flu’s Blues

By: LCM

LCM — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:18:06 +0000

I am pretty sure both of my girls had the H1N1 this month. I love the keeping them out of school, they are crazy here in Texas about attendance. My 5th grader had to take a math test on her first chapter the day she got back, you know, after having 103 temp for several days….she got an 86 on the quiz over the chapter and then a 55 on the test. We had to have a chat with her teacher about getting a retake. I am just grateful this flu strain showed up a year after we stopped taking chemo. We would’ve had to just take our youngest out of school for the year.

By: Merry Michelle

Merry Michelle — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:45:28 +0000

Oops! That WAS Freudian, I was “definitely” relating to others in my “defiance” of all winter flues.

By: Rose

Rose — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:18:53 +0000

Thank you for writing this! So funny, and I need a laugh as I currently trudge along through a fall filled with all sorts of illnesses.

By: Melissa M.

Melissa M. — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:42:16 +0000

Wonder Woman, Just got more info from my neighbor last night about waiting in that line and she said she stood in that line for 5 hours as well. She said they were chilled and exhausted after waiting for hours in line in the parking garage. Unbelievable!

Merry Michelle, I had to laugh at your Freudian slip. Although I’m sure you could *definitely* relate to standing in line for hours for a shot, you probably did feel *defiant* about it as well.

By: Merry Michelle

Merry Michelle — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:51:48 +0000

I LOVED this post! It was hilarious! (And a nice break from the “How-much-stuff-can-I-rationalize?” themes that have been posted lately). What a great description of trying to get kids vaccinated. Having just waited in a 3 hour line for the H1N1 vaccine a couple weeks ago, I could defiantly relate.

“Mancold” was awesome, too. I guess some behaviors cross many cultures.

By: Marintha

Marintha — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:58:34 +0000

Wonder Woman, My sister told me about that line. People started lining up at 3 am! Crazy!

By: Melissa M.

Melissa M. — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:45:14 +0000

wonder woman, I can’t imagine waiting in line for 5 hours to get a shot! One of my neighbors and her children were there yesterday too. I hope you have a healthy winter!

By: wonder woman

wonder woman — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:30:12 +0000

I was going to suggest looking for “man cold” on youtube, but I see Camille has already mentioned it.

I actually posted today about standing in line for FIVE HOURS to get the H1N1 vaccine yesterday. I live in Utah County, where there are more pregnant women per capita than any other county ANYWHERE, so the line was long. And I’m one of those pregnant women, so I did what I had to do.

By: dalene

dalene — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:34:23 +0000

Love Man Cold.

Hate being sick–and I am always sick the most often.

And because I’ve seen first-hand the devastating effects of polio and mumps, I say yes to the tried and true vaccines (but not all at once). That said, I don’t rush out to get new ones. But I do get a flu shot every year after being hospitalized with double pneumonia the last time I had the actual flu.

Hope you have a healthy winter!

By: Liz C

Liz C — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:48:15 +0000

My brave DH was the sacrificial lamb for our family, and went in for the “swab your brain” flu test on behalf of everyone, because hey, we’re family. We share.

He knows I have a limited sickness compassion window for anyone over about five, so he doesn’t abuse the sympathy and pampering all sickies get around here. But, he also knows that if I’m laying in bed and it’s daytime, I’m really, really, really wanting to die–and then he kicks into Big Dad Mode, and rallies the troops. He also cleans everything with bleach.

On vaccines: my family has the nasty reactions to them, so we’re very, very, very sparse and spread out, and for things like flu, usually don’t get them. But, like a poster above, we did a lot of reading and research, and talked with a lot of people before committing to an unvaccinated family. It means we’re committing to always having one parent home full time, and some periods of self-quarantine, and all that goes with it. So far, the only thing we’ve not avoided has been flu, and even that’s an every-four-years sort of thing.

Right now, we’re doing pretty well; I’m recovering, DH is fighting it but still at work, oldest has a cough but feels fine otherwise, DS is recovered and may die if he doesn’t quit picking on his little sisters, one little girl is getting better, and the other seems to have only a light case. My elbows hurt from holding children for the past week.