Dropping like flies here...........

**WV_mom_of2** · 10-27-2009, 08:01 AM

The kids are dropping like flies here with the flu. At the elementary/middle school my ds attends they had 160 absent yesterday and by lunch another 35 had left with flu symptoms. Ds said he had to go to the office to run an errand for a teacher and all the secretaries, etc. had on face masks. He said it freaked him out to walk in and see them like that. He didn't want to go to school today because he said he doesn't want to get the flu. And my dd tutors at that school for her after school job!

How are things in your area??? Are you taking any precautions to protect yourself? I've been changing the hand towels in the bathrooms every evening after the kids get in and wash their hands. I've also been spraying the doorknobs, light switches, faucets, etc. with Lysol a couple of times of day. And the kids are drinking 100% apple juice with 120% Vitamin C and taking vitamins every day!

**NewLeaf** · 10-27-2009, 10:44 AM

The h1n1 flu is going around in our middle school right now. Last couple of weeks have been bad. My 14 yr old son had a sleep over on Oct. 10 and a Mom sent her son sick (very sick and she knew it). We couldn't get her to answer her phone so the poor kid had to stay here. It turns out that he had h1n1. All 4 of the other boys got sick and one other mom got really sick.

My Dh works at the health dept. and we got our h1n1 shots when the first batch came in. Now there are no vaccines around here at all. I am so thankful we were able to get ours.

I am spraying everything w/Lysol and using wipes on everything. I make my kids wash their hands first thing when they come in from school. I also am giving them vitamins. We are taking Emergence-C.

Our schools have no plans to close.

**NewLeaf** · 10-27-2009, 10:46 AM

Also, sorry to post again. I am trying to shop early in the mornings when there will be less folks out there. And I am trying to keep a stockpile up in case we don't want to get out or can't get out to shop. I am trying to keep "sick foods" like soup, crackers, applesauce and medicines.

**Inkstain82** · 10-27-2009, 10:54 AM

It's having a major effect on the sports playoffs up here. Teams are missing a lot of important players, and you can imagine that is just the talk of a small town when a football game is on the line

So far, no one has had to take drastic measures. They've started skipping post-game handshakes at some events, just in case.

**madhen** · 10-27-2009, 11:45 AM

I don't have kids, but I haven't been hearing from anyone who does that their kids are sick, so it hasn't hit this area...yet!

**IntlMom** · 10-27-2009, 11:45 AM

I have my middle son home with the flu right now...... (the one in the blue hugging me in my avatar)

he has the fever, chills, runny nose, cough, and yesterday we added the diahreha and "barky-asthma" cough.

He has a dr appt in 2 hours

**Libby** · 10-27-2009, 12:05 PM

Not sure what else you can do besides avoiding shaking hands or breathing in someone else's coughy germs if possible. Try to avoid being around sick people if you can. Kinda sounds mean but wise.

I wash my hands as soon as I get in the door, I use hand sanitizer a lot more now and use tissues to open public doors or hit the handicap button with my elbow. Sounds silly I know but its all about germs and surfaces.

Rest up, keep well hydrated, eat a balanced diet - less processed and refined foods/sugars so your body isn't stressed trying to process it.

Traci - I hope your lil has a speedy recovery!

**AmyMCGS** · 10-27-2009, 12:17 PM

It's definitely hit here--- I'm in SW Ohio.

My neighbor's 3 year old and my babysitter's 9 year old have both been confirmed with H1N1 in the past week.

Our school sent home a letter saying that they have changed their sick leave policy--- parents are not to come in and get missed work. Sick students will be given extra days when they return to make up the work. I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing that the office was getting overwhelmed with handing out homework.

My DD is home from school today. She was up a lot during the night with a deep cough and just acts exhausted. I am hoping that by staying home today and getting extra rest she will be able to fight this stuff off better. She is a Type I Diabetic... which is an autoimmune disease... so she is at high risk for the H1N1.

**Daisygirl** · 10-27-2009, 02:59 PM

There are 8 confirmed cases of H1N1 at the high school DD14 goes to.

DD missed the first 3 weeks of school with pneumonia. Then she missed 2 days last week with a sore throat. Many of you may have read about my hissy fit with the school board last week: they threatened to fine me for not sending my child to school.

DD woke up this morning very nauseous with the dry heaves. I sent her back to bed and took herr to school later at 11:30 when she was feeling better.

So then the same school that threatened to fine me for not sending her told her very brusquely that she should not have bothered coming in if she wasn't feeling well.

When I tried to call the pediatrician this morning to see about her nausea, I couldn't get through - the lines were busy for hours. I finally drove over to get on the doctors list of parents to call.

**Sassyclass** · 10-27-2009, 03:39 PM

Well I went to work this morning and ended up leaving at noon to go to the doctor. I still have a light headache but I started having body aches so I figured I better get checked out. When I got to the doctor's office they had a sign on the door that if you had any flu symptoms, they named them, to please put a mask on while waitnig to see the doctor. I was there less than an hour and 8 other people came in and all of them grabbed a mask. Thankfully I don't have the flu, it's just my blasted allergies acting up. It cost me $50 to be told to just make sure I keep taking my asthma and allergy meds.

BTW the flu shot isn't available here, yet.

Cat

QM · 10-27-2009, 03:46 PM

I keep on debating on whether or no my kids and I should get the H1N1 flu shot. I keep flip flopping back and forth...very undecided. Right now I'm leaning towards yes because every other year we've always got the regular flu shot. Why not get the H1N1 flu shot?...other than the fact that it's so new and it's not tested as much. What to do?...What to do?...

**IntlMom** · 10-27-2009, 03:53 PM

Originally Posted by IntlMom

I have my middle son home with the flu right now...... (the one in the blue hugging me in my avatar)

he has the fever, chills, runny nose, cough, and yesterday we added the diahreha and "barky-asthma" cough.

He has a dr appt in 2 hours

Well, back from the doctor.
Yes, it's flu, but nothing "dreadful". The worst part was the cough that started up. His "asthma cough" was really the most difficult part. they gave him some meds in the office and gave m;e instructions on how to use his current asthma breathing meds to use for help with the flu (which, as it turns out, is differnet than the way you use them for his allergy-asthma).

anyway, I haven't given him any motrin or tylonol for about 6 hours and the fever hasn't returned. Maybe we are already on the down side of this thing? frustrating, maybe didn't need to trek him into the dr....oh well, if I hadn't, he'd probably be worse right now (as my luck usually goes!)

**brennasmom** · 10-27-2009, 05:56 PM

I got a call to pick up my 6 year old yesterday with a cough. No fever, just your average cold. I do appreciate the schools being pro-active to minimize the sickness.

**savvy_sniper** · 10-27-2009, 06:31 PM

I only know of two people that have had the swine flu. Both were mild and only lasted a couple of days. Nine people have died in Harris county "officially" from the swine flu.