H1N1 ramblings, add yours! - Page 3

[carfreemama]

Thanks for the hug, mama de dos! I try to picture the spring, this thing easing off...We'll get there!

It's weird to have people freaking out other than me. I am on medication and in therapy, thank God.

It doesn't particularly help that both me and my dh work at the local hospital and receive constant updates on everything. Though I must say, I think they're doing a really good job of presenting the "facts" as they know/see them, without adding to the hysteria.

My heart goes out to those who've posted who face increased risks, or who have family who do.

[sunshadow]

I guess what I don't get is why so many people are talking about how sick they are of hearing about it. Well, then stop talking about it. Stop reading threads about it and news about it.

Also, there are more risks than just death. Is it only bad if someone dies? What about the babies born prematurely or the cost of those getting hospitalized and recovering? It seems like a lot of people seem to think they know about it when really they don't. I hope it con't to be very mild, but just because it is doesn't mean that it wasn't ever or isn't still a concern to some people. If we don't take precautions for something such as this, then we risk a lot when it doesn't turn out to be so mild. Then everyone is all up in arms about why we didn't hear more about it.

[Mommyintraining2]

[QUOTE=kathymuggle;14602473]What do I think of H1N1?

I am a little scared. I live in Ontario - there has been 3 youth who have died and that freaks me out. My youngest is prone to respiratory infections.

I am also angry. I am angry that I cannot find real data to help me make a decision - such as how many young people typically die of the flu in Ontario in a year.

OK, found it for you:

http://www.ricn.on.ca/photos/custom/...es/H1N1FAQ.doc

How many children die of seasonal influenza each year in Ontario?

Although it is very unfortunate, on average approximately two to three children under the age of 19 die every year due to seasonal influenza. In 2009, there have been 4 deaths in children ages 19 and under with influenza. The ministry recommends that Ontarians get their seasonal flu shot every year.

[time4another]

My wonderings...

As someone who is newly in a 'high risk' group due to being on immune suppressing medication....

Why is it that those who are "high risk" tend to have the attitude that the public should protect them? Shouldn't we protect ourselves, shouldn't we worry about things like going out in public places, diligently washing hands, and possibly getting the vaccine? It rubs me the wrong way when people are adamant about getting a potentially harmful vaccine, just for the sake of those at high risk. I have felt this way for years. Why risk the future health of your family just for me? (especially if that is the only reason why you are getting it is for me) *yes, I know this is a huge generalization*

Anyway, my immediate family won't be getting the vaccine-I don't think the disease is severe enough to put poisons in the kid's bodies and DH is allergic to eggs. I keep going back and forth about getting H1N1 vaccine. I probably would get it if it was readily available but I am getting irritated to keep calling the doctor's office-only for them to tell me I am not in a high enough risk group or they are out of vaccine. This makes me question getting it all together-I am a huge fan of google flu tracker, and frankly if all these people in the USA are sick/getting sick with H1N1 then what's the point of the vaccine? Clearly it seems that the majority of the US population is labeled "high risk" and I don't see a huge amount of deaths being reported despite that fact.

I went to a H1N1 info session given by the schools here, and it seems that the thing the "people in the know" are worried about the most is services being shut down due to so many people being sick-not that this new flu is that fatal or anything. A local Emergency Agency says the same thing. Pretty sad when you think about the fact that this vaccine has not been sufficiently tested and the fact that that they are most worried about a collapse of services ranging from schools to post offices to groceries. They *estimate* that it could be as long as two weeks. Two weeks versus the rest of (lots) someone's life....

Whew! I had alot to say about that!!! Thanks for letting me vent appropriately...

H

[maxwill129]

Originally Posted by time4another

I went to a H1N1 info session given by the schools here, and it seems that the thing the "people in the know" are worried about the most is services being shut down due to so many people being sick-not that this new flu is that fatal or anything. A local Emergency Agency says the same thing. Pretty sad when you think about the fact that this vaccine has not been sufficiently tested and the fact that that they are most worried about a collapse of services ranging from schools to post offices to groceries. They *estimate* that it could be as long as two weeks. Two weeks versus the rest of (lots) someone's life....

Whew! I had alot to say about that!!! Thanks for letting me vent appropriately...

