Oh, I just love...."and she gave it to her girlfriend Dottie...but Dottie had a heart conditiona and she died...but before she died...she gave it to blah blah blah." Good grief! So one out of out those people died and it was because of a heart condition. I think I will run out and get a swine flu shot RIGHT NOW. Even in 1976 I wouldn't have been convinced. My dad was convinced. Later, he found out his had the equivalent of sugar water in it. But lots of people's didn't...and it KILLED them. Not the swine flu - it only killed one person and 200 others recovered. The vaccine killed something like 30 people and sickened 150 others.

THAT was funny!!! I was thinking the other day....didn't Edward get "changed" during the spanish influenza of 1918? Coincidence...I think not. LOL

I thought the toddler had been brought in this past Saturday?

By your screen name, I gather you are in Texas. Yep. I would say you have LOTS of panic buying. Us, we stock up all the time. Each time we go to the grocery store, we guy 24 cans of something or all the meat that is on sale and freeze it. We have a freezer full of meat, a closet full of canned goods, flour, etc. But, would you believe it, we are out of EGGS. :( I will probably end up with pig flu trying to get chicken eggs. Ahhhh the irony.

Tomorrow is my kids' last day at co-op for the school year. They have been working hard in Art on projects, my older has a karate demonstration to give, and my younger just enjoys his time out and about. We have totally planned to make a day of it and enjoy our last time in co-op. However...there are 5 cases in the town where we go to co-op (an hour from my home) of Swine flu. They have not been officially reported yet, but the kids go to a University in the town and came back from Mexico (spring break) on Monday with flu symptoms. I keep waiting for the test results to make it official but it doesn't look like that is going to happen before we have to leave tomorrow. Now I am conflicted. My dh and I had agreed the kids and I would just hunker down a bit more for the next few weeks and see what happens further with the flu issues. We didn't plan to avoid public at all costs...just stay out of big crowds (no big trips to wal-mart and such), wash hands good, and not go out and about unless we really need to. I also prefer to not take the kids if I do need to go out somewhere crowded - like the grocery store. Even though there aren't "confirmed" cases here, it is the flu. It is going to be everywhere. It always is. So...what do I do? Do I hunker as dh and I planned or do I take the kids to co-op in a town where there are 99% likely cases right up the road from the co-op building and risk it so the kids can finish their LAST DAY of something they have worked hard on all year long? The kids in co-op are all homeschooled, of course, but I am not sure who they are related to/have been around/etc. What woukd you do?:bigear:

:lol:

Mail cash to them. Concealed and anonymous cash. When I feel the pull to help someone, I tend to do it. One year, I mailed gifts to a friend whose dh was away for Christmas. She was due any moment with her 3rd baby and had two little ones to care for at home. She was struggling and had mentioned that Christmas was going to be small with all that had happened. Around that same time, my dh got a bonus. I took a portion of his bonus and bought Christmas presents for her whole family, including her and her dh and the unborn baby who was due in December just before Christmas. I mailed the package anonymously from a different state (that borders mine). When she got the package, she was just flabbergasted. I had planned to remain anonymous, but there was an issue with the tracking and I couldn't be sure she got the package. Finally, I just asked her. She is a very Christian girl and told me later that she had prayed she would find out who sent it just so she could say "thank you." It was such a blessing for me to be able to do it. I think you are right to want to do this for the family even if the mom is not so great. I know you aren't Christian, but I definitely feel that you will be honored/blessed/have great kharma for what you are wanting to do! :)

Looking at the second of the two maps recently posted, it looks now like there are cases just about everywhere. As people are becoming more and more aware of it, more and more are being tested. I really think this has been in the US for sometime now, though. Some of the cases would just make no sense at all if it hadn't been.

Errr..that could be good or bad. LOL Good because there is a doc right there. Bad because other people bring their germs to the doctor.

Some people just aren't as worried as others. I can get pretty beat feeling with a sinus infection, but I figure I am an adult and I can keep myself away from others, etc. Maybe she doesn't think she has the flu...or maybe she is feeling a lot better now. ??? I know I wouldn't be going to story time if I felt like crap though! More because I felt bad than anything else even...

There are also allegedly cases in North Carolina that are just out there dangling. I think it is likely safe to say there is a bit of it about everywhere. Just wonder how many people could care less about being one of the "cases" and didn't go to the doc. I know that if I or my kids get it, we will not run out to be counted. We will deal with it here at home and go to the doc only if the need arises (dehydration, trouble breathing, etc).

CDC seems to be a bit slow in reporting. This was also last updated around 11am est, if that makes a difference.

