<p>Yes, The Wackaloons is the most appropriate name for the posters on this thread!!! Just when I thought I was going tom wean myself off of CC, I noticed your edit comments. You are all just…wacky! May I join you? Lol.</p>
<p>lilmom- edit away!
By now this thread has become a reality comic strip about baby boom parents who may not agree on a lot of things, but who support each other, get along.
AMAZING! and GREAT!</p>
<p>Why this special tolerance?!</p>
<p>Could it be the underlying wackalunacy we all have in common?!!!
Could it be that we do not refrain from using humor to dispel the stress??!!
Or the party atmosphere LOL…</p>
<p>Hope the lurkers here do introduce themselves- the more the merrier.</p>
<p>Y’all give me faith in the human race.</p>
<p>I was going to stop coming to CC after the drama of acceptances and commitments too, but y’all are just too much fun. Join us, lurker wackaloons! Fly your wackaloon flag proudly!</p>
<p>How else to deal with
Students and senioritis?
Wackaloons edit</p>
<p>There is some bad news in our area. 24 kids have contracted bacterial meningitis - one has died. I know of one other (a friend of my friend’s daughter) who is running at temp of 113. Please keep these kids and their families in your prayers. (And please get your kids vaccinated.)</p>
<p>RTRmom2 - What area is this? Really bad to have that many kids catch it at once.</p>
<p>RTR mom- I am so sorry. Do you mind sharing the “area”?</p>
<p>Central Michigan - here is a link to the story: [–</a>; Father of CMU student who died from meningitis: ‘I can’t believe something like this would happen’ | Central Michigan Life](<a href=“http://www.cm-life.com/2012/05/11/father-of-cmu-student-who-died-from-meningitis-i-cant-believe-something-like-this-would-happen/]–”>http://www.cm-life.com/2012/05/11/father-of-cmu-student-who-died-from-meningitis-i-cant-believe-something-like-this-would-happen/)</p>
<p>So scary…especially when you read how fast it happened.</p>
<p>Oh how awful. Just tragic.</p>
<p>Can one of you med-types out there explain to me how there are vaccines that prevent bacterial infections? I associate vaccines more with preventing viral infections.</p>
<p>Good question…and I also wonder where did this kid pick it up from? Do some people carry the bacteria but not have an adverse reaction - or is it picked up from the environment somehow?</p>
<p>This is really too close for comfort. We got my son vaccinated about a month ago (for college)…so hopefully he is safe but I think about my daughter (who is 15). So many kids here go to CMU - they would have siblings that are in my daughter’s class. Thinking I should get her vaccinated, too.</p>
<p>Valid questions/concerns. Maybe it should be posted in the cafe if it hasn’t already. I know there are medical professionals who hang out there.</p>
<p>WOW Scarey, thoughts and prayers with those who are ill.</p>
<p>Note to self: Get those vaccinations scheudled NOW!</p>
<p>There are many vaccines for bacterial illnesses as well as viral. </p>
<p>There are three main bacterial meningitis types historically. Note we can say “historically”, which is amazing. Hib, which used to be the most common and used to be the most common cause of deafness in kids. I used to see a lot still during my residency. The Hib vaccine, which appeared around 1991, has virtually gotten rid of that kind of meningitis. </p>
<p>The 2nd most common type was Pneumococcal meningitis. Rarer but badder. Prevnar has decreased the incidence of this type by at least half since its debut around 1997. </p>
<p>The 3rd most common type is Meningococcal meningitis, which targets teens and young adults and people who live in close quarters (dorms, military bases) as well as little kids. Menomune (not used much anymore) and Menactra are decreasing the incidence of this type. The meningitis is bad but the sepsis (overwhelming blood infection) is worse. The worst night of my residency was spent futilely treating and watching a four year old die from this in hours. It’s rare but occurs in clusters and is very fast. </p>
<p>There are rare other types of bacterial meningitis but usually associated with travel/anatomic issues. Viral meningitis is a summer illness and much less dangerous overall. You differentiate the causes by doing a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) and looking at the fluid that surrounds the spinal cord. </p>
<p>Yes yes yes. Get your child now TWO doses of the meningococcal vaccine. Most colleges recommend it, many require it. We did talk about this many pages back as well.</p>
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<p>I’m guessing there are Gen Xers here, too…I am the most ancient of Gen Xers and I’m not the youngest here.</p>
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<p>Thank you for the heads up on this – wasn’t on my radar.</p>
