16-7-2009 - Swine Flu - watch out girlies it stalking us!

My mood while writing this blog: Ok

Like Claire Louise from London, I have children attending school where there is Swine Flu.

In the Comprehensive my middle DD goes to (High School for my US friends!) there are 350 children in each year group. On Wednesday 93 children in her year group did not attend school as they either had Swine Flu or were kept at home to prevent them catching it. We received a telephone call in the early evening from the school to advise on prevention measures (use a tissue! hmmm really helpful).

We waivered this morning as to whether to let her go to school given that she has no symptoms but I am pregnant and DH is diabetic, so both deemed high risk.

Well after yesterdays extreme fatigue, I had simply put it down to doing too much. I was supposed to go to the Hospital Antenatal exercise class tonight, but I was still out of sorts from yesterday even though I had a two hour nap this afternoon. I didnt sleep very well last night as the Carpel Tunnel was playing up which didnt help as well as it being very hot and muggy. I was also struggling to breathe easily and my chest was and still is feeling very tight. One nostril was blocked so I didnt think too much of it.

Now tonight my throat feels like sandpaper, my good nostril is running like a tap, I still feel exhausted but everytime I lay down to sleep I feel like my throat is going to close up and I am going to suffocate.

I dont have a "temperature" yet ...but then again I feel like I have been roasting all the way through this pregnancy so far anyway.

I THINK THE SWINES HAVE FOUND ME........the question is where did I get it from? I think its unlikely I got it from the kids as they are not showing any symptoms. Reading up about it, the incubation period is 2-5 days, and us pregnant girlies are more susceptible because of our supressed immune systems. Too quick for me to have got from the hospital or doctors yesterday.

Where was I two days ago? yep.... attending a white-wash of a risk assessment meeting at my Company's regional call centre 70 miles away. 500 odd people touching door handles, bannisters, railings and lift buttons, not to mention the pen that everyone has to sign in with at reception.

Given how Swine Flu is spreading here in the UK and in recession time no-one wants to take time off sick and loose pay.....how many of these 500 odd people are sitting at their desk stiffling their coughs and sneezes blissfully unaware of the impact on others, spreading it round and about hard surfaces all over the building? With cleaners coming in at night and no doubt disinfecting everything in sight, it still leave a good 12 hours of germ transmission during the working day.

Now I have to decide whether or not to risk going to my hospital antenatal appointment tomorrow, as I dont have ALL the major symptoms. DH feels a lot of the symptoms are just down to me overdoing it the last few days and sleeping with the window open .

Oh well, just have to see how I am in the morning!