Anywhere else having a swine flu epidemic in your area?

[Celebration]

Good grief, the Children's Hospital here has set up tents outside the ER--seriously. Most people have mild versions, but two people have now died--a popular junior high football player and a realtor who was a Vietnam vet.

Anyway apparently we won't really be making the choice of whether or not to get a swine flu vaccine or not, because I think everyone here will have had it by October.

Oh, yeah, my daughter teaches at a Parents' Day Out and she had 102 degrees fever yesterday.

Be sure to keep your heart meridians and heart chakras strong if you get a fever!!

[MorningGlow]

1. No--no instances of swine flu at all as far as I've heard

One college student died downstate, at Cornell, last week. In the article it said that the university's biggest challenge has been students bringing it here from home.

Mr. MG works for a local HMO, and they just got the notice that all employees--even the likes of him (computer folk) who don't work at the hospital and have no contact with patients or medical staff whatsoever--will be required to have the H1N1 vaccine. If they refuse, they will be fired.

[Kookaburra]

2. Oh, not good

Can they do this?

And what of people who have nasty reactions to the shots (people allergic to eggs, such as myself)? Do they have any legal recourse against the company for basically forcing them to do this?

On edit: One of my friends caught h1n1 flu, and was sick as hell for about 4 days with it, then he was over it. It's nasty, but if you're basically healthy, you'll get through it -- shorter duration than regular flu.

[MorningGlow]

3. Apparently they can--it's a private company

But yes, they are making exceptions for those allergic to eggs. If anybody else wants to object, I suppose they can try it with a note from their doctor, but as the company's an HMO...good luck with that, you know?

Mr. MG is NOT happy. We don't do flu shots in this family.

[OneGrassRoot]

4. What city or state are you in?

Epidemics at local colleges here in NC but I've not seen nor heard of anything such as you describe. Cases, for the most part, mild, and they're encouraging those affected to stay home unless symptoms increase in severity or linger.

[Celebration]

5. here is an article

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/sep/12/hospital-erects-tent-to-handle-swine-flu/

The news of the kid's death motivated parents to take their kids to the ER at the first sniffle, I guess. According to my daughter, everyone is wanting Tamiflu and there may be shortages. With the second death reported today, whew, no telling what will happen here.

Anyway, I would say there is a full blown epidemic here. I'm using Xlear and hoping for the best. I have no idea if my daughter has swine flu or some other virus. I'm checking her heart meridian and other balance things frequently.

[OneGrassRoot]

6. Thanks....

Had to look up what Xlear is. :) (for others who'd never heard of it: http://www.xlear.com/?gclid=CNT_jvLb85wCFQxM5QodcCVutQ)

I have a junior in high school. They're poo-pooing it (as teens do), saying the people they know who've had it had nothing more than cold symptoms.

True enough, I told her, but stressed that it's so important for EVERYONE to try to stay healthy because they all have friends who have conditions they may not may not be aware of that compromises their immune system. I gave her the example of her friend with Crohn's disease and how he could have a real challenge handling this flu. If not for their own health, they need to try to stay healthy out of concern for others.

I'm pushing vitamin D and elderberry but she is so resistant -- STILL -- to taking any vitamins. Probiotics are the extent of what she takes reliably.

[Celebration]

8. Vitamin D

Gosh I found a vitamin D that has 2000 IU per DROP, of all things. I found it at Whole Foods. One drop in the water is all it would take............just sayin'.......

[OneGrassRoot]

11. Reeeeeeeally??????

Can you give me specifics, please, so I can make sure they have it and, if not, they can order it at our local store?

Wow....thanks!!!!!!

:)

[Celebration]

14. now I think I got it at Vitamin Shoppe

Going to look it up--

Here it is

http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.jsp?fromCatId=cat10025&id=CL-1117

Anyway, it is by Carlson.

[Why Syzygy]

16. iherb has it

http://www.iherb.com/Carlson-Labs-Ddrops-Vitamin-D3-2000-IU-10-ml/10364?at=0

Added to shopping list!

[OneGrassRoot]

18. Thanks! Whole Foods has it as well. I just called. :) n/t

[Why Syzygy]

7. GSE (grapefruit seed extract)

Is what I'm using to bolster immunity. Also drinking more pure water and washing hands more often.

I read a brief news report that coughing may be more an indicator than fever in many cases.

[Celebration]

9. she has a cough

no sore throat, no nasal congestion, and, this morning, no fever. It could be the swine flu and she has a bit of natural immunity. She doesn't feel well, but is functioning.

[Why Syzygy]

13. Is she going to work? nt

[Celebration]

19. No! n/t

[Why Syzygy]

21. Good...

better for her to get well for her own sake and the kids. You said "functional", so I didn't know.

[GardeningGal]

10. How are you using it to boost immunity?

I love grapefruit seed extract. I use it to clean my fruits and vegetables, a few drops in water as a rinse after brushing my teeth, and in the dog's water but I'm not familiar with it for boosting immunity.

(Was just thinking I should probably get my neti pot out and add a couple drops to the water there also.)

[Why Syzygy]

12. Add it to water and drink

I've got the NutriBiotic brand and dosage instructions are on the bottle. It can be taken daily for a couple of weeks and then take a break for a couple weeks.

Orally. Adults, mix 5-15 drops of NutriBiotic GSE in a glass of water or juice (5 oz. or more), 1-3 times daily, with or without meals. Children (5 years and older), mix 1-3 drops in a glass of water or juice, 1-2 times daily. Or, use as directed by a healthcare professional. Do not use full strength in mouth.

