If the government finds my blog it'll probably shut me down, but I just have to tell you my story.
My employer offered both the Seasonal and H1N1 vaccinations back in 2009, in November and December respectively. I took them up on both considering the amount of sick time I spend over the winter months between my son and I - he likes to drag stuff home and share it with me and my body just loves to suck up whatever it is. He got both of his vaccinations too, with a booster coming up in the beginning of February.
Back on the 7th of January, I had a few stomach problems that left me working from home. By Friday morning, I was miserable with a fever, chills, aches, a sore throat, cough and feeling terrible - enough to call out of work. Monday morning I went into the office and was basically kicked out by those around me. I came home and lived through the afternoon, but the following morning the monkey had a fever and similiar symptoms. Now I got to be sick and be a mom to a sickie. Oh joy. By Wednesday the 13th, I wasn't able to sleep due to the incredible cough and sore throat so we filtered into the doctor's office. She sympathetically told me it was viral and to get some rest, and gave me a prescription for Cheratussen (the stuff with codeine) to help stop the cough and get some sleep at night. It didn't work, and I ended up with a cocktail of my own making - Mucinex and Simply Sleep. It did the trick, at least I was getting a little sleep.
The following week I felt somewhat better, and managed to work from home the best I could (although in a couldy fog). I was still coughing and exhausted, but at least going through the motions. Monkey made it to school most of the week, but with the crazy fevers ranging from 101 down to 97.4 (yes, seriously - in a matter of an hour my temp could drop through the floor) when I sent him to school the nurse would find him and take his temp (Sorry Ms. Allocca, you need to come pick him up) so it wasn't worth it to send him. I called the doctor on Friday to let them know I wasn't feeling much better, they called in a prescription for a Z-pack for me, thinking I had a sinus infection. I picked that up and started the regimen on Saturday morning, bright and early - fingers crossed that all was going to be perfect soon.
I woke up on Monday, trekked into the office and was a little taken back when the people I work with looked at me surprised and told me I still looked terrible. Thanks folks! Spooked by a story of a co-workers friend having Mono, I called the doctor's office again to let them know how I was feeling and she told me to go home and rest to let the antibiotics do their job and to call back in the morning if I wasn't feeling better. No work, no play, do not pass go. Fine, thanks a bunch. The following morning, I felt worse and called to make an appointment. That's when I got the right hook - "well, I believe that the timing of your h1n1 vaccination and when you first got sick shows that you weren't appropriately protected, I believe that you contracted h1n1 and are now experiencing pneumonia as a result. Give the antibiotics a few more days, you aren't quite finished with them yet, and we'll see how you feel after that" I just stared at her blankly - you've got to be kidding me. I really don't remember much more about leaving the office, just going home and making the phone calls to let people know. Pneumonia - that's a new one for me. I wish they had an E-Health like they do an E-Bird so I could add my new illness to my life list. She also said to ship the monkey to school, as long as his only symptom is a mild fever he would be fine. I'm ok with that one! So, my mom came to visit and take care of the house so I could take care of me. Laying on the couch in a sleeping bag with two blankets over me and a 90 pound dog lying in my lap was how I lived for all last week. Fun times. Mom left on Friday, feeling like she didn't do much. If she only knew how much she really did.
So, I wake up today - Monday again. A new month, a new week - let's get this thing going! Nope, I still feel like crap, my car won't start and now the doctor's office might send me for a chest x-ray. I don't even know how I'll get there at this point. The chills are incredible, the light-headedness makes me unstable but my mind wants me to get up and move. It's a hurry up and wait at this point.
I wanted to make sure I told my story - this is craziness. Be prepared people, be careful. If nothing else, I've done some serious back yard birdwatching and was very pleased that the cardinal finally made an appearance. He's been feeding from the ground underneath my feeders farther out, not the close ones like I hope he would. As such, this is the best picture I could get of him! I'm not sure what my animals will think when I do return to work full time, they've been spoiled rotten! Oh well - I'll post more when I know more.
