Frantic Follow Friday

It's been a crazy week here in the Sweet Lollipop Shop and the feeling of going stir crazy is overwhelming. My youngest munchkin came home sick from school on Monday, complaining of a sore throat and cough, with all the insanity with this new flu I decided to keep her off school and as it turns out that was the right thing to do as she got steadily sicker, finally yesterday getting diagnosed with flu (suspected H1N1).

The pedeatrician seem almost irritated by the question of H1N1, it seems that they feel that it's been totally blown out of proportion. She said they don't even test for it unless you're so sick you need to be hospitalized, it's assumed instead that because it's too early for the seasonal flu, that it must be H1N1 and asked me to simply let my daughters school know that she is having flu like symptoms.

The confusing messages that are being sent out I believe simply adds to peoples panic, I have to say at one point yesterday morning I was really at the point where it flashed in my mind "what if she doesn't get better". Her temp was 103, she couldn't eat/drink or keep medicine down and she was so sick I was feeling guilty that I'd thought this whole swine flu craziness was a media hyped nonsense. I honestly had never seen her so sick before and it scared the heck out of me and so I can see clearly where any parent would go to panic mode.

Thankfully today she's done a total turnaround, temperature is back to normal, she's back to talking a mile a minute and bouncing around the house sounding like a croaky frog, the sore throat being the only real noticible symptom remaining and I'm back to realising as the doctor said, H1N1 is just another strain of flu, no better, no worse, just slightly different. Most people will exhibit symptoms for 5 days or so with no long lasting ill effects, just maybe some fatigue for a few weeks afterwards. And yes for some just as with the seasonal flu, it can develop into something much worse and you should be particularly careful if you are in one of those high risk groups.

Want to know the symptoms of the flu? The main ones are sore throat, cough, fever, sore/achy body, nausea, diarreaha, runny nose. Because it's a virus, there isn't a magic medication and tamiflu the doctor explained only shortens the length of time you may experience symptoms and carries it's own risks of side effects and currently is impossible to find anyway.

I hope everyone can stay healthy this coming holiday season.

Have you been affected by the flu/H1N1 virus? Do you have an opinion on the subject? Let me know what you think!