Beware the Pig...

So much has been going on lately...but all of it has been over shadowed by one simple word.
SWINE.

You've seen the hype. Heard the news reporters tell you "we're all going to die"
But I am happy to report...that's simply not the case. though, you wish it were when it's you suffering from it.

You see, a couple weeks ago my handsome husband came home from work not feeling so hot. He never gets sick, so of course I took notice.
He coughed and slept, but still went to work and after a few days was on the mend again.

A few days later I was down for the count. Last Saturday I went to a family event on the boat, within two hours of coming home I was in bed dying. I remember nothing until I woke up Monday morning.

I had no choice. I had to get out of bed because Chris had to go to work and Gracie had the day off. So I pushed my way through. Even though my lungs still feel like they are on fire every time I cough.

Tuesday, Gracie went to school and I took it easy. I was starting to feel better, but exhausted and weak.

Wednesday Gracie didn't feel well. She stayed home from school that day with what I thought sounded like croup or something. A high pitched barking cough. Not much of a fever. 99, but the cough made her tired so I kept her home.

Thursday I went in to wake Gracie up...see if she was well enough to go to school. She was shivering. I put my hand on her forehead and it felt like fire. I ran and grabbed the thermometer, 103.9.
I told her to get dressed, we were going to the hospital.

I took her to the Navy hospital. She's taken back to a room where we wait, and we wait and we wait. All the while the girl in the next bed behind the curtain is getting juice and blankets and having her blood pressure and temp taken. Gracie...totally ignored. I went outside the curtain on more than once occasion to ask for help, blankets something.

Finally I was fed up. Gracie was hurting so badly and coughing like crazy. She was freezing (from the fever) and dehydrated. I went to the nurses station where one doctor and a nurse were flipping through a Vogue magazine together and told them we were leaving.

They tried to use the "we're really busy and we'll get to her as soon as we can" and while I can understand the Manolo's fall collection is an important topic, my daughters health ranks slightly higher.

I said "obviously you don't think it's the flu because you're not taking this very seriously"
Grabbed Gracie and walked out the door.

I was so upset I was seeing red, actually seeing red!

So I drove back home...almost gave up the whole medical evaluation with the idea that if they weren't taking it seriously, then I must be overreacting. But that nagging little voice in my head said to take her to see someone.

I called our doctor from my cell. No openings for another week and a half.
Urgent Care. Right there in front of me. I pulled in.

Within ten minutes Gracie was back in a room. The doctor came in minutes later. They did the rapid test for the flu....guess what. It's the flu!
They of course sent those results in to the State lab.

Vindicated, I called the Navy hospital. I got our insurance to cover the cost of the Urgent Care visit and informed the hospital that she does indeed have the flu. Way to go guys!

Anyway...the moral of the story, trust your instincts.
This bout of H1N1 didn't effect us like the flu.
We all had a bad cough, but not much of a fever except Gracie that one day. I was sick to my stomach once. That's it. And I think it had to do with all the coughing not nausea.

The biggest symptom...weak and tired. Ever active Gracie wanted nothing but to lay in bed and sleep.
It passes rather quickly. A week or so until you feel like a human again....but it feels like it take years.

The best news of all, we are now immune to at least this strain of H1N1. Yay!