Throat Gargle. Stir 3 drops of NutriBiotic GSE into a small glass of water (3 oz. or more). Gargle several times. Use as often as needed. Always dilute.

Ear Rinse. Thoroughly mix 3-5 drops of NutriBiotic GSE with 1 oz. of glycerin or alcohol. Apply 1-2 drops of this solution in affected ear 1-2 times daily. Use as often as needed. Do not use full strength in ears.

Nasal Rinse. (adults only) Mix 1 drop of NutriBiotic GSE with 2 oz. of water. Use one full eye dropper of the mixed solution per nostril. Tilt your head backward and release the solution from the dropper into your nose. Swing head forward and down (head is now upside down) to force solution up into nasal passages. Return head to the normal upright position and allow nasal passages to drain. Do not inhale through the nose during this process. Always dilute.

More >

http://www.nutribiotic.com/gse-liquid-concentrate-2oz.html

Dog's water - good idea.

[get the red out]

15. Starting to pop up in schools

Our next door neighbor's granddaughter was sent home from college when her roommate was diagnosed with H1N1, then the granddaughter started feeling ill a few days later. It has been reported in the grade schools and high schools as well. Not an epidemic but showing up more and more.

[Kind of Blue]

17. Yeah, been in my county since the get-go.

21 deaths so far and over 1,000 infected! :(

[SheilaT]

20. I'm in Santa Fe and I'm not aware

of a lot of flu of any kind here.

Keep in mind that the vaccine for H1N1 won't be available until October. Keep also in mind that this is so far a very mild flu, despite the banner headlines about each and every death. The vast majority of those have been in people with some kind of underlying health issue or immune system compromise.

The very best way to boost your immune system is to be exposed to lots of things, catch them and get over them. I never do flu shots, couldn't begin to tell you when I might have last had flu, which would be a guess anyway since I never went to a doctor to be officially diagnosed. Probably a good twenty or more years ago.

I really wonder about all of these supposed diagnoses. What exactly is the test? How long does it take? Or is every single flu-like set of symptoms being assumed to be H1N1?

[Celebration]

24. there are other viruses here

But this is the only flu.....or so I have heard. There are tests. The latest person here to die of the swine flu isn't yet confirmed. But it is obvious that they are close to 100% sure that will be it. He was at home taking care of his flu, and then had to go to ER. Pneumonia I guess?

[Celebration]

26. a sort of answer

We have a clinic at our Walgreen's here. My daughter just went and had some sort of test to see if she had the flu or not. It only distinguishes between flu in general and other viruses, and it comes back very, very quickly. She does not have the flu!! So, no Tamiflu for her. I can't tell you what the test was, though, and it doesn't tell if it is the swine variety of flu, although that is the only kind going around here now.

She had to wait there a couple of hours and was not feeling that good.

[Celebration]

27. MAJOR DISCLAIMER

I just looked on Facebook and my daughter posted a NYT story saying that the test that they do for flu is wrong 50% of the time!!! LOL, I wasn't all that interested in the type of virus she had so didn't look into in further. Of my three daughters, she is the least likely to have looked and found something like this. I gotta give her credit for this, and her, with fever!!

Okay, I have influenced all three of my daughters.

Oh, she has about one degree of fever now, and is still not going to work. So, who knows?

[northernlights]

22. Get Sambucol (elderberry extract proven against flu) nt

[eilen]

23. I'm in Syracuse NY

and I've been sick as a dog. Friday evening I started coughing, then got congestion (nasal), sore throat (mostly d/t cough) and feel headachey, weak, tired-- very fatigued. I ran low grade fevers (99.2-100.6) and broke them constantly. On Monday I went to the Dr. and did not have a fever. He did not seem to think it was H1N1 d/t the absence of fever over 101 degrees and nausea/gi symptoms. My appetite is fair (I eat 3x a day but not very much, mostly a cup of soup). He told me to pick up some mucinex D and take a tylenol or ibuprofen. He also put me out of work for Mon and Tues (today) and told me to see how I feel Wed. I am tired of being sick. I am almost never ill -- don't usually get colds, sometimes an allergy. I don't necessarily feel like I have flu. I had flu before and I was flat on my ass with only energy enough each day to bathe.

My mother thinks it is a variation of the H1N1. The mucninex D (extra strength) and the excedrin combined to make me feel more shaky/week and increase my tiredness. My job will probably be pissed if I take off more time-- however, I don't think it would be good to pass this virus around to other nurses and least of all my patients. But I will probably quit this job anyway once Mercury directs so why kill myself? I am such a people pleaser it is hard to resist denying my own physical state and go in "soldiering on" etc but really, what am I doing this for? It's not like I'll earn a medal, I'll just get more work piled on me while I'm still weak.

What pisses me off is that I just know how I got this-- from my supervisor who showed up Monday as one big body function (cough, congestion, hoarse voice, glassy eyes) assured me she was off to her doctor. She came back 2 days later insisting it was bacterial and she had been on antibiotics for 24 hours and was not contagious. She works in the office and does not do home visits so theoretically she can actually "do her job" -- quality checks without endangering anyone vulnerable.

My mother is down in Nashville, TN and she as well as my brother's family are all down with the same thing. Only the little one--11 year old is running a fever over 100.

[Celebration]

25. why would it be a variation of the H1N1--

And not the real deal?

In any case, I hope you get well soon.

:hug:

Yup, I'd be pissed off too.

I'm sure I will end up with this if my daughter has it. My grandson will get it, etc. I bet I have some immunity though.