Tuesday night I went to my son's preschool Christams program. While there the Director announced that the school was experienceing the flu in epidemic proportions. PA is the only eastern state with the epidemic. My son had a flu vaccine one week ago and it is not effective yet. My pediatrician recommended keeping him home this week and maybe next depedning on what my husband's oncologist thought. So I have been home trying to work, trying to keep structure in the day for Nathan. And not doing a good job of either. My boss has passive agressive tendencies toward women with children concerns. This makes the whole situation just great!

My husband started radiation and chemo yesterday. He stopped on the way home to check on a client's problem. He vomited when he got back in the car. Came home glum. He took another anti-nausea pill with some flat ginger ale and vomited everything again! I called the Emergency Doc and he said to try more fluids in a couple of hours. We did and John had crackers and water before bed. All was well, thank God.

He has eaten today and is supposed to have a change in meds prior to today's treatment.

He wears a pump around his waist with a tube running into a port in his chest. Seeing that and all the incision scars and knowing how he felt was just too much. His eyes cried out "I don't want cancer anymore".

It was so hard to see him hurl into a waste can in the living room with my son (5) watching and then have tears running down his face because of the despair over the situation.

Many people have it worse than we do but it feels good to whine a little. No one ate dinner. Nathan had a few bites of stuff but the whole family was in a funk.

This morning Nathan was "writing" a letter to Daddy's doctor to tell him not to make Daddy so sick. This is way more than a five year old should have to deal with.

I have a mother of a cold and cough all night so I am not sleeping, my son is slowly getting over a cold of three weeks so far and my husband sounds like he is starting one.

I could go on forever but thanks for listening. We have five more weeks of this - 25 treatments. We are turning the Christmas counting calendar backwards and moving the candy cane away from 25 down to one! Tis the season....

Lynn,
I absolutely stand in awe of your strength and love. I wish I had the words. I do know, and can say, that I will have you all, especially your husband, in my prayers each night and in my thoughts during the days that follow.

May God hear all of our prayers and give you peace. Sending love,

Lynn, ditto what JJ said...

we may not always have the words to help, or know what to say, but know that your posts are read, that "virtual hugs" go out to hold you and prayers for strength and healing are always said....even if we just read your words, without responding...we read them....

Lynn,

I too stand in awe of your strength and love. I will join your boomer friends in praying for a miracle in your life at this very special time of year.

Jan

Lynn, thanks for sharing and please know you have every right to come here and unload. We are always here for you girl!

You are in my thoughts and prayers and I'm praying for you and your hubby and son often!

At times when you feel like you don't even know how to pray, please know we are carrying you in prayer Lynn. That's part of the beauty of the community of faith/believers.

I might be able to help with the nausea thing. I have to call my sister and ask her the name of the medicine they gave my mom before treatments. It helped tremendously. It was very pricey, but did the job.

We shopped pharmacies and found the Giant, CVS, RIte Aid and all the chains to be the MOST expensive. Believe it or not, we got the meds from a little local pharmacy who had a gem of a pharmacist.

I'll get back to you on the med thing.

NOw for the flu stuff. I was going to post this in another forum but since we're on the subject...I might be able to help you out there.

My son came home from college fairly sick today so we went to the pediatrician and here is what she suggested. I find it interesting because she is going the holistic health route which I think is promising for MD's. The only hitch was that none of it's covered by our insurance.

-Double the daily fluid intake
-Use Ibuprofen for aches and pains
-Lower the temp at home 68-69 during the day and 63-64 at night...brrrr (but bundle the little one)
-Use Zicam cold remedy nasal spray, full of antioxidants
-Use Elderberry tablets (it increases the immune system's ability to fight viruses
-Use Oscillococcinum homeopathic remedy as directed.
-Lots of sleep, rest, and TLC
Dr. Blotny, pediatrician.

My son is in bed with all of the above in his system. Can't wait to see how he feels tomorrow. I think he's going to be much better.

If this works for him, Lynn maybe it will work for you and your family.

Please give your letter writing little one a hug for me. I still want to see a picture of him.

