Here are a few things I have learned about it:
1. It is for real and not just made up.
2. It really can kill people or make you feel like it has about killed you.
3. It also can be fairly mild in adults where you wonder if you really even have it.
4. Little kids, (Grant), can be contagious for up to 10 days. 10 days are a long time to be isolated.
5. There is only so much watching of The Wiggles that a parent (Me) can take.
6. Tamiflu, which I heard could treat Swine Flu, does not work as an antibiotic to get rid of the virus. It can only weaken the virus hopefully causing the duration of the sickness to be shorter and not so severe.
7. Tamiflu is only prescribed within the first 48 hours of getting the Swine flu. Because all it does is weaken the virus, if it is past 48 hours than the virus has already infiltrated your whole body and has done the damage. At that point, you are expected to just tough it out.
8. Tamiflu is very expensive even with insurance.
9. Your child (Grant) could potentially have a fever for up to 7 days in a row. Seven days is a long time for a little guy to have a fever.
10. You will need to start keeping track of the times you have given different medicine (Tylenol and Ibprofen) in an effort to get the fever down.
11. You might not throw up while you have it, although that is one of the possible symptoms, but food definitely loses it's appeal.
12. DRINK, DRINK, DRINK! Let your child drink endless amounts of juice, diluted with water or Pedialyte if he'll let you, just so he will actually drink something and not get dehydrated. If you are the one that is sick, make yourself drink constantly. Drink Water. Drink Gatorade. Eat soup. Just get as much fluid in you as you can. You won't want to drink but MAKE YOURSELF! That is what will eventually help you get rid of the virus.
13. Watch your breathing. The second anything seems off about it such as hard to breath, raspy, etc. call/go to your doctor ASAP. The doctor was pretty insistent on this. Bacterial Pneumonia can set in quickly and that is what can kill you. (Thankfully, all of us are breathing just fine.)
14. Make hand sanitizer your new best friend.
15. It's embarrassing to wear a face mask at the doctors office especially when your breath keeps fogging up your glasses. But definitely worth it.
16. Just because you may have gotten the Swine Flu does not mean you now do not need to get the vaccination. (And no, we had not gotten the vaccination.) And least that's what my doctor said.
17. Doctors are frustrated with this flu because they can't give you very specific definitive answers to all of your questions. They just don't know.
18. I am so thankful for Doctors who may not know it all but still know so much more than me.
19. And most importantly, Heavenly Father hears the prayers of a humble sick mother who can not imagine how she is going to get her little family through this.
Just a reminder that this is just me talking. You can visit places like this for more official facts.
4 comments:
Thank you for this list. Both my kids were diagnosed today. Carson was given the Tamiflu because his symptoms started yesterday, but Alysson’s started 4 days ago so nothing for her. But she was also diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia and on antibiotics for that. Both kids are also on breathing treatments with the nebulizer for the next little bit. We spent over $100 today with co-pays to the doctor, the chest X-ray and medication. It’s so sad to watch your kids be so sick.
Jenny! sounds awefull. If you really are all better we want to come see you guys!
Jenny Barlow! This is NO GOOD! But SO GOOD that you guys are betta! How did you get this nastiness in the first place?
Glad you guys got rid of it, I am grateful for this list, because sometimes I feel like it is just going to hit one day and I wont know what to do. I am glad to know someone who has had it. Miss you! :)
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