Okay, so this post will be a RANT... just warning you ahead of time!
Here is the gist... My little girl has the
Swine Flu. YIKES! Right? You would think so, with all the hype this illness has gotten. But let me start at the beginning...
Jasper started feeling yucky yesterday (just a slight cough and some chills) but we didn't worry too much as there are so many colds and stuff going around right now. I decided to keep her home today because she was coughing a bit more and now had a runny nose. By this afternoon, (24 hours later) she was a sick little girl. High fever, sore throat, burning eyes, ears hurt, runny nose, constant coughing. About the time she is starting to worry me, I get a call from my Mother (who is a 1st grade Teacher at Jasper's school). Apparently, a little boy in Jasper's class (whom she plays with all the time) was not TESTED as positive H1N1, but was told by a Dr. that he had it. So, I quickly call the Dr.'s office (it is now 4pm) and am told to bring her right in.
On the way, I start drilling Aric about the facts he knows about H1N1 (I have shied away from all the media hype attached to this "Pandemic" so I know only the scary stuff). He informs me that we may be bringing her in for NOTHING, as they won't treat anyone over 5 years old. WHAT?? Why do they scare people about it so much, if there is nothing they will do?
So, we arrive at the office just as some children wearing masks are leaving, but are not asked to wear one ourselves. Hmmm,... I don't see the point to the masks since they are not really keeping virus'/bacteria out of the air, but am still a little disturbed that we were not asked to do so. She got the test, the Dr. came in with the positive results and said that she would treat Aram with the prophylactic Tamiflu, but not Jasper. URGG!! Let's not treat this obviously sick little girl, but do treat the one that is NOT sick. This is what I was afraid of, but I forestalled her by explaining Jasper's background of being a Preemie with compromised lungs and continuing Asthma. OH, IN THAT CASE... they did in fact treat her with Tamiflu.
Getting the RX was a NIGHTMARE! No one in town has it, the Compounding Pharmacy that makes it doesn't have anyone to do so right now, and finally they find a Pharmacy with 3 bottles left (exactly how much we need). So, off we go to get it.
In the meantime, Aric has to call his work (the La Plata County Jail) because they freak out if anyone is exposed to it, and is told not to come in for 72 hours, and to go get his Flu vaccination immediately. Holy Cow! Overreact much?
So, here is what I am fuming about the most... There are people out there who don't know they have it and do just fine. There are people who know they have it but are told to just treat it like a normal cold or flu. There are a FEW cases where people do indeed get VERY sick and even die but is that enough to justify scaring the whole nation? Just hearing "Swine Flu" or "H1N1 Virus" makes most people panic. Jeesh!
Then on the other hand, why is the protocol so varied from school to school? My Niece's Elementary school will call the parents if there is even a suspected case. Yet, upon finding out that a student in my Daughter's class was told he had it, the Principal's inclination was to cover it up. Don't tell the parents because it is not a Test-verified case.
It is just a good thing my Mom works there, and we found out through her. If my little girl had gotten much sicker I would've been irate that I was not told. In fact I am still irate because in the meantime we have exposed 2 young cousins and an Immunosuppressed Grammie.
Don't parents have a right to know these things? Don't we also have a right to choose treatment? Not everyone is high risk and they should be informed of the dangers of always treating resulting in an immunity to the treatment, but it should STILL be our choice. I am a HUGE fan of Naturopathic medicine, but I also know that Western Medicine is what saved my Daughter's life to begin with. I want an informed choice, not a Media-scared directive... if you please! :)