My employer offered both the Seasonal and H1N1 vaccinations back in 2009, in November and December respectively. I took them up on both considering the amount of sick time I spend over the winter months between my son and I - he likes to drag stuff home and share it with me and my body just loves to suck up whatever it is. He got both of his vaccinations too, with a booster coming up in the beginning of February.
Back on the 7th of January, I had a few stomach problems that left me working from home. By Friday morning, I was miserable with a fever, chills, aches, a sore throat, cough and feeling terrible - enough to call out of work. Monday morning I went into the office and was basically kicked out by those around me. I came home and lived through the afternoon, but the following morning the monkey had a fever and similiar symptoms. Now I got to be sick and be a mom to a sickie. Oh joy. By Wednesday the 13th, I wasn't able to sleep due to the incredible cough and sore throat so we filtered into the doctor's office. She sympathetically told me it was viral and to get some rest, and gave me a prescription for Cheratussen (the stuff with codeine) to help stop the cough and get some sleep at night. It didn't work, and I ended up with a cocktail of my own making - Mucinex and Simply Sleep. It did the trick, at least I was getting a little sleep.
The following week I felt somewhat better, and managed to work from home the best I could (although in a couldy fog). I was still coughing and exhausted, but at least going through the motions. Monkey made it to school most of the week, but with the crazy fevers ranging from 101 down to 97.4 (yes, seriously - in a matter of an hour my temp could drop through the floor) when I sent him to school the nurse would find him and take his temp (Sorry Ms. Allocca, you need to come pick him up) so it wasn't worth it to send him. I called the doctor on Friday to let them know I wasn't feeling much better, they called in a prescription for a Z-pack for me, thinking I had a sinus infection. I picked that up and started the regimen on Saturday morning, bright and early - fingers crossed that all was going to be perfect soon.
I woke up on Monday, trekked into the office and was a little taken back when the people I work with looked at me surprised and told me I still looked terrible. Thanks folks! Spooked by a story of a co-workers friend having Mono, I called the doctor's office again to let them know how I was feeling and she told me to go home and rest to let the antibiotics do their job and to call back in the morning if I wasn't feeling better. No work, no play, do not pass go. Fine, thanks a bunch. The following morning, I felt worse and called to make an appointment. That's when I got the right hook - "well, I believe that the timing of your h1n1 vaccination and when you first got sick shows that you weren't appropriately protected, I believe that you contracted h1n1 and are now experiencing pneumonia as a result. Give the antibiotics a few more days, you aren't quite finished with them yet, and we'll see how you feel after that" I just stared at her blankly - you've got to be kidding me. I really don't remember much more about leaving the office, just going home and making the phone calls to let people know. Pneumonia - that's a new one for me. I wish they had an E-Health like they do an E-Bird so I could add my new illness to my life list. She also said to ship the monkey to school, as long as his only symptom is a mild fever he would be fine. I'm ok with that one! So, my mom came to visit and take care of the house so I could take care of me. Laying on the couch in a sleeping bag with two blankets over me and a 90 pound dog lying in my lap was how I lived for all last week. Fun times. Mom left on Friday, feeling like she didn't do much. If she only knew how much she really did.
So, I wake up today - Monday again. A new month, a new week - let's get this thing going! Nope, I still feel like crap, my car won't start and now the doctor's office might send me for a chest x-ray. I don't even know how I'll get there at this point. The chills are incredible, the light-headedness makes me unstable but my mind wants me to get up and move. It's a hurry up and wait at this point.
I wanted to make sure I told my story - this is craziness. Be prepared people, be careful. If nothing else, I've done some serious back yard birdwatching and was very pleased that the cardinal finally made an appearance. He's been feeding from the ground underneath my feeders farther out, not the close ones like I hope he would. As such, this is the best picture I could get of him! I'm not sure what my animals will think when I do return to work full time, they've been spoiled rotten! Oh well - I'll post more when I know more.
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