Here Piggy Piggy

You'd think I'd spent the last month handling swine in asia or something. I have been icky sicky. As a mom, I usually fly through the annual illnesses, but this one has taken hold and won't give up. So, last night, I did what all good Americans are doing and I looked up the symptoms of swine flu. I even watched a video done by the government. Oh my gosh. It made me laugh. I mean, seriously, it didn't help at all. Cough. Body aches. Temperature. Sneezing. Headache. Fatigue. Perhaps vomitting or diarrhea. Ha. Isn't that the flu in general?? It turns out that it's not as big of a deal as people made it. It's the flu. It's just that most of us haven't built up an immunity for it before and so if we are exposed, we are more likely to catch it. Except, ironically enough, ELDERLY people. They were apparently most likely exposed during the last epidemic. But, if your body is sickly or compromised in some way, it can be more serious. Just like any other flu.
I completely expected something more exotic. I mean, where's the fun in having something so unusual and it doesn't even have any of its own symptoms. Like growing a little piggy tale. Or getting an enlarged snout. You can tell that I was expecting so much more from something that has received so much press. Something unusual. But, as is generally the case, it's the same old kind of things that make us so sick. Even when it's just getting stuck in a rut.:)
So, if you are feeling any of those symptoms and it lasts for more than a "few" days, you "may" want to see your medical professional according to the governmental agency. Or not. I guess you have to decide. But they did say that if you are turning blue you should seek medical attention. Well, ok. I guess so. Or if you could not breathe. Might be too late if you can't breathe.
Once again, without saying it, they were simply saying "use common sense". If you are ill and it seems like something is glaringly wrong, seek attention. If not, ride it out. That's the theme in our houseful of kids. They rarely need to go to the doctor. They are incredibly healthy. But, there are times to go. Like when Isaac's lips used to turn blue when he got a virus....turns out that he had viral onset asthma. Or when Isaac couldn't raise his arm after he got home from camp. Turns out that when he fell down he had broken his clavical. We didn't know it for a week. Or when Jake connect his chin with the springs of the trampoline and the gaping, gushing wound soaked his shorts in blood.......no stitiches, super glue. Turns out maybe I could have done that?? Just kidding. Or when Joe ran off on his bike without his helmet and had a race with a friend coming back to the house. We have a dry ditch out front. His front wheel hit the ditch wrong and he went over the handlebars and straight into the tree........with his face. And it knocked him out. Josiah came running in screaming that Joe was dead. He wasn't. But he was certainly banged up and concussed.
So, in this rather unsure time of not knowing what to do, use your common sense. If it seems like you might need medical attention then go. But I guess we don't need to worry about every cough, fever and sniffle. It's a flu. It is dangerous the same way other diseases are. If you get a secondary infection. As in, pneumonia. Or if you are already compromised by another disease. That's what I got from the video. But if those things don't occur, I guess you just relax, go back to bed and drink plenty of fluids. But as moms, does that ever really happen???? Ha. That simply means recline your van seat a little bit while driving the kids around and carry a water bottle along. That's ok. We love it. Cuz we love them. Now, when "they" are sick, it's a completely different story. Oh my gosh. When my husband gets sick the world ends. The man is a rock when he gets injured or has to work hard, but give him the flu or a cold and he turns into a whimpery dude. It's the weirdest thing. He can't do anything when he is sick. Lucky for me, it's rare. There have only been a few times that he has been that sick.
Here's to a healthy fall and winter.......stock up on your vitamins, juice and rest.
blessings,
rhonda