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Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Flu Season - Vaccine or Not?

Seems like everyone I know has been fighting flu right now with this flu epidemic. We thought our home was going to pass it up. After much debate we decided to get the flu vaccine this year. I am not real hip on vaccines, but I am not anti-vaccine as of yet. We had planned on bypassing the vaccine this year, but with the scare of Ebola hitting the states this year, regardless if it was highly unlikely to breakout and probably ridiculous for this to make us consider the vaccine, but it got the conversation started and based off the flu episode I had  two winters ago (ended up getting bronchitis and pneumonia) we went ahead and got our early this year.

When I saw so many people breaking out with the flu I was so thankful that we got our vaccine, but then I hear on the news that the flu shot was not preventing people from getting this flu. So this Sunday we were all feeling under the weather and just had the blahs! We decided not to go to the Kingdom Hall on the off chance we may be coming down with something we sure didn't want to share it with everyone. Before long our little complained of a sore and scratching throat. But he never mentioned it again. That evening he had a difficult time going to sleep, but this is nothing new with him. I must have read him ten stories from My Book of Bible Stories. Finally he went to sleep and slept very late, but I knocked it off to him staying up so late last night. Guess again. He woke up crying, which he rarely does. I felt his head and he was hot as a fire cracker. In a horse  whiny voice he croaked "my throat hurts!" I called my hubby and then phoned the doctor.

(If you have a weak stomach don't read the next paragraph)

I told my hubby I thought he had strep throat. On arrival the nurses wanted to test him for strep. She came in with two long Q-Tips to stick to the back of his throat. He was whiny because like anyone he hates when they make you gag. Not to mention is just didn't wanted to be bothered with or there for that matter. So the nurse is attempting to get the strep test done and Wesley begins to cough and in turn start to vomit. Now at this point the nurse is in his face trying to get the test done and he throws up right on her face. I remember thinking when she walked in that she should have a mask on. I felt horrible for her because I know if that was me I would have probably would have been hysterical. But that may be why I only play nurse at home to my family and not for a living. Right? Anyway, I ran the cabinet to find something for him to vomit in and she heads out of the room to do whatever she needed to do. You know they really don't make those little pink vomit things (not sure what they are called) big enough. He emptied his system there on the exam floor. As horrible as I know this all sounds the good news was he hadn't felt up to eating and only had water on his stomach.


Well the very stressful strep test came back negative. The doctor came in and examined him and asked about his symptoms and diagnosed him with the flu and ordered a flu test. Thankfully that test went off without a hitch. Little one was so worried he would be leaving to doctors office with a shot despite my many promises that there would be no shots. He was very pleased when he heard that his prescriptions were Popsicle's and chewable Tylenol. When we came home from the doctors he answered "Does this mean I don't have to do school today?" I laughed and replied: "no baby not today."  So he has been resting and watching television (some of them are educational :-D) for the past two days, in between cat naps. His fevers seemed to be breaking so I am hopeful that tomorrow he will be back to normal.

So will we get the flu vaccine again? Time will tell. Each family must make the best decision they can at the time armed with the knowledge that have at that time that is best for them.  Hope everyone has a healthy year!
A special thank you to our amazing family and friend for their well wishes, gifts and cheering up and the amazing Manager Cindy at the Harbin Clinic who gave us a ride to the doctors. Talking about patient service! Very thankful to all the health care workers that treated my little one, especially that poor nurse that took the brunt of the patient care.

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