Ladies, Lynn and I have something in common. We both have Korean adopted children.

God bless you Lynn.

I need to sound off about something. Please forgive me if I'm stepping on toes or repeating something ewveryone already knows.

I've had a light case of the "flu" and am pretty much recovered. I did not take the flu shot. I have never taken a flu shot.

My husband had a much worse case of the "flu". He took the flu shot.

Many of my friends have already had the "flu". Most took the flu shot.

Pretty much the same thing happens every year.

I learned more than I really wanted to know about the flu vaccine several years ago when I served as a member of a Task Force for the World Health Organization.

Most of the research is conducted by the people who benefit from the sale and administration of flu vaccine. Unbiased research, however, indicates that taking the flu shot may not only be a waste of time, but can lead to serious reactions.

The income to the pharmaceutical industry, doctors, and clinics from flu vaccination is astronomical. And they are usually the ones who are charged with reporting adverse effects, reporting ineffective immunizations and doing the research.

Although the vaccine changes each year, in the rush to get it to the public, clinical trials are often limited or omited entirely so we are acting as their guinea pigs. And the vaccine has been linked to serious neurological conditions including Guillain-Barre Syndrome and other autoimmune conditions. A surgeon who had suffered a reaction that permanently paralyzed his right arm testified before the task force and we learned of others who had been paid off by pharmaceutical companies with the stipulation that they not make public their stories.

Regularly reported, but less serious reactions including varying degrees of weakness or tingling in the legs spreading to the arms and upper body with self limiting paralysis are common.

The flu vaccine, for most people, is (1) Ineffective. The flu virus changes every year. The vaccine is developed from killed viruses from the previous year's outbreak thus it does nothing to immunize against the current year's virus. (2) It is Unnecessary. Most Healthy people can withstand a case of the flu without long term effects. Also most of the so called flu is actually one of the many rhinoviruses that circulate through the population each year, and (3) The vaccine is capable of causing serious neurological injuries.

I know we are all encouraged to take a flu shot every year and they are hyped on every news broadcast. I am no physician nor do I advise anyone to go against their doctor's advice. However, as I learn more about flu shots I am not only leery of them, I'm afraid.

smile

[ December 13, 2003, 11:37 AM: Message edited by: smilinize ]

Sorry. Wrong site. I thought I saw a health topic. Guess I'll start waking up efore posting.

smile

Lynn, I have a call into my sis. Will get back to you...promise.

Smilinize, the worse case of the flu I've ever seen was the year my husand got a flu shot.His doctor thought it was a good idea because he is in people's faces all day and he is a diabetic.

I remember driving him to the doctor while he was passed out in the passenger seat. He got sick at the doctor's office, was sweating like a pig, and so weak that if I could have carried him I would have.

I found your post very interesting because it's the first I've seen that side of the story. Thanks.....

Thanks guys I had tears in my eyes through the whole read. It feels good.

Smile---What is suggested for people that are health compromised instead of a vaccine? I have MS and my husband lost his spleen? Instead of avoiding the vaccine all together is there an alternative?

PS I have been down the homeopathic route for this and have had little to no sucess given the complications stated. Suggestions?

Lynn, I spoke with my sister and the name of the medicine for nausea is Zofran.

We seem to recall that Mom took 1 the before, or the day of her chemo treatment, and then for the next 3 days. One per day. It worked miracles for her.

Unfortunately the doctor didn't give it to her the first 2 treatments and then when he heard how sick she was and we questioned him about any possible medications to help, he came up with Zofran. Please have your hubby ask his doctor about it. I bet you could look it up online.

Also, when my mom was sick my youngest sister did a lots of homework online. She educated the doctor on a couple of the newest medications which we found to be surprising. She gave him the Websites where she found stuff and he would add them to his library.

Still praying for you all...and so happy to be doing it.

Hugs all around!

What's your little guy asking Santa for this year?

I loved the magic of Chrtistams when the kids still believed!

[ December 13, 2003, 09:26 PM: Message edited by: Dotsie ]