Fighting the Swine

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My youngest son, PR, has been sick for at least ten days.  We took him to the doctor over a week ago and they said "it's just a cold-like virus, there's nothing you can do but wait it out."  He's in high school and can't afford to miss a lot of school.  He was home for two days and then went back to classes, football, and baseball practices.

He's coughed his way not so happily through the last week and a half.  Yes, that's right.  My kid has been one of the many people exposing everyone else to his germs.

Two days ago he came home from football and told me he really didn't feel well.  Then he jumped in the shower to erase the football mud and blood.  He came downstairs for dinner a few minutes later and just stared at his food.  If any of you have ever been around teenage boys, you know they never stare at food.  Teen boys inhale food at an alarming rate.  I felt PR's forehead.  He was burning up.  By that time it was 8:00 p.m.  A few minutes later we were headed to a Doc in the Box, better known to some of you as an Urgent Care Medical Facility.

My son, PR, tested positive for H1N1, more commonly known as Swine Flu.  This is our family's second brush with it.  My older son contracted it at his college about a month ago.  Fortunately, my older son was given Tamiflu in the first 24 hours and as a result, he had a relatively mild case.

We are waiting to hear if PR's H1N1 has progressed into pneumonia.  His cough is deep and the doc said his lungs "do not sound good."  They took a chest X-ray and we're waiting for the radiologist's report as I write this.

I know it does no good, but I'm more than a little pissed that PR was misdiagnosed in the first place.  When H1N1 is treated with Tamiflu in the first 48 hours, the illness is much less severe.  H1N1 is much more serious in the under 18 age group than it is for adults.  Now my son is very, very, ill and Tamiflu will do no good.  In addition, the illness very well might have progressed to pneumonia which is not only scary, but also can take months to recover from.

Wouldn't you think, given the media coverage of the H1N1 pandemic, the doctors would be immediately testing for it and not brushing people off with the "it's just a virus" statement?

I woke up yesterday with a sore throat and low grade fever.  Normally I wouldn't consider going to the doctor for such mild symptoms.  However, knowing I've been living with H1N1 germs for ten days now, I made an appointment to get checked.  This was a different doctor than either of the two my son saw.  This doctor said my throat is very inflamed and I "probably" am catching H1N1.  He didn't even order the H1N1 test.  He prescribed me Tamiflu and told me it's "very common" to feel dizzy and sick to your stomach as a side effect of taking Tamiflu.

Do I take it?  So far I only have a sore throat and fever.  Do I want to take medication for an illness I might not even have?  Especially knowing the medication will most likely make me feel sicker than I do now?

On the other hand, someone has to be healthy enough to take care of my son.  I've got a chicken staring at me from the fridge waiting to be made into chicken soup.  Well, it isn't literally staring at me because it no longer has eyes.  It's eyes are with it's head ... some place other than in my refrigerator.

Did I mention I'm really pissed about my son's misdiagnosis?

© Twenty Four At Heart

Comments

[Elaina]

Wow. This really sucks. I'm so sorry to hear about PR. If I were you, I'd take the Tamiflu. I'm not one to jump on stuff like that in most cases. I'd rather not take a pill if I had my choice. But with PR having it, I wouldn't take any chances.

I hope you both will be feeling better soon!! Keep us updated.

[yvonne nc]

Take the Tamiflu. Hope both of you get well soon.

[[email protected]]

I'm with the commenters above. As a nurse, and a mom, we've gotta try and stay healthy to take care of everyone else. The Tamiflu isn't gonna make you feel as bad as you will if you have the flu.
Yeah, it's the respiratory element of H1N1 that can be so scary. Your son is a healthy tough kid and no doubt he'll be fine. But this sucks, especially that it was misdiagnosed. I'm not one to be gung-ho for treatment, but none of us knows how we'll respond to this virus. 2 of my kids are in college and one here in HS, and I'm not hearing about available vaccine yet, but they'll definitely get it if they haven't been infected yet.
Let us know how he's doing; we'll be thinking of you. Hope you're okay with all this weather we're hearing about out there as well.

[Kristan]

Oh hon! That's lousy. I'm so sorry, and I hope your son and you both feel better soon. :\ I'll be thinking good thoughts for y'all, and sending little mental daggers to the bozo who misdiagnosed your son in the first place.

[Jenn in Tenn]

Oh man, that's no fun. I say take the medicine..you gotta take care of your yourself so you can be there for everyone else! I took my daughter to the Dr. a couple weeks back since she had a cough, sore throat and low grade fever over the span of 2-3 days. Plus I had heard through the grapevine that over 100 kids had checked out of her school the previous week. Several of those with "confirmed" cases of Swine. Long story short, she was fine, (just a sinus infection) and I was told that my Dr's office won't even test for H1N1 unless you demand it AND THEN it "probably" won't even be covered by your insurance. Geez, insurance companies....no surprise though, right? Y'all take care.

