Hi.

My mom has the flu. She has fever close to 102 which is only just dampened by acetaminophen extra strength. She has nausea.

She has been vaccinated for Influenza A so if she had managed to contract that, it would be much milder. This is not mild. It is not Influenza A. And it is not a cold. So, even though she hasn't been swabbed... that pretty much leaves H1N1... which is going around. She and dad had to go to the doctor's last week - good chance she picked it up in the waiting room.

I'm a bit worried about her. She has a strong immune system in general so she should be ok. But still. My mom hardly ever gets sick and when she does not hardly with fever like this.

I'm a bit worried about dad too although he isn't showing signs for the moment. He has mild COPD i don't know why they didn't consider him in a risk bracket and give him the vaccine but... anyway.

I'm eating a lot of raw garlic i'm not really worried about getting sick. But i'm worried about them.

Please send good thoughts and prayers.
Thanks.

~ waves ~

Dear Waves,

I'm sorry about your mom and I hear your worry about your dad.
'Sending prayers.

Mari

Thank you Mari. Your support means a lot to me.

~ waves ~

Dear Waves,

I know that you have concern for your mother as well as your father.

But I have concern for you as well.
From what I remember and from what I found through a search, it makes sense for you to wash hands often and to clean the surfaces (door knobs, . . . ).

Standard rules about good health apply. Get sleep. Drink water.
See #9 for people who care for children (closest I can find).
http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases...fluqanda.htm#9
Garlic works.

CDC info on caring for someone with H1N1 in your home:
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/homecare/


The most important thing (sorry to sound bossy) for your mom is for you to remember that you are in in a city close to hospitals and major medical facilities. She is going to be ok. She will get better soon. She is sick but she is safe and has access to drs. I had read that people in their 50s and older have some immunity to the H1N1 because of the flu strains that went around the world when they were younger.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...efer=australia
I can hope for her that she will have a mild case.


I saw someone on another board in the US who got the H1N1 and developed Pneumonia. She tried to tough it out at home before checking in with her mdoc. She was even resistant to the first antibiotic they gave her. And because she was bipolar she refused the steroids. Probably she could have worked better with her pdoc and taken a temporary psych med along with the steroids.
My point is that you probably got the warning already from her mdoc about coming back if she gets worse / and or it moves to the lungs.


In the US, -- in general -- people who got very sick with this were children -- not grown ups. Her age can help her.


Mari

Hi Waves,

I nursed my little girl through H1N1, so I know it's frightening.

If your Mom's situation is stable, chances are she'll make a good recovery. However, if she's having any difficulty breathing, seek help ASAP. With your Dad's underlying condition, you might want to consider Tamiflu as a preventative.

The others have given you good advice on avoiding the flu yourself. I would add that your Mom should wear a mask, especially if she's coughing.

Keep us posted.

Thinking of You

Oh waves! I am so sorry your mom has the H1N1 virus, I will keep your family in my thoughts and prayers, hang in there, she'll beat this. Definitely let us know how it's going as this progresses. 102 is kinda high for a fever.

sending some healing evergy and thoughts her way for a speedy recovery.
It is awful being sick.
bizi

Thank you all for your support and feedback and information.

My mother's fever was less pronounced this morning but that is not very telling as she had just literally awoken - a time when it would always be less pronounced - and she took something and went right back to bed. she is having fluids. she doesn't really come near us too much and covers her mouth to cough.

we air out their room and really the whole apt pretty well daily. we only do it once daily because it is BELOW FREEZING and it is bad enough when we change the air once. all the "new" air is really KKKKKKOLD. i truly don't know how people manage in colder climates than this!!! (Like where you live, Hockey!)

i will have to get on top of disinfecting the bathroom daily...

right now i am worried about food. i guess i will have to go out today and get something my dad can/will/will want to eat for the weekend. can't afford to deprive him right now just in case he does get sick. he is a major red meat person and i cannot handle cooking red meat. perhaps i will offer to make a sort of burger-type thing with ground meat for him, which i can deal with. a good time to do them also because doesn't like these but isn't eating right now.

i am thinking of getting some chicken thighs for mom and making her soup - i even happen to have some fresh ginger which will help. even if she just has the broth, the chicken will keep for a few days when maybe she will be better, and that will be a "light" food for her. dad won't eat this dish so i can't just make it for everyone... sigh. i did get mom to have have a tiny potato last night (highly digestible) at least to even out her sodium (she had been just having clear broth - from powdered kind!) so that is tentative plan. of course, that is, hoping i can find chicken thighs and ground meat.

