Yesterday, my doctor informed me that I had tested positive for H1N1. This is unsurprising, to say the least because;
- I live in the small town in Delaware where there had already been 33 cases confirmed prior to mine.
- I have two small children that enjoy spreading germs with other small children.
- I enjoy kissing and snuggling my small children, germy as they are.
- University students are equally as germy, but alas, they make good babysitters.
- If there is a God, I'm certain He/She has a good sense of humor and enjoys aiming it in my general direction.
So, as a service to those who might actually be worried about contracting this illness, I decided to write down my experience with the ‘Pandemic Du Jour ‘ although I’ve noticed it’s already going out of style in the media.
It figures, I can’t even be fashionably ill. Oh well.
On Monday, I went to the doctor with a mild fever, scratchy throat, and general tiredness. Normally, I wouldn’t have bothered with the doctor, but I tend to get bronchitis at the drop of a hat and I could already feel a little chest congestion coming on. They did a strep test (which had also been going around) and it came back negative.
Then they gave me this nifty little green wristband and asked to draw some blood.
I waited...and waited... and waited..
Because I’m American and we all know how efficient our private HMO / Greedy Insurance Bastard Health Care system is.
So, long story short, I went home and slept and took prescription pain reliever for body achish fever stuff and the next morning, got a nice phone call from my doctor saying I had tested positive for Influenza A and they were going to test whether or not I had Swine flu. Then he calls in a prescription for Tamiflu and also Levaquin because I had some icky stuff in my lungs. My co-pay for the Tamiflu was $45. Ouch.
Ahh, crud. So I call my kids pediatrician and he tells my husband to bring them in to get tested, etc. and he dutifully drives them there where they are poked, prodded, and also put on Tamiflu as a precaution since they both are showing mild symptoms.
My husband, sniffling as well, refuses testing and insists on remaining in the great state of denial, which is his prerogative.
And we are told to stay in our house. For 7 days. Quarantine, bitches!! So my mother in law does a supply run for us, only the essentials like Tissues, and foodstuff, and coffee. The latter being the most important, of course.
My daughter: "Mommy, are we going to turn into pigs?"
Me: "We have Ice Cream and Oreos here, so yes, baby. We are."
A phone call yesterday confirmed me as number 42 (1,242 is probably more like it) to have contracted the illness. And can I tell you? I’m unimpressed. I’ve had head colds worse than this. The three year old is snotty, the seven year old is only a little achy, and I don’t think they’re even going to bother trying to confirm their tests at this point.
Other than the body achy stuff, it’s generally pretty mild, so I proceed in disinfecting everything in my house. I'm cleaning crap I had forgotten I even had. By the end of the afternoon, my three year old is moved to do her 'Mommy imitation'.
So, in honor of this novel illness, I cooked up some bacon this morning and we are going to watch a nice line up on TV: Babe, Charlotte’s Web, Oliva, Peppa Pig, Rush Limbaugh. Nothing but pigs!
Even though I feel pretty good, I'm obeying the quarantine, not because I feel terrible, but because my family is fortunate enough to have healthy immune systems and I realize a virus like this could hurt or kill someone who isn't so fortunate. In that regard, I'm taking it seriously.
But... like a lot of other people, I think the panic among healthy people over Swine flu is a bit over hyped. Wash your hands, etc....etc. (Although, I do those things obsessively!) and stay well, but if you get it don’t panic. Just stay home, relax...and pig out.
Obligatory link:
CDC MAP THINGY
Sanitary Kisses and Snorts,
Lolly