H

I know a some people that work in hospitals...3 different ones, and they are all saying the same thing- people are coming there because they're scared when they get sick, but aren't sick enought to be coming and they're taking up time and space for the people who really DO need the ER/clinic. However, I think it's partly the media's fault for making this so scary (not that we shouldn't be informed or keep up with what's going on, but we don't need to have have 3 news reports per evening based on it).

[The4OfUs]

We had lab confirmed influenza-A run through our house 2 weeks ago. While it was just a normal illness for us and we all have recovered except for a little residual cough in my DD, I am fully aware that for some people it can get a lot more complicated...and frankly I'm a little tired of people being glib about the fact that it can be a bad scene for many people. Sure, *most* people will come through it with nothing more than fever, chills, maybe some GI problems and congestion/cough..but some won't. And being dismissive of people's concerns seems so...harsh...especially on a site that is normally compassionate, etc. It just bugs me. I realize that much of the fear is based on misinformation, and fear of the unknown, and people want to spread the knowledge they have, but there are ways to do that that don't make the recipient feel like an idiot.

From the medical/health perspective, I HATE that they aren't testing for it anymore in a lot of places, but assuming that any flu is H1N1. It's total BS. Before my daughter was a lab confirmed case of flu A, my son had the same symptoms and was diagnosed with a sinus infection. I have 2 friends who were diagnosed clinically with the flu without lab confirmation, and turned out to have bacterial infections instead...and still in this area, they're doing clinical diagnoses of flu instead of a simple lab test. There are so many misdiagnoses of people who have the flu and are told they have something different, and people assuming they have the flu or even H1N1 when they probably don't. In the end, if you recover fully I realize it doesn't make that much of a difference what you had, but I just like to know what's running through my house, what to watch for, and how to treat whatever it is. Additionally, the assumptions and not testing and paranoia/freak out is making it that much easier to come up with dire numbers when we don't know if in fact half the people who are being told they have the flu actually have it. It's a complete fiasco IMO, and it bugs the hell out of me.

So that's how I feel about it. Having been through the flu (and, I might mention being the only one in the house that didn't get sick, yay garlic/CLO/sinus rinses!) it wasn't any worse than other things we've been through, but we have no complicating factors and I did a lot of reading about immune system support - I can see someone who hasn't had that access or knowledge having a really, really rough time with this flu. And to dismiss that as hysteria feels mean to me. I HATE the way it has been handles by government and the media, but on an individual citizen basis, I have a lot of compassion for people who are scared.

Oh, and every doctor's office in my area asks people with any cough symptoms to wear a mask to prevent transmission of disease. I think if a person is sick and coughing and they go out in public with a mask on, it's pretty considerate of others. : If it's because they have underlying respiratory issues and don't want to chance catching something from someone else, I can understand that too. If they're wearing it because they're scared, well, how is that affecting me and why should I care?

[Marylizah]

Originally Posted by Cristiaz

I think its ridiculous. Obama declared swine flu a "pandemic" but its only killed like 3000ish people. They claim the regular flu kills 36,000 a year! Does this make sense? Stupid nonsense and I can't wait for it to be over.

Sorry, just had to comment on this.

Obama doesn't get to decide what a pandemic is anymore than President Sarkozy (of France) does. The World Health Organization is the org that defines the meaning of the word and alerts governments to potential risks. Let's not blame this on any one political figure, mmmkay?

Re: anxiety: my heart goes out to everyone suffering from it. I'm naturally a pretty anxious person, though not clinically OCD, but this kind of thing totally sends me into freak-out zone. So far in France the vaccine for pregnant women isn't available, and likely won't be until late November, so I'm trying to remind myself that it's a decision I don't have to make yet anyway. Being pregnant definitely has me a lot more worried about complications than I might otherwise be.

[kathymuggle]

[QUOTE=Mommyintraining2;14604469]

Originally Posted by kathymuggle

What do I think of H1N1?



OK, found it for you:

http://www.ricn.on.ca/photos/custom/...es/H1N1FAQ.doc

How many children die of seasonal influenza each year in Ontario?

[SuburbanHippie]

I too have issues with anxiety. I combat my anxiety with knowledge. I don't watch mainstream news (full of garbage). I read everything I can on both sides of the argument (but I rarely believe anything the CDC or any other government agency has to say based on their history of lies and manipulation). I eat well and take supplements. Then I balance it all out in my head. Am I more likely of getting into a car accident today or dying of H1N1? Etc. Then I am able to sleep at night.