[Ginger]

I'm furious for you. The doctor absolutely should have ordered that test for swine flu, especially since someone else in the family already had it! Total incompetence!
And as the mother of three ons myself - you're right. They NEVER stare at their Plates! Reason enough right there to call 911! ;)

[Kelly]

Oh I'm sorry hon! Yes, TAKE IT! I'd be mad at the doctor who misdiagnosed too. I hope everyone gets better soon, Pls keep us up to date.

[di]

Ugh.... so sorry your family is going through this. Eat tons of chicken soup and get lots of sleep if possible while caring for your son.

Really sorry to hear this, had said I would not get the shot for this flu but now am considering it strongly.

Hugs,
Di

[Karen]

I would be so pissed. I can't believe they just passed him off the first time you went in. With the way this virus is spreading I can't believe that idiot doctor did that.

This virus is very scarry for me. I have a granddaughter 10 months and a pregnent daughter. I hope the shots come quickly. I usually don't like when a new vacine comes out and everyone jumps to get it, but with the mortality rate in both these groups I am encouraging my daughter to get it for both of them.

I'm with you on not taking medication I don't really need, but under these circumstances I would take it. That way you don't get any worse and you will be able to take care of your son.

I hope he gets over it quickly. Make sure he knows we are wishing him well.

Take care.

[LPC]

This counts as righteous rage in my opinion.

[Jan]

TAKE THE TAMIFLU. I am going to the doctor at the first sign of any kind of fever, in me or anyone in my family, and demanding it. I don't care if it does make me feel dizzy and nauseous - it's better than dead.

[Julie @ Angry Julie Monday]

Ugh....

I saw your tweets yesterday. We are dealing with kid here who has asthma and other issues. We have begun the process with Tylenol and the nebulizer. I'm trying to be pro-active.

But then after I get my kid all drugged up for preschool. I saw one of his friends, with the dark red circles under his eyes, and a barking cough approach him. I give the teacher that look and she pulls the kid away from my son. Oh, and the kid's mom, an attorney, walked right past me on the way in.

I can probably bet money that my son is going to be worse when I pick him up from school today.

[witchypoo]

Trust me, you don't want pneumonia. The chest xray from last week has a giant pool of snot at the bottom of my lung, and even with antibiotics, I'm still coughing. Yuck.

[Michelle Pixie]

I would take the Tamiflu. Like you said someone has to be well enough to take care of your boy and I wouldn't take the chance of getting that sick. I hope that PR feels better soon and that you don't get it quite as severe. Dumb Doctor!

[PsychMamma]

You might want to read this first. Apparently, the effectiveness of Tamiflu is questionable.

http://www.naturalnews.com/027239_vaccines_flu_vaccine_.html

I am so, SO sorry that your son is so sick. That's always incredibly scary. While I can understand your frustration with the doctors, I'd like to GENTLY suggest that if he would have stayed home and rested (instead of normal activities including exhausting football practice), he might have beat it sooner. It's also possible that he didn't have H1N1 @ the start, but exhausted his system to the point where he WAS susceptible to it & caught it at school or football from someone else.

Again, let me stress that I am so SO sorry that your son is sick. It's miserable for kids, and possibly even worse for the parents who worry, so I feel very badly for you too.

I'm sure that it's not easy to keep a teenager home/down, BUT, as a parent of a child (3 y/o) with an extremely compromised immune system, chronic lung disease and asthma, I'd just like to tell you how very hard it is for me to read/hear about parents who send their kids to school in spite of knowing they're sick. This, LITERALLY, puts my child's life at risk.

I hope, hope, HOPE that it's NOT pneumonia. We've been through that with our 3 y/o three times already. I also hope that he's well again very soon and that you can rest and take care of yourself so that you can get well soon too.

Please know that my wish is not to criticize you - what's done is done. I sincerely hope to educate so that my child, and others like her are not put at unnecessary risk as often in the future. The best way to limit the spread of this flu & other illnesses is to STAY HOME & limit contact when we know we're sick. I think every doctor will tell you that the best way to get well quickly is also to stay home and rest, as much as possible.

All best wishes for speedy recoveries

[Twenty Four At Heart]

PsychMamma -

My older son has suffered with SEVERE asthma his entire life and every minor cold has been life threatening. I completely understand what you're saying. We've rushed him to the ER countless times. I felt very similar to how you do when he was 3, 5 ... even 7 years old.

My perspective has changed ... maybe become more realistic as my kids have gotten older. Because, like it or not, people do not stay home from school and/or work and/or stores when they're sick. It just doesn't happen. It may not be RIGHT - but it's reality and I've realized and accepted it as my kids have gotten older. There is no sheltering them from being exposed ... they will be exposed to all sorts of stuff every day ... everywhere they go.

I am in no way minimizing your feelings by saying that. I have been where you are now and fully understand it. When your child is 19 (as my asthmatic son is turning this week) I think you will maybe understand better where I am.

When a dr tells you your kid "just has a cold" you can't keep him locked up for two weeks - you just can't. Your child is still young. The reality is ... the teachers/coaches in high school will crucify your kid for not being there and your child will get so far behind in school they can never get caught up. My son is in all honors classes. The workload is intense. Missing two weeks of school for a "cold" is not even in the realm of possibilities. My son stayed home on a friday and the following monday ... four days (w/the weekend) total of being at home for what the doctor said was just a cold.

