A phone call came in from the high school nurse at 9:30 A.M. " I have Mimi here with a very sore throat,and body aches. I need you to pick her up".
Upon my arrival at school, another "nurse" friend informed me that this is how the swine flu starts. "Keep a close eye on her because it can really pick up steam."
On the way home I was thinking "Surely we don't have swine flu? I won't worry until I hear differently."
Mimi seemed sick but normal sick , nothing to worry about. I got her home and tucked her in. A few hours later great complaining came from the sick bed of extreme headache, body aches, chills, and the same sore throat.
I made a quick call to the doctor to ask what the symptoms of Swine Flu are?
" Headache,low grade fever,chills,body aches,and a sore throat".
"We have all of those symptoms" I mentioned in a seemingly apprehensive voice.
"Let's see her today at 5:10. We'll do a quick test for the flu and go from there."
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As we arrived into the examing room a very official looking nurse with a very large Q-tip was waiting for us.
"I just need to get a mucus sample". ......and with that ,all I can say ,is that she clearly invaded some personal space in an up the nose way. I'll go for the blood test anyday.
Great news,however. Mimi doesn't have Swine Flu. She has another virus which is circulating in the high school. It's a virus with many letters and so I've renamed it Hackencough. She will get a little worse before she gets better and will try to lose a lung from coughing but that's ok because it isn't the Swine Flu. Nobody has ever died from Hackencough.
Our doctor informed us that this is the worst August he has ever seen for virus's. He had diagnosed 3 or 4 cases of Swine flu today but says it is appearing in a very mild form here. It's like a normal case of flu so far.
I don't want to minimalize those families who have suffered from the swine flu or lost loved ones due to the swine flu but is it being over hyped? This has also lead me to ask some other questions like: Is the new Swine flu vaccination safe? Has there been enough time to test it? Would one get a case of Swine flu by taking the vaccination? If you've had the swine flu do you still need to take the vaccination?
Our doctors are actively searching out answers to these questions and getting the information to their patients as they find out. It helps us to make informed decisions.
Let me know what you think about the Swine flu and the new vaccination.
Tomorrow we hope will see Mimi feeling better and no one else getting sick. Be well !