The CDC lists the Mexican child as a US death statistic. GAH! http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/ And MANY states that were not involved in the spread yesterday are now listed. States Arizona 1 California 14 Indiana 1 Kansas 2 Massachusetts 2 Michigan 2 Nevada 1 New York 51 Ohio 1 Texas 16 Deaths 1 TOTAL COUNTS 91 cases 1 death

Likely, he is not sleeping as soundly because it is not as comfortable/noises are different, etc. so he is waking up more frequently. While that is great for him not wetting, it can't be good for his sleep schedule.

Just make sure they don't lick their hands before the stuff is dry. There was one case that I can recall where a child in preschool got alcohol poison from hand sanitizer and that child licked a good amount of it off his/her hands when no one was watching. Used with parents who are mindful and watchful, it is FINE.

I feel the same way you do...and now they are even starting to report similar sentiments on CNN.com and other news media. I think, at least at first, the issue was "why are people dying in Mexico?" They still aren't sure..but they are now leaning more toward unsanitary conditions and lack of good medical care than they are toward things like cytokine storm, etc. But again, the "fear" is caused by the unknown and there is still a lot that we just don't know yet.

:iagree:

My ds had the flu at 4 and it was so terrible. It wasn't swine flu, it was H3N2 (Fujan strain), but OMG. I will never forget it! The good news is that he did recover and is fine now. So, swine flu or regular flu...just keep pushing fluids. More than likely, your little guy needs a shot of phenergan to stop the vomiting so he can keep down meds and fluids. This is what ds had to have...then we had to do suppositories of phenergran for a few days to keep him hydrated, but it did work like a charm!

LOL - my son is just laughing away at all the feedback on this thread. He thinks he has just done..."like the funniest thing ever...dude." Once, I was asking him about a little girl he "likes." He told me that he had a crush on her. Since they play togehter, I got inquisitive and said, "well, it is okay to like someone or think they are cute or whatever, but you don't hold her hand or kiss her or anything...DO YOU?" His response was a really quick, "Oh dude! That is just WRONG! You know I don't like to kiss anyone!" Me: "Great son...but you do know that I am not a 'DUDE'...RIGHT?" Where this language came from, I have no idea. My world lately has been "totally" - my dh will even make fun of me and say, "Oh...so not partially, but TOTALLY." :tongue_smilie:

I think he was referring to 1976 when President Carter ordered a flu vaccine for the US residents after a 19 year old soldier died in Ft. Dx of swine flu. It was contained and never went past Ft. Dix (though 200 other soldiers contracted the virus, they recovered). Anyway, the vaccines were given anyway (possible pandemic, of course) and 2,000 people or so died from the VACCINE even though the illness never spread. No way will my family take the vaccine if one is offered.

Wow...I am really surprised at the amounts of Vitamin D and Vitamin C they are recommending. I am not sure that much is really healthy...

I think I would only use the ignore feature if it was someone that I had a *personal* issue with...i.e. they took something I said, twisted it around and then we hashed it out in pms or something and decided to just not like each other much. I also have used it once for someone who was just blatently bashing Christianity and making rude comments with no merit (I think he is no longer here though). Otherwise, I try not to get caught in the drama too much and I do realize that we can't *hear* each other, so things will be taken the wrong way and/or mistaken and I try not to judge on such things (unless they are blatent and awful...which, sadly, has happened here a few times).

I read that and thought the same thing. Yeah, lets blame a 5 year old for the deaths of over 150 people and infecting hundreds, possibly thousands more with swine flu. What idiots the media can be! and WHY? Did we just need someone to blame? Does it have to be someone's fault? Who gets the flu first every year (whatever strain is going around). Whoever that is, we need to track them down each year and tell everyone to blame THEM if they get sick. OMG!:confused:

THis is the best, most moist chocolate cake EVER. It is the recipe from the back of the Hershey's cocoa box. Try it...you will definitely not be disappointed! I also make homemade almond/vanilla icing to go on it. It reminds of the chocolate lasagna that Olive Garden used to sell. :) I really think it is that cup of boiling water at the end that does the trick! HERSHEY'S "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" Chocolate Cake Ingredients: 2 cups sugar 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 1 cup milk 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup boiling water Directions: 1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans. 2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans. 3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely and frost. 10 to 12 servings. VARIATIONS: ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost. BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost. CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.

My kids pediatrician told me yesterday that, if my kids showed symptoms, I should keep them home, keep them hydrated, and treat it like any other kind of flu. He said that going into the office will really just infect others if it is the swine flu (or any flu really). They did say that if I wanted to know for sure, I could take the child to the health dept here in town and have them do a swab just so the case can be "counted." Whatever. I could care less about being "counted." The death from swine flu in the US that was reported this morning was a child whose parents brought him/her from Mexico illegally into Texas to try and get medical treatment. ETA: My son's dr (big group) does not give antivirals to kids anyway.