Well, that's what I get, I guess. Our elementary school has had absence rates of 35% and 39% most recently. The "good" news is that they're not all H1N1. Some of them are whooping cough. So far it's just Nathaniel and Todd with the plague. Yesterday, Nathaniel had an appointment with his pediatric GI for an annual liver check up. She lives in our town and had heard about how badly our particular school had been hit. Her response to Nathaniel being so sick was, "He has H1N1. We're not testing. Go home. Be sick. Get better. Call me if he turns yellow. Here's a mask."
(Incidentally, the appointment was at the children's hospital which was so packed that we had to park in the staff parking lot because the parking garages were full to bursting. We walked past the ER, which was a room full of people wearing masks. It's not just our school. Columbus is hit HARD right now with this.)
Happily, my goofy kids, even while sick, do not lose their sense of humor. Here is what Nathaniel did with his dinner last night.
This picture is so pitiful to me. Poor kid. Of course, three of the six people in our house are in the high risk category for H1N1. Two of them have it. I'm the high risk hold out right now, but judging by the response from the specialists of the other two, I don't particularly expect the doctors to care all that much if I do come down with it. It seems that the scary things being said by the CDC and the response of the doctors are rather at odds with each other. That being said, I appreciate the very level headed reactions by all of our doctors.
(According to the CDC, neither Todd nor I should have been within six feet of Nathaniel who should have been quarantined in his room away from everyone else and wearing a mask basically before he started showing symptoms. Yeah. I get the idea behind the recommendations, but I'm not about to let my son be sick without touching him. Sorry.)
Oh, did I mention that it was spread all over the school BEFORE the vaccine arrived in Columbus? And that the vaccine isn't even available yet to the general public?
I don't think the good people of Worthington will be needing that so much now, thanks.
4 comments:
Emilia, can we bring you anything? By the way, I have discovered a few fun meals I can eat that are fat free. I will pass them along.
Nah. I'm fine. And the boys are old enough that life is doable even with sickness. Thanks so much for offering. I'm all ears for the meal ideas, though!
Oh, friend, I am sorry. I do hope everyone gets better soon, and that you stay well. Hopefully, you can follow infectious disease protocol better than I did. Our pediatrician here was not that concerned about the swine flu. He said that the symptoms seem to be milder generally than with the regular seasonal flu. But, our pediatrician did tell me today when I was there for the twins' annuals that they're still recommending that even people who have had the swine flu this time around still get vaccinated against the swine flu (supposedly since the virus can mutate and still hit you in a few months when it comes around again). I'm going to read up about it to figure out if I really want to fight for us to get the swine flu vaccine after all. Good luck with everything! I'm thinking happy thoughts for you.
Wow, what Ann Marie said! (See? I can be succinct, too!) =)
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