<p>This afternoon in an attempt at feathering the pre-empty nest, I decided to weed a couple of garden beds without being asked while my H was out doing errands. I almost never weed and I get mad at him when he pulls pretty flowering weeds, but in this burst of helpful ambition, I really got into it: wild pansies be gone! Dreams of Cialis commercials dancing in my head. Our garden will bloom, we’ll bathe in side-by-side bathtubs and look out into the abyss, empty nest will be beautiful, etc. etc. and then H comes home and it turns out I weeded a bunch of perennials, specifically yellow primrose, which I thought was lambs ear, which I thought was a weed, but I don’t know if it’s actually a weed either. Anyhoo, H laughed. And I’ll give him a gift certificate to the local nursery for his birthday.</p>
<p>This kind of meningitis is picked up from others who may carry it and not get sick. There are several serotypes of the bacteria, and the vaccines cover most of them but not all. </p>
<p>The vaccine has been around for about ten years, Menactra for about seven. It’s FDA approved for kids 11 and up and you should do two doses now. It will soon be approved for younger kids and there are new vaccines down the pike which cover more serotypes.</p>
<p>All Wackaloon kids should have received one meningococcal vaccine. The recommendation for a second dose may have missed some of our kids who are past the age where they go the doc a lot, but they can all get it before they leave this fall. </p>
<p>DPT, Hib, Prevnar, Menactra, vaccinate against bacterial disease.
Varivax (cpox), Polio, MMR, Hep A and B, Rotateque, Gardisil vaccinate against viral disease.</p>
<p>DS had bacterial meningitis as an infant…scary, scary, scary. Schedule your visit now.</p>
<p>jaylynn: Thank you so much for the information. Very helpful indeed.</p>
<p>Mizzbee: Okay, now I need the recipe for a Stone Sour Amaretto. Sounds like something I would really enjoy! I’ve had the Green Fin wine and found it was quite yummy.</p>
<p>We joke that my son would laughingly win “Best Attendance” since he missed most of first semester! One of his friends told his mom that he likened spotting my ds at school to a yeti sighting-- a tall creature rarely spotted, but makes your day more interesting.</p>
<p>A question about housing: We’re debating what would be best for ds. He’d like to be in a double, but dh and I think it might be better for his health to be in a single. He’s a bit shy and thinks that living in a double would be better for him socially. On the other hand, if he gets sick again, nothing else matters! I’ve already talked to housing and he can be put in a single without any problem. Anybody have any thoughts?</p>
<p>Congrats to glido! I expect you are watching graduation right about now. We have another month to go.</p>
<p>Yes, jaylynn, thanks for the info. All of this is putting me in panic mode before DD leaves early August. So much to do between now and then. Graduation, family vacation, two travel tournaments, two wisdom teeth to be pulled, physical and immunizations, farewell party… Aaahh!</p>
<p>Renee, where’s that beer??</p>
<p>Pacnw - my S has had a singles room in a suite for two years now. He likes how he has privacy and shares a bathroom w/only one student (there are 4 bedrooms and two baths). He did catch colds and flu a couple of times (his real problem is allergies) but I’m sure it was worse in the traditional dorms where they have doubles and even triples. His only regret is the suite/single set up wasn’t conducive to meeting people and making friends easily. He remedied that later in the year by hanging out and studying with his new friends in the dorms.</p>
<p>jaylynn,</p>
<p>I see that MIT recommends one shot. Should I ask the doctor for 2? How far apart should they be administered?</p>
<p>MIT seems to require more than average:</p>
<p>2 MMR
3 Hep B
1 tdap (tdap w/in last 10 years; td within 5 years)
1 Meningococcal
2 Varicella (I think my son had a mild case after his first one, but I bet they’ll still require that he get a second one)</p>
<p>Hey, I was sick for one day and I come here to find I’m 10 pages behind AND I missed cocktail hour! So.not.fair.</p>
<p>MsPearl - So happy you popped in to say “Hi” Hope things are looking up for your family.</p>
<p>Disneygals - Just one week ago, I was in the very same situation. Scared, but thankful.</p>
<p>Kathie and bucasmom - Hope the pups are on the mend.</p>
<p>glido - graduation already… Congrats & Enjoy it.</p>
<p>Renee - Ok, now we are gonna be fast friends. I love me some beer…will definitely check out your blog.</p>
<p>DS finally ordered his tux, just 1 week shy of prom. Now, I can stop nagging him about it.</p>
<p>He also had to do the Stafford loan counselling and sign the promissary note (both online)</p>