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Monday, October 26, 2009

Got Swine?


by Just_Lin

A lot of people seem to feel uneasy about the vaccine for H1N1 flu, formerly known as the Swine Flu. I'm not sure why that is. For kids and us adults with chronic health conditions, getting the H1N1 flu is much more dangerous than getting the vaccine.

The first time I got a regular seasonal flu shot was about 5 years ago and my whole upper arm became red and swollen and I had an egg-size lump at the vaccine site. I couldn't use my arm at all and it ached continuously and hurt to the touch for over a week! Fortunately, that was the only time I had such a dramatic reaction.

Usually, I get my annual flu shots at a clinic held at either the local fire station or my bank. They are only 5 and 10 minutes away so I would go there for the convenience rather than go to my HMO which is in a different city and requires that I park in a five level parking structure. I know......I'm lazy. This year I didn't see any notice in our local paper about flu shot clinics being held in our city. I knew that some pharmacies were administering shots so I checked with two of those and found that one had run out of the vaccine, for now, and the other had discontinued giving them at all. So then I had the bright idea that maybe I should call my HMO and check out their flu shot clinics. I found out that they were giving them for free to members every weekday. Well, that made it worth the drive over the hill and off I went.

So today I received a seasonal flu shot in my left arm and an H1N1 shot in my right arm. Here's hoping that I'll still be able to use at least one of my arms tomorrow. If only one arm works, I hope it's my right arm because makeup applied with my left hand would be very, very scary.

78 comments:

  1. Yippeee! :D

    Off to read the blog!

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  2. how funny~

    I walked into work and was told a co-worker has H1N1~

    My twins both had it.........and it must have been mild, cuz they got over it quick~

    Zona~ congrats on first~

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  3. Morning Glories!

    Zona Congrats on first!

    J/L So glad you went and got your shot. Prevention for you and the kids is the way to go.

    I am not freaked out by all of this just concerned when I see large outbreaks around our area. I think the real danger is so many people coming down with it that it will cause disruption in businesses and schools etc...

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  4. J/LIN: I got a flu shot for the first time last year...a week later I got the flu, and then bronchitis. I was sure it was from the shot. I've since decided it was probably just from being in the doctor's office with people that had the flu. (MO helped me with this realization..lol.)

    My doctor wanted me to get both shots this year because I have asthma...but unfortunately he didn't have either vaccine the day I was there. I don't know if I'll go back and get it, even though I know I should.

    I don't know why..but I'm more afraid of the H1N1 vaccine than the flu itself. I think it worries me because it is such a new vaccine.

    I remember how everyone's arms were hurting last year after getting the shot..mine never did. I think I just have more padding... ;)

    btw J/LIN..how are your arms feeling..I hope they don't hurt too much.. :)

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  5. Good morning to Zona, Tina & LynnD. J/Lin, great that you're being cautious. I think I've had 2 flu shots in my life. And gotten the flu each time. I'll just take my chances.

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  6. Congrats on 1st Zona!

    Good morning/afternoon Zona, Tina, Lynn D, Bonachichi and Carol!

    I have never had the regular flu shot so I doubt if I will have the H1N1 shot. Mum will have a regular flu shot in a couple week but the nurse said she did not have to have the H1N1 shot.It was more for children and young adults 20-30. I would think the common cold would be hard on, so I hope she doesn't get one.

    I am going to mum's in a little bit, just waiting for a perscription to be filled so I can go pick it up for her. It's for her morphine and they said at first that it couldn't be filled for another 30 days and I said no, no she is going to run out in a couple days, it needs to be filled. She put me on hold and came back saying no problem. Geez!

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  7. J/L...

    I have never had a flu shot, nor have I had the swine flu shot. I usually just get a common cold over the winter or perhaps bronchitis (sp)... I don't want to change my luck, so no flu shots for me, so far w/o a flu shot I am flu free..

    At first I was annoyed at all the press over the swine flu, I truly thought they went media crazy. But when I started seeing ppl losing there lives, it scared me, but most ppl that did die, had other ailments, and the swine flu just compounded it all..

    So, I don't know if the swine flu is as deadly as they make it sound. I do know it scared the crap out of alot of ppl..

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  8. Shirley..

    Howdy! Morning!

    Glad you fought for moms script.. It is sad that we all have to fight for our meds..

    Enjoy the day with your mum...

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  9. Shirley, your dedication to your mum is amazing. You don't complain or mention you've other things to do. You are a selfless human being and anyone is lucky to have you in their lives.

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  10. Happy Monday Owls.

    J/L, There is so much controversy over flu shots that I didn't get my first one until about four years ago. I was at my doc's for something minor and he convinced me to get a flu shot. I was afraid I would get the flu from the shot and he assured me that the vaccine contained only dead virus and I couldn't get the flu from the seasonal flu shot.

    There have been several cases locally of the H1N1 and two otherwise healthy children have died. It it very scary that people who have no other health issues can die from this strain.

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  11. Good morning early bird Zona!

    Tina I thought you had something worse than H1N1, by the looks of your avatar!

    LynnD, the disruptions around here are mostly from "deer hunter's flu". There is always some kind of "outbreak" during deer hunting season. lol!
    We do have a few schools closed due to the flu and one lady dies. She had many underling med.problems too.

    I don't plan on getting the H1N1 shot. I get the reg. flu shot every year and have yet to have gotten the flu. (knock on wood).

    Waving at Carol, Shirley & Bonacci~~~

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  12. Hi SacBarb!! Your 37th B-DAY is coming up soon, right?

