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BY ALLIE DANEMAN
OCTOBER 31, 2009 05:56:53 PM
So I guess I caught some influenza strain..they think it's H1N1but not sure. The only quick test they have isn't very accurate so they just treat you like any other influenza. Supposedly they also think I have pneumonia but that's questionable. They have me on antibiotics and Tamaflu as a precaution and they kept me overnight because my blood pressure was quite low. By this morning I was feeling much better and they released me around lunchtime.
I was in an isolation floor and everyone coming in wore space suits...it was pretty interesting and funny. I called the suits hoover suits because it looked like a vacuum sucking air into a purifier.
I fit the bill of H1N1, it's a flu that comes on fast and strong. I swear when I started feeling drained not more than 3 hours later I was in bed shaking like a leaf with a fever of more than 102, scary actually. Supposedly people are having very high fevers and secondary bacterial infections which is why so many people are dying from this one. Knock on wood I made it through the hardest part and now just need to take it easy for a few days. Supposedly you can be contagious for a week so I'm wearing a mask out in public...I guess people in Woodinville aren't used to seeing them yet :) I'm just taking it easy while the kids and jen go trick or treating.
Otherwise I have calls to make on Monday to get my records out to NIH and various other things. As long as I don't cough in your face all is good...and we found out more info on it from a doc there. Many people have no problem with H1N1...it's just certain people and age groups that get more affected. The fact that I'm not at my strongest point right now is probably why I got it...otherwise I got my flu shot minus the H1N1 vaccine. I probably don't need it know though because I'll have my own antibodies at the end of this. We also found out that the media has made it a frenzy and made it out way worse than it is. The fact that it's active outside of the standard flu season and such a strong influenza strain is the only unique thing about it. So in other words don't worry too much, if you're healthy you'll be fine if you get it, otherwise get the shot and hopefully it'll help. It's not guaranteed just like any flu shot and if the strain mutates the shot is worthless.
More to come...
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