<p>mim - my advice to your D would be to get to the doctor. If she’s a candidate for Tamiflu, they need to see her sooner rather than later, especially since it is given for seasonal as well as H1N1. I too am anxious for the vaccine to be available. It is disheartening that production is slower than they had hoped. My state got about half the doses they were hoping for so far.</p>
<p>Thanks. I talked to her this a.m. while she was still half asleep and she was planning to go to work. She said her only bothersome symptom through the night was chest pain and she didn’t feel sick enough to stay home – same reason she didn’t page the doctor last night. She may be right that it’s a “regular” bug or asthma or being wiped out because she hasn’t been sleeping enough. Still no fever. But I made it very clear that her window of time for Tamiflu will close soon and she agreed if she starts to feel worse that she’ll call the doctor. I think she feels – and my past experience with the flu would bear out – that if it was the H1N1 flu, she would not feel she could get out the door. Obviously, I think she should have stayed home and gone to the doctor, but gone are the days where I make the executive decisions about these things, which sometimes frustrates the heck out of me.</p>
<p>Tell her that the H1N1 attacks the lungs in a more virulent way - for many - than the seasonal flu. My understanding is that it embeds more deeply into the lungs. She should not ignore the chest pain, especially if she is coughing.</p>
<p>mimk6</p>
<p>Don’t you think she should stay home from work? If she does have H1N1 or even another viral illness, she’s potentially very contagious. Not so good for her coworkers or other people with whom she comes in contact, especially pregnant women.</p>
<p>D2 and I both had H1N1, and we both had a cough and sore throat for about 48 hours before the fever spiked. You D really should not expose other people, and get to her doctor for Tamiflu. They might even prescribe over the phone given the current volume of cases and her asthma.</p>
<p>Yes, I think she should stay home from work. Something critical was happening today that no one could step up and do for her, which is why she went. I think if she believed it was H1N1 should would have missed, but she wasn’t convinced. She was going to try to arrange coverage for tomorrow if she still found herself feeling ill. Again, I get to express my opinion, I don’t get to make the decisions anymore and I’m not in her body. She tends to push herself too hard physically, which is probably common with young people who have chronic illnesses – minimizing what their body is telling them so they can get things done. It’s how she got through college. Cartera, I will pass that along.</p>
<p>My daughter’s first symptom: well, she had “a problem with breathing” - but didn’t feel bad, really - just not quite right. When asked to clarify, she just said that if she took a deep breath, she started coughing, and wondered if she was getting sick - couldn’t quite figure out her need to cough, as she didn’t have a cold. The full range of flu symptoms hit the next day. 24 hours after the first call she was diagnosed with H1N1.</p>
<p>Weird – I posted and it didn’t show up. i sent some of these comments to DD in e-mail. Thank you. Ignatius, DD could not figure out why her asthma would flare without a respiratory infection - because usually that is what triggers it. Also, the “just not quite right” and very fatigued feeling. It sounds like a much more gradual onset than one usually experiences with the flu. Whenever I’ve had the flu, in about two hours I go from feeling normal to being unable to get out of bed. Foolishly, I told her that if it was the flu, she’d know it this morning because she’d be that sick – but I guess that is not how it’s necessarily happening. Since she didn’t feel completely horrible, she was lulled into thinking it probably wasn’t H1N1 and that she was well enough to work and I hope she’s right. I guess we’ll know by the end of today or tomorrow. If it was one of my other kids, I’d be less concerned but when your kid’s immune system is deliberately suppressed and asthma is involved and you live in a media-saturated world, it pushes parental buttons.</p>
<p>mimk6 - If she were my daughter I would be worried as well. She has asthma and trouble breathing - time for a trip to a doc - H1N1 or not.