No, I do not believe the doc was correct and that it later morphed into H1N1 due to him being exhausted. He has been getting more sleep than normal throughout the entire illness. In talking with 2 doctors recently it is quite clear he had H1N1 symptoms from the start and the doctor simply did not recognize the symptoms for what they were. (We certainly did not either, but we are not medical professionals.) This is a new illness for the doctors too and not all of them are educated as well as they should be on it. I do, completely, believe it would not have become as severe if it had been treated for what it was right from the beginning.

I totally GET what you're saying. In an ideal world ... you are right - no one would ever venture out when ill. Unfortunately, it's not an ideal world.

[Liz C]

Please take the damned Tamiflu! By the time you determine you do (or don't) have H1N1, it will be too late to do you any good.

I have a co-worker in his early 40s in ICU right now because he didn't go get checked and when he did finally get checked (two weeks into his illness) they told him it was pneumonia, gave him antibiotics, and sent him home. He ended up in the ER that weekend, was sent home, and is not in ICU.

Take it! You have to stay healthy for your son.

[Liz C]

Oops... should be "is now in ICU".

[drlori71]

I'm sorry to hear that you and your son are so sick. As a physician I can tell you that it is not always so easy to distinguish between a viral upper respiratory infection (a cold), seasonal influenza and H1N1 influenza. The CDC actually does not recommend routine testing for suspected cases of H1N1. However, that only applies to patients without chronic medical conditions. If your son presented to the doctor within the first 48 hrs with symptoms that met the criteria for H1N1 (fever >100 plus sore throat and/or cough), given his history of asthma, Tamiflu is recommended for someone with a chronic medical condition like asthma. So with that asthma history, I'm a little surprised that the physician wasn't more aggressive in his treatment. The problem with H1N1 is that not all physician are following the same standard of care. (I'm not defending or placing blame on the physician). I hope you and your soon are feeling better soon. (Please tell me that your son was placed on antibiotics for the possible pneumonia)

[Twenty Four At Heart]

Yes, my son has been put on antibiotics now for pneumonia.

[Kari-Mel]

This scares the shit out of me! My son has this God awful deep cough and has been told to stay out of school Mon - today and go back tomorrow but his Zpack (antibiotic) doesn't seem to be touching this. I'm thinking he needs tested AND a chest x-ray but the doctor didn't order either. With my condition and having but one lung to function on the rest of my life, I wonder if I should do something further.

BTW - I saw you this morning on Dr. Phil! I wish I was in CA still so we could have some good old Starbucks and just hang out (when we're both feeling well of course). I just have this feeling we'd hit it off quite well - we seem very much alike in so many ways.

[Jason]

Damn! I am having major medical issues with my high school aged daughter, involving misdiagnosis and then lack of diagnosis. I posted about it today. It's not H1N1, but they don't know what it is. And this has gone on for a MONTH almost. She has missed three weeks of school.

Good luck with this mess.

[stoneskin]

I hope he gets better quickly, and I sympathise. My baby was sort of diagnosed with swine flu. I mean, the doctor suspected it, but over here they have given up testing for it I gather. In the end she was in and out of hospital for close to a week.

[Lo]

uhm, hello? did you pop the doctor that misdiagnosed him? bc that's what i would do. honestly, or... well, honestly i'd probably place a really nasty phone call. i'm not one for face-to-face confrontations.

as for the pill, take it hun. it's better to feel a little craptastic for a day and then be fine, then to REALLY get ill. and then not be able to take it at all bc you passed the 48-hour mark. h1n1 is very frightening to me and i'm doing my best to avoid contact with people, but going to school every day with people who have young kids it's HARD.

i hope PR gets better and that things smooth out. i also hope you feel better asap, and i'm so sorry your awesome fam has to deal with this pig shit! :)

[jennifer, playgroups are no place for children]

I would say yes, take the Tamiflu.

Hope you and your son feel better SOON.

[A Vapid Blonde]

I would totally take the Tamiflu...however I kind of enjy feeling dizzy. So you know take my advice or leave it but wow...two kids with H1N1, I'd be eating everything insight that would boost my immune system. I hope everyone feels better very soon!

[Chris]

This is one of my greatest fears right now! My sons are 12, 10 and 4. The 12-year-old has type 1 diabetes and the 10-year-old is pre-diabetic. H1N1 could potentially be devastating for all the boys, but especially my two oldest. I'm up at 2:00 a.m. dorking around on the computer because my throat hurts, I have a fever [basically, the same symptoms as you] and I'm wondering if I should get checked tomorrow.

I don't know... I think if I were you, I'd strongly consider taking the Tamiflu. I don't judge you, regardless. Keep us posted!

[Sarah]

ARGH. I would be so mad! My little brother just went through the same thing. He's in his mid-twenties, but his lungs have always been a bit soggy, and now he has pneumonia. He can't afford the time off work, either. :( I'm so sorry you and PR having to deal with this crap!

[sometimessophia]

So sorry for you and PR. Hope you're both feeling better.