my hair is so dirty i think it will all fall out of my head but i don't know when i can wash it with this cold and also go out. maybe now.

i am very worried about dad catching this because he has mild emphysema, even though he did stop smoking years ago... that doesn't just go away, and when he catches anything nowawdays, it goes straight to his chest. it is upsetting that he could not have the vaccine. or... who knows... maybe the doc didn't remember and my parents didn't remind him about dad's emphysema (they don't really keep charts here... not like in the US.) doc told them they did not need to be vaccinated because they probably had some immunity from the Spanish Flu - as your links say Mari. Dad was just as happy not to get his arm stuck. I will be very unhappy if he catches what mom has. Anyway I will try to go shopping today dunno if he'll want to go with... kinda hope not.

It's frikkin cold, i'm not looking forward to it, but I don't really want him out in it. As it is he might insist. We don't have a situation where we can buy a bunch of stuff and freeze it. izzz complicated to explain.

i heard coughing = mom is awake. i'm going to see if she wants anything and maybe dad will have tea as it is almost 10 am.

thanks again for all your support.

oh... the doc gave an antibiotic - not to use before 4 days have elapsed... i will post more on that after i check on mom etc... because i am very confused. we cannot just "ask for an antiviral" unfortunately... docs do not respond to patients requesting such things here. ok... be back soon.



~ waves ~

i cleaned the tub last night coz i wanted a shower then didn't make it. just now i "traded in" my shower for doing the sink, the mirror the counter and the WC and the floor with all the respective disinfecting detergents and "rinsed" with alcohol instead of water. which removed the nice lemony scent but it's a double whammy germ-wise even though alcohol is not strictly a disinfectant it is a hostile medium to most things. degreaser.

i have more mental energy but my body is not used to doing all this stuff... it feels dumb and maybe it sounds dumb but my lower back really aches and my shoulder joint is sore from touchpad and almost went out doing the tub, and again just now with the floor. i stretched out my back and did some very light lower-ab-strengthening before sleeping last night, but it regularly starts to hurt after i stand or stay in certain positions... hopefully it will shape up soon. but meanwhile i think i need to do things within measure. i have been laid up so long... i am just... not fit.

i am feeling panicky... my thoughts starting to race. what if this how'm i gonna do that... etc. i feel emotionally paralyzed now. there are a couple of shows i sometimes watch on tv late morning (Father Dowling Mysteries, and Diagnosis Murder) ... i think i will watch those soon. feel guilty like i need to do more... do more....

i need to breathe!

speaking of which, i already aired out the house - but for my parents' room as they asleep. kinda wish i'd done it AFTER the alcohol treatment though - ugh. i'll remember that tomorrow.

about the antibiotic:

unless there are clear signs of a secondary bacterial infection, i learned not to take them in the presence of a cold OR flu (1) not helpful against viruses, 2) can engender resistant bacteria, 3) lower natural immune response). so i don't understand the doc giving it "to use if things don't improve in 4 days." i think if things don't improve, or worsen, she should be EVALUATED/swabbed...

but they don't do that! My mom told me something: the ERs were overwhelmed at one point, so they now make everyone with H1N1 sx just stay home and CALL their doc. other family members fetch scripts if given. i suggested to mom she avoid the antibiotic unless her sx change in a manner consistent with bacterial infection. 4 day wait is up Sunday, but Monday am we could call the doc if the situation is murky... who knows... he might even be on vacation then and the other local doc subbing... she might have a different take on things.

i am having trouble looking stuff up right now because it makes me more panicky so if anyone has feedback on this antibiotic business (taking, not taking), i'd really appreciate it. Hockey, you already mentioned an antiviral, which makes more sense to me... but we don't have that option.

anyway... enough said. i will put up my bed now. maybe start ironing another shirt for dad before Father Dowling. i don't even know if i can concentrate on tv. dad is up. i hope he won't insist on going out again. he went yesterday.



HALp.

~ waves ~

i realize i probably sound so infantile.

at another time of my life taking care of the house or shopping was trivial, and "collateral" to working.

now every little chore is a big deal. physically, but then because of that strain, also mentally, because i feel bad that i am so "unfit for my age."

my posts must sound so childish, i mopped the floor, i cleaned the sink. like so what. most of you must do those things thousands of times over without thinking about it especially those of you who have kids.

~ waves ~ feeling like a failure