I hope she heeds your advice.</p>
<p>I got a response to the e-mail where I pasted in some of these comments. She said she’d call the doctor at lunch – did not say how she was feeling. I’m sure she only had a moment to check e-mail. JustaMom, she has a protocol for asthma when she’s sick and she began that last night. I’m glad she is going to call the doctor. Of course, since she’s calling at lunch, they will be out. I hope they get back to her in a timely manner.</p>
<p>D had been sick for several days and called to say she had a sinus infection (I’ll spare you the details), and I forced her to go to the health center, wanted her to go yesterday, but she wouldn’t, today she literally could barely get out of bed…had to walk to the health center. Has swine so bad they’ve prescribed a cough syrup she had to walk a mile to get!!! Finally back in her room with her roommate who can now take off her mask. “Take off her mask?” I say. “Yes she’s had the swine for a few days.” </p>
<p>This is an intelligent child? She has a roommate with the swine, but “No, Mom! I"m fine. It’s a CO.O.old.” I’m just glad she’s back in her room and in her PJs. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Okay, update. Yet another indication to us that she probably needs to change doctors.</p>
<p>Reaches the office – calls the specialist who treats her chronic condition and knows her situation best, but whom she’s been thinking of leaving because the office has trouble functioning when something is time-sensitive. She’s told they will take a message. She then says, “Well, will I hear from him today?” They then reveal that no, he’s out today, tomorrow will be the earliest. So she says she must speak to someone today and they agree to get someone to call her back. When the doctor calls, she describes everything – sudden onset of chest pain, cough, fatigue, throat and he says she’s fine and just has a cold and that whatever she does, she shouldn’t take antibiotics. Obviously, he’s the doctor and I am not, but where is the “However, if things get worse, if you get a fever, can’t breathe, etc. call right away” or anything similar to that? So I’m going to assume he’s right until circumstances prove otherwise, I guess, and just stay in touch with her.</p>
<p>^^^^ I don’t think I’d be satisfied with that response. Can she get permission or just GO to the emergency room or an urgent care center if a doc can’t see her in person? </p>
<p>It’s been said over and over - one classic response in this illness is that the virus/cough can often go bacterial and cause pneumonia…and this being most prevalent in young children and young adults. </p>
<p>Tell her that it will be worth a couple of hours of her time to go to an ER (or whatever) to either get treated or rule out and know she is doing the right thing.</p>
<p>She was vaccinated against pneumonia about a month ago (and seasonal flu) – I’m not sure how well that vaccine works. I’m not satisfied, but I think she will need to feel worse before she goes to an ER or pushes her way into another doctor’s office. She doesn’t need permission to go to an ER, but she pays 20% up to her capped amount (which is pretty high) and money is a concern to her. I’m trying to put myself in her shoes. Mom tends to err on the side of caution in medical matters, doctor literally says “you’re fine.” I’m pretty sure whose opinion sounds better. I’m pretty aggravated though. This doctor has never met her and you’d think he’d be a little more cautious just out of self-preservation. However, if she is worse in the next day or two, I will personally get her to a doctor who is on her plan during office hours.</p>
<p>mim - the overwhelming chances are that she will just fine so try not to worry. The doctor is likely factoring in the lack of a fever.</p>
<p>just wondering:
do we know that the bacterial pneumonia involved in the H1N1 complications are pneumococcal in origin?</p>
<p>I think you are right, Cartera. Thanks. I just need to sit tight unless the situation worsens.</p>
<p>mimk6: but we get so good at worrying that it is hard to stop! (I agree with Cartera, too.)</p>
<p>mafool, the teen who was the subject of the 60 Minutes spot got staphylococcal pneumonia.</p>
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<p>I was surprised too, since D was diagnosed this morning and they gave her Tamiflu without her requesting it; she has no underlying conditions. They said it would lessen the length and severity.</p>
<p>This is our first experience with long-distance illness – sooo hard! I’m trying to at least say all the things I’d say if she were here and nag her about fluids etc. Her roomie is also down with it, and the health center told them to get the RA involved to check on them, bring them food from the dining room etc. She misses mom though; I can tell by the number of texts I’ve gotten today.</p>