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  13. Zona, are you up early or still? Either way, congrats on #1.

    Hello also to, Tina (from sacky), Lynn, Bonachichi, Shirley, Carol, and all the other Owls. I hope you all have a good day.

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  14. Hi Mary, you came in while I was typing. Yes, I am afraid I will turn 37 again in a few days. I can't believe how freakin' old I am getting. I remember when I was in elementary school and my friends and I used to talk about the turn of the century and that we probably wouldn't even be alive in 2000. Now here it is, nine years later and I'm still around (and very round).

    Are you keeping your hunky workmen happy? I always had coffee for mine.

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  15. SacBarb, no coffee, he was only here about 20 minutes. He just sanded over the parts he had plastered,vacuumed and split. I think he had more jobs to do. He was a cutie though lol!
    I remember being 16 and thinking 21 was old!! I must now be ancient!!
    You look good. You must have been blessed with good genes. We must have both gotten the "round" gene lol!!!

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  16. SLIN - Both my boys got the H1N1 vaccine @ school last week, and my daughter is getting hers next week. Our middle school was hit hard last week...130 kids out Monday alone, and that school only has 7th & 8th grades. The last time I got a flu shot was 12 years ago when I worked in a nursing home. And the only reason I got it was cuz I HAD to.

    Waving a big toothy grin @ ZONA, TINA (are you still awake?!!? :P), LYNN, BONACHICHI, CAROL, SHIRLEY, SACBARB & MARY!!

    Have a few finishing touches to add to my weekend craft project, then off to the post office!!!

    I hope everyone has a great afternoon!!

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  17. Good Afternoon Hooters!

    congrats on 1st Zona...

    J/L - Laughed for the first time today when I looked at the blog.

    I got my flu shot a month ago and didn't even feel it. Not a sore spot and I had to ask if they really gave it to me! I am waiting for the clinic here to get the Swine flu shot, I am in line to get that (high risk) as you are so correct- the flu is much riskier than a sore arm!

    My computer at work is morti
    Waitin for the geniuses who have to dis-encrypt my hard drive to move my stuff to a new program to get it done correctly or they will wipe out my hard drive. Say a prayer. So I have gone to my filing pile and have suddenly discovered that so much more can be shredded then has to be filed!:)

    tata- have to go back to work now. Was home for a little quality computer time over lunch.

    hope everyone has a good day~

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  18. Good morning!

    Congrats on 1st today Zona!

    Nancy the kitty found a little tomato and is batting it around on the floor, it's really funny!

    MR. EBJ picked some tomatoes at his friends house this weekend, and somehow when he put them away in the fridge, Nancy must have swiped one!

    I've gotten the seasonal flu shot every year for about the past 8 years. I got them before, but one year got really sick after it so blamed it on the shot.

    I skipped a few years then decided I better start getting them again. Haven't had the flu since.

    Barb is right the injectable vaccine is killed, so you should not get sick from the shot itself. You can get other strains of the flu however so if you get sick after getting the shot, it is a strain that isn't included in the shot.

    People are flocking to the flu clinics this year, I've never seen anything like it. It seems like the majority just want the seasonal vaccine.

    Here in Calif, and this may be nationwide, anyone over 64 cannot get the h1n1 at this time (unless there is a child under 6 months old that they care for).

    They are gearing it towards high risk groups, mainly pregnant women, and children.

    Health care workers, people who have chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes, ect. are also encouraged to get it.

    Shirley, glad you are able to get your mom's refill without problems.

    Hope everyone has a nice day today!

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  19. Hi, HOoters!

    I wrote this blog last week and my left arm where I got the regular flu shot is finally normal. I have a lot of allergies so I guess it isn't surprising that I almost always have a big reaction. My right arm, where I got the H1N1 vax, hardy reacted at all, thankfully.

    Tina Most people who actually get the H1N1 flu, like your twins, just get sick for a few days and then recover. No big deal. The alarming thing is that the people who are dying are young people who are in really good health, otherwise, and have no underlying conditions, or people who do have other conditions, such as asthma, and end up with complications. Things seem to go bad very quickly, too. One minute they are mildly sick, and a short time later their body is shutting down and they are dying. This happened recently to a strapping teenage boy and also to a little 5 yr old girl.

    There is nothing mysterious about the H1N1 vax. It's made exactly like any other flu vaccine. If you are in a high risk category Hello, Zona! it would really be a good idea to get both vaccines.....ijs

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  20. Goldie Congrats on 25! Did my piggy give you a kiss?

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  21. EBJ; Every time I look at your avatar, I think of a cartoon peacock walking into a TNT factory.

    I think it's great that so many of you have either knowledge or experience with this flu-shot stuff.

    I am keeping my fingers crossed that no owls get sick this season.

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  22. SLIN - I second your motion.....ZONA!!!

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  23. Just trying on my costume and test driving my broom!!!

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  24. MARY - Your avatar reminds me of Charlie Brown @ Halloween...."I got a rock"!!! lol!!

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  25. Jodi lol @ Charlie Brown. I think an angel costume would be more appropriate for you :)

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  26. bbl I have to throw some steaks on.

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  27. Hey didn't Carol go to a wedding shower yesterday? I just read that Ivanka Trump was married today in New Jersey. I wonder if that's who the wedding shower was for yesterday? Hmmmmmmmmmm. I don't remember Carol saying who it was for. Oh maybe she will be on Entertainment Tonight or Access Hollywood in the background waving a sign that says "Hi Night Owls", or "Tina is a whore" or Birdee likes to poop on cