Sunday, October 25, 2009

The hiney virus

That's what we call H1N1 around here. Starting on Monday morning I came down with the dreaded flu. Remember how I didn't want to wait another minute to fill out a form and get the vaccine when the kids got theirs? Well I should have. I could not even get out of bed all day and all of the next. It was horrible. I was achey, I had chills, I had a high fever and a cough and didn't want to eat anything. I finally went to the doctor on Tuesday and they prescribed me Tamiflu which was supposed to shorten the duration of the flu and the symptoms. It ended up making me throw up so I couldn't even take it. She told me that the fever part only lasts 2-3 days and I should be feeling fine by Friday. Well, she was right- sort of. Mid way through Wednesday my fever was gone and I felt much better, I got up, did some housework and got around ok. Thursday I thought I would be back to normal, but I actually felt a bit worse than I had on Wednesday, but I pushed on, disinfecting and washing sheets, counting my blessing that the kids had come out unscathed. I had literally just pushed send on the email to Camerons teacher telling her I was well enough to chaperone the field trip on Friday when I got a call from the nurse at school telling me Cameron had a fever of 102.7 and was complaining that his belly hurt... I picked him up and took him to the doctor where they confirmed he had the dreaded swine and we were off once again to the pharmacy for some Tamiflu. No sooner had I gotten back into the car an headed home than Jeremy called me to let me know that Mason had a fever as well. I learned that it can take up to 2 weeks for a vaccination to work and that is why my kids were dropping like flies. I knew it was only a matter of time before Gavin got sick as well. So Friday looked bleak and I got hardly any sleep that night because my fever had returned! I felt awful again when I woke up and had to have the nurse call in an antibiotic and a steroid because they were afraid I was getting pneumonia. It was back to bed for me but the great news was that all of the kids were doing fine, no more fever, just arunny nose here and a cough there, so they must have picked up some immunity from their shot, thank heavens! You may be wondering about Jeremy by now, well, I didn't actually see much of him all week, he was so scared to get it from me he mostly just popped his head in to check on me and then left, but what he did do was amazing. He basically worked from home most of the week shuttling the boys to school and soccer, making lunches and dinners, changing diapers and dressing the boys, he was such a help and I am so grateful he was here. Yesterday he even took all the boys with a picnic out in the pouring rain and found them some random coin operated horse for them to ride until they were pooped all the way in the Plains where they escaped the rain for long enough to find a new park that we retuned to today as a whole family. I feel much better today and feel like hopefully I have finally kicked this. I don't think I have ever been so sick in my life so get the vaccine people! Don't learn the hard way like I did.

8 comments:

just jen said...

i am so scared...

connor may have the h1n1, and none of us are vaccinated!

hopefully, it is something else....

glad you are on the mend!

Jones Family said...

I was so sorry to read your post. I'm glad that you are doing better and that the boys are alright. Jeremy is the best! Gordon and I never got it, good thing, because who would take care of the kids! Both girls are going back to school on Monday...after missing a week and a half.

Gina said...

Oh I'm so sorry you have all been sick. And after all that waiting! I'm glad the kids were not as sick. That is good. I'm so glad we got the shots, but it's only been a week- so now I know we're not even fully protected yet. Ah! I'll just keep obsessing with the purell. What else can you do?

Marilee said...

Nooooo! Really glad you are feeling better. I'm just about ready to lock us all in the house until spring!

Corri said...

I'm sorry! I'm glad you're doing a little better now. I'm nervous because I really don't want to get H1N1 while I'm pregnant, but the vaccine is in short supply around here. I'll have to keep looking.

Lynette said...

This flu is NASTY! I'm sooo sorry you were so sick...you poor thing! I hope you are back to 100% soon!

Terri Griffith said...

That sounds aweful! I know ton of people who have already gotten H1N1I am planning to get the vaccine this week, but the supply is very low, The health deptartment only has them available for those in the priority group.

Tami said...

I am so sorry Erica. We had it here, and it wiped us all out for about a week. I feel like I lost a week of my life. I hope that all is well at your home now.