Monday, September 7, 2009

Not again... please

So, we survived.
Mostly.
Zach is back at school and almost back to full-strength. Sarah is still battling headaches, though the severity has decreased.
Now all we have to fear is H1N1. I hear that universities are sending sick students home to recuperate.
I'd like to question the fairness wisdom of that medical decision.
My oldest son, a senior at a local university, decided to forgo the misery commeraderie of the dorms and live at home this semester. His daily activities take him from a campus full of germ-ridden young adults, to coffee shops, work, and a myriad of volunteer events, not to mention church on Sundays.
My oldest daughter is a junior at the local pathogen cesspool high school, mingling daily with perhaps even more greatly germ-ridden adolescents, eating her homemade lunch in a cafeteria (really, how often do they wash those tables?), riding a city bus, and hanging out with theater kids, no less.
Youngest daughter, while homeschooled, associates with a much smaller number of people, but generally accompanies me on errands around the city.
Think Walmart, folks.
Dearest husband, of course, not only works in a building with hundreds of other people, but regularly travels to other states, sometimes even breathing the recirculated air on the corporate jet.
There have already been several cases of H1N1 at Zach's school. He's already had a horrible cold, so H1N1 infection is likely only a matter of time.
My question is, if he gets H1N1 and they send him home, does that mean the entire family must stay home until total infection and recuperation are complete? If not, won't the flu spread more quickly to other institutions (another university, a high school, a major seed company, Walmart)?
I had the flu once, years ago.
It was 1997 and I was nearly 8 months pregnant with Melissa. It was early February and my husband had left for a 12-day business trip to Hawaii.
I was home with our then nine-year-old, 7-year-old, and 3-year-old.
Did I mention we also were remodeling the basement?
Yeah.
I'm not bitter.
Anymore.
Anyway, first one son, then the other, came down with the flu. As the oldest began to recover, the youngest fell ill.
It was a fun time.
By the time Michael got home from his trip, not only was I exhausted and even more pregnant, I came down with the flu.
I don't think I've ever been so sick.
I spent nearly a week in bed and darling husband had to miss 5 days of work. I had barely recovered from the flu when I developed a horrible sinus infection.
I have received an annual flu shot ever since, vowing to do all I can to prevent ever being that sick again.
But now, there's this new version.
Oh, I'll get the immunization, as will everyone in my family who is eligible.
But it somehow doesn't seem fair to send what will amount to a typhoid-Mary into my house.
Of course, I wouldn't want Zach to be away at school, lying ill in a dorm room with no one to take care of him.
It's just that the thought of being that sick again, even all these years later, is a little frightening.
At least this time I have friends who'll leave Kleenex and soup on my front doorstep.
Right, guys?

3 comments:

zamozo said...

Of course I'd bring you kleenex and soup. Have you seen the new kleenex with Vicks mentholatum vapo-rub impregnated into the tissues? Impregnated? At least you won't be pregnant this time.

Karen said...

Thank goodness for small favors!!!
You should see my pandemic stockpile now... I have shelves full of food and Kleenex - though definitely not the pregnant ones!!!

Anonymous said...

Ooof. I agree, this is a stressful time and not much sanity among those with "advice" on managing it. I think likely there is still a lot of confusion so that common sense can easily fall by the wayside. I hope that all viruses/bugs stay far away from you and your family.