H1N1 Lives Here (For Sure)-And We Will Shortly Be Washed Downstream

Was it not just a month ago that I was lamenting about how hot and miserable I was and how I could not wait for winter? This is Gemma's field where she lives all summer. All the horses are tucked into the barn so they don't get washed downstream.


Hallelujah! The remnants from a typhoon in the Pacific is thrashing us vigorously! I have to cross this below to reach the barn. I'd better be getting out my hip waders and a drag line.


And the lonely tricycle is drounding in misery. I can hear it calling, "Won't somebody rescue me?"


And you all know about swine flu? Right? Or do you?


Ella has the flu. Or rather WE have the flu. The compound has been infected through Kindergarten. The joys of Kinder...

Last week, Suzi told me one of the kid in the cousin's class was kept home since she had swine flu.

My first comment to Suzi was, "Well, if Adam has a fever in the next five days we've got it too."

Yesterday Ella and cousin Adam came down with fevers and sniffles and basic aches. Ella was sporting a fever around 102 last night and could not sleep between 1 and 4. She had a fever all day today.

I took Ella in to the Dr today to see if they wanted to give her any Tamiflu since I was sure she had "The Flu" of one kind or another.

Here is how they test for the flu in the Dr's office:

The Dr takes a nasal swab. Dr puts the sample on reader like you would use for a pregnancy test. There are two lines that indicate an infection which will show up on the in-office test. One line indicates Influenza Type A and another denotes Influenza Type B. There is also a control line.

Depending on the amount of virus in a persons system the positive stripe will light up quickly or more slowly or not. Ella's test reflected a strong quick positive response for Influenza Type A.

Dr told us that the H1N1 also causes the test to show a positive result for Influenza Type A, so without further testing in a lab it can not be differentiated whether an infected person has H1N1 or Influenza Type A in the Dr's office.

So, basically if the kid sent home from cousin Adam's Kinder really had H1N1 then we have it too.

Ella took her Tamiflu and is in bed sleeping now. I think I will too soon be sleeping after my three hour stint with her last night in the wee hours.

(Oops. I spoke too soon. Check off vomiting in the list of symptoms that Ella now is exhibiting. That was fun cleaning up...)

Public Service Announcement: If you suspect you have the flu, the Tamiflu does not work after 48 hours from the onset of flu symptoms. The Tamiflu must be taken in the first 24 t0 48 hours to have an effect.

With a storm pounding and virus's raging, winter is already claiming us as it's own. See isn't a change of season just wonderful!

Post Script 10/15: We are working on four days of a fluctuating fever between 101 and 103 AND an ear infection. Ella is really getting hit hard. I have no doubt about which flu this is. Swine flu is on the loose in our area for sure!