Chronicling the Influenza 2011

So, every year my pediatrician asks, with a smile, if I am going to get the girls vaccinated for the flu.  I reply, with a smile, "No."  I have never had the flu shot, even in my years as a teacher in a very poor, Appalachian district, where it was very highly recommended.  Call me a conspiracy theorist or skeptic because well, I am!  My girls got all of their other vaccinations, although I would probably approach those differently now if I were to do it again.  When Kate was going into Kindergarten I declined the Chicken Pox booster.  Oh boy...what a story I can tell you about that experience.  It is definitely not easy to go against the medical community.  Last year was a struggle as well since the pediatrician was basically pleading with me, very politely and with a smile though, to get the flu vaccine and definitely the HINI vaccine.  I really do like my pediatrician, but obviously we don't agree on vaccinations.  I stay with her because she is great with the girls and polite, respectful, and patient with me.  Plus, she is a mother with young boys.  However, yesterday when I was pretty sure, although praying for strep, we might be dealing with the flu I sent Scott to the doctor with the girls.  He laughed at me because he knew I was afraid to face the doctor, thinking...wondering if she would bring up my choice to not vaccinate.  After confirming, but hoping along with me we were dealing with strep, the girls did indeed have the flu, she was gracious and didn't rub the vaccine thing in our faces.  She kindly told us how to deal with it, what to watch for, gave us a prescription for Tamiflu, and sent us on our way.  Tamiflu...what a fiasco!  Dr. K told us it works best if administered within 24 hours of the first symptoms.  Well, Anna was probably past the 24 hour period so we decided not to get her script filled; however, since Kate had just woke up with a fever in the morning we would go for it.  The pharmacist told Scott it would take an hour to fill because the medicine had to be compounded.  What does that mean you might ask?  Well, the drug company no longer makes a children's dose so the pharmacist has to "compound" an adult dose so it is safe for children to take.  Scott said, "OK" and went on to kill an hour with two very sick little girls.  He went back to Walgreens for pick-up and there was a long line in the drive-thru so he went in to the store.  You are never going to believe this!  The pharmacist was beside herself because our insurance company was refusing to allow the script to be filled because it needed a special type of approval that could take up to 72 hours.  WHAT???  That's ludicrous!!  Scott was on the phone with the insurance company and it was horrible the service her received plus being told again it could take 72 hours for approval.  Needless to say, he came home and we decided to just tough it out with any help from Tamiflu.  I knew the girls were feeling terrible because when they got home because they had not eaten the McDonald's Scott had gotten them, stripped off all their winter layers, and went straight to their beds.  Usually when the girls are sick we hang out in the living room...but they felt so miserable they made a beeline for their own beds.  It hasn't been easy, as I am sure many other mothers have experienced.  We have been watching movie, after movie, after movie.  Scott brought in a chair from the downstairs for either he or I to sit in so we can be close.  The humidifier was pulled out, medicines kept handy, straws, water, popsicles, blankets, Ramen Noodles...  My dad is so priceless and even brought by some extra Delsym and Children's Motrin because I began to run low.  So...will we vaccinate next year?  I don't know.  The verdict is still out at this point.  Anna is doing much better at this point, fever broke, talking and even eating a little bit.  Kate on the hand is really struggling.  Her temp reached a high of 105.  I am not sure if it really was 105 or if the thermometer registered it a little higher because I kept taking her temp over and over again.  To take precaution I put her in a lukewarm water bath.  The real hero through all of this so far though is Scott.  He is sooooo amazing!  He took all care of the little girls, as I slept on their floor, last night.  He would wake me up with updates.  Kate was the one with the crazy fever all night.  I am soooo blessed and thankful for him.