From what I've noticed IRL most people that fear this virus, haven't done much researching on the subject and trust their almighty allopathic doctor to lead them to safety. You have to question authority! Buck the system!

[Wild Lupine]

Well, add me to the freak out club.

DD and DS are both high risk, sort of. DD gets wheezy and needs nebulizer treatment with even the slightest cold. DS is FTT and low muscle tone; small colds last forever and have turned into pneumonia because he has a hard time coughing. I have done research, and all of it shows that these conditions make someone more vulnerable to life threatening complications. However, I say they are only 'sort of' high risk, because neither has the specific diagnosis that gives them priority for the vaccine. So they haven't received it yet and our doctor's office cannot tell me when it might be available for them. Next week, next month, next year, they have no idea.

On top of this DD is uninsured. A few months ago our individual insurance plan decided her preexisting conditions made her too expensive to do business with. Our state has a six month waiting period before we can enroll her in CHIPS and we are only half way through that. If she needs emergency treatment, an ER can refuse to treat her unless they think she is about to die, and when they do treat her, the medical bills would bankrupt us.

On the other hand, I do think the media is overblowing this and making people scared who otherwise might not need to be. I refuse to watch mainstream media for this reason, because the facts alone are scary for my family and I don't need the sensationalism of the evening news to keep me up at night any more than I already am.

What I really need is a 'how to protect yourself if you do not or cannot get the vaccine' thread.

[sbgrace]

Originally Posted by onemomentatatime

What I really need is a 'how to protect yourself if you do not or cannot get the vaccine' thread.

You've got so much to be concerned about.
I've got a similar situation in that my kids are in high risk groups as well. I can tell you what I'm doing.
1. both kids have good vitamin D3 levels and the entire family is supplementing. I have good levels and hubby's levels are unkown so he's taking 9,000 IU per day. I'm taking the same dose when I must go anywhere that might expose me. Otherwise I take 5000 IU. Kids are taking 2000 IU per day which is the upper tolerable for kids.
2. drinking green tea
3. eating healthy, prioritizing sleep, etc.
4. Everyone is taking probiotics.

Flu is spread via the air so handwashing and stuff doesn't prevent it unfortunately. My kids aren't going anywhere in public per my son's geneticist. I am doing the same as much as possible. Hubby is our main vector of exposure. He will get the flu vax when it is available here.

If hubby comes down with the flu (or me for that matter) we will be wearing face masks and staying in a room away from the rest of the family. All of us will do high dose vitamin D3 I think. I will strongly consider Tamiflu given our underlying conditions (asthma, immune deficiency, neuromuscular disease, metabolic disorder).

[greenthumb3]

Originally Posted by kathymuggle

Fearmongerring and hype.....hmmm.

Maybe you know something I don't.

I have tried to get numbers to quantify the risk - and I have failed. I do not know whether this flu is more dangerous to youth and healthy people than in previous years, and if so - by how much...and quite frankly I doubt anyone here does either! H1N1 is new, the media has a particular slant - and getting real data to compare is difficult.

_______________

I assume most people on MDC are helpful and supportive and have good intent.

I think it is always a good idea to meet people where they are. Dialogue about it. Ask someone about their fears, ask them what they know or believe about Swine and vaxing, suggesting alternate paths or that they delay vaxing until they have researched as much as they can. This is far more helpful than saying "I am sick of people being so fearful" - which is, frankly, dismisive...even if you think it is true

Have you read Mercola's site and the NVIC? Those are two good places to start.

Those both gave me a start to feeling more "in control" of my fears, to broaden my understanding of the WHOLE picture rather than just the "bad news" regarding the novel H1N1 virus as mainstream media def. made it seem very scary to me. (It only helps them to scare ppl, gets a bigger reaction, so you see a lot of "x number of pregnant women hospitalized" or "x ppl have died"--but not much else to represent the WHOLE picture--that's hype)

CBS did make some headway past the hype. There's a link that SandyMom posted to Mercola's page and it is on there.

[greenthumb3]

Originally Posted by Cristiaz

I think its ridiculous. Obama declared swine flu a "pandemic" but its only killed like 3000ish people. They claim the regular flu kills 36,000 a year! Does this make sense? Stupid nonsense and I can't wait for it to be over.

