Attack of the Bodysnatchers (a.k.a. who are you and what have you done with my child)

Monday morning was a rough one. After a weekend of sugar and lack of sleep, we all needed some rest. Unfortunately, we didn't get much. Micah had a major meltdown on Monday and was so wiped out that we kept him home from school in the afternoon. He started complaining of a sore throat and stuffed up nose, so he went straight to bed and slept a few hours. He didn't really get up and walk around for the next 48 hours. He got a fever and chills and his eyes would not stop watering. I took him to the doctor on Tuesday after a night in which he barfed in a projectile manner all over the bathroom once and then caught himself with a pail the second time. Her diagnosis - H1N1 - The influenza formerly known as "swine". She didn't even swab him to confirm because all the cases she had already sent out were confirmed in our little village. 10% of his elementary school reported in with the symptoms, 50% of Micah's hockey team was out with it, and now 40% of our family has it.


On Tuesday, Judah had a temper tantrum (sound familiar?) and refused to eat lunch because - I don't really even know. He demanded his soother and Kockie (favourite blankie) and was just MAD. He then slept for a while and came out of his room (which he shares with Micah) with a temperature, sore stomach, and cough. By Wednesday morning he was so hot I told him he was burning up. He later told Faith that he was definitely not burning up and asked that the doctors "not put me on fire". Faith took him to the hospital with a heart-rate of 150 beats per minute at rest. We had to check! I was told by our doctor to go to Emergency which I assumed but thought I should ask. At Emerg they got mad at Faith for bringing in a flu patient (you just can't win sometimes) and the dude who swabbed Judah wore a full face-shield, rubber gloves, gown, and mask. Faith could hear the staff just beyond the curtain debating back and forth who should go in and get the swab and who had already been exposed. Medical professionals? OR wannabes? They didn't prescribe anything for him, though my parents say that Carmen used this stuff called Tamaflu that reduced the time her boys had it.

Anyway, both boys are now in recovery at home. We won't send Micah to school until his cough is gone. I thought that would be wise, even though the instructions around here are that a person can leave their homes within 24 hours of their fever lifting. He's still grumpy, mind you. Releasing that wild beast into public may cause more mayhem than good. I personally snuck out to catch up our blog and such and have been avoiding direct contact with the public. I may be in the library, but I am in my carrell, sanitized and showered, and hopefully not a carrier of the flu. You never know - you don't present with symptoms until 24 hours before you get it anyway. We'll see if we get it at all. Pray for Faith and Aslynn and myself!

- Mark