At this point, I agree, novel H1N1 has been blown out of proportion. In the beginning it was seen as a big potential threat--the amount of serious cases being seen now are NOT what "they" (health organizations) estimated it would be, but who knows what it will be like in a month or two?

That isn't to say that ppls worries and fears are invalid. There is still a lot of concern going around. It isn't an easy thing to understand immediately--I have been researching it myself for months and new info. comes out every other week or so and I have more to consider.

I think the more one knows, the more power one has to act and protect oneself. Education can allay fears, and gives one a sense of personal power.

[FireWithin]

Originally Posted by Cristiaz

I think its ridiculous. Obama declared swine flu a "pandemic" but its only killed like 3000ish people. They claim the regular flu kills 36,000 a year! Does this make sense? Stupid nonsense and I can't wait for it to be over.

The 36,000 a year is a combination of flu and pneumonia, where the vast majority of fatalities are from pneumonia.

[Traceround]

Just wanted to note that I got my h1n1 flu shot today. Because of my health and pregnancy, I was given the version that does not contain either the live virus or thermisol.

All in all it was a good experience (except for the hysterical lady behind me in line, that is).

[GearGirl]

Originally Posted by kathymuggle

How is the fear being overblown hurting you and yours? Are you feeling pressured to vax?

It is odd - but the vax is fairly controversial here and for once I am not the oddball for not vaxing - lots of people are not vaxing for Swine in this area.

Of ocurse, if you do have a real health problem the Swine-fear would be an issues - as I imagine waiting rooms are full of people who do not really need to be there - and are creating longer wait-times for those that do.

I meant the media causing the fear being overblown, not the people afraid - the media doesn't leave us much choice but to be scared or ignore them. I really think I just had it and it was much milder than the regular flu, at least I am hoping I just had it!

[GearGirl]

Originally Posted by GearGirl

I meant the media causing the fear being overblown, not the people afraid - the media doesn't leave us much choice but to be scared or ignore them. I really think I just had it and it was much milder than the regular flu, at least I am hoping I just had it!

Wait, even that doesn't sound right. I think this possible swine flu I'm getting over is causing me to make no sense. What I am trying to say is the media coverage is overblown, causing many of us to be more fearful than we would normally be over illness. And definitely it has caused me personally some pressure to vax, my mom has made numerous calls to my sister about vaxing her son (but not us, hmmm), and my fil called us quite a few times trying to encourage us to get the vax. Thankfully it isn't available here because he couldn't argue with that!

My heart goes out to anyone dealing with an immune compromised loved one because I think that makes it all much scarier/harder to figure out.

[Wild Lupine]

Originally Posted by sbgrace

1. both kids have good vitamin D3 levels and the entire family is supplementing. I have good levels and hubby's levels are unkown so he's taking 9,000 IU per day. I'm taking the same dose when I must go anywhere that might expose me. Otherwise I take 5000 IU. Kids are taking 2000 IU per day which is the upper tolerable for kids.
2. drinking green tea
3. eating healthy, prioritizing sleep, etc.
4. Everyone is taking probiotics.

Thanks for this, and the hugs, I need them! We're going to get vitamin D3 today. There's some prevention advice in the long vaccine thread but I couldn't wade through it to find the main points. This is very helpful.

[kathymuggle]

Originally Posted by onemomentatatime

Thanks for this, and the hugs, I need them! We're going to get vitamin D3 today. There's some prevention advice in the long vaccine thread but I couldn't wade through it to find the main points. This is very helpful.

Check out this thread - it is only two pages long and full of preventative advice!

Kathy

http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1151773

[dessismama]

Originally Posted by Mammo2Sammo

The 36,000 a year is a combination of flu and pneumonia, where the vast majority of fatalities are from pneumonia.

The 36000 a year number is only an estimate. This site has a very detailed discussion about the Monte Carlo statistical methods used to derive this figure:
http://scienceblogs.com/effectmeasur...first_wave.php

I am a pretty anxious person myself, and I am still worried. About my family, about my college students, about my neighbors. I do not think the danger is overblown, I think we do not know a lot about this flu and why it hits some people hard. Just last week a math prof in Utah died from it, and she was described as an avid exerciser and in tip-top health shape. That made me really sad.... or the dead children thread at flutrackers.com.... it makes me cry. So many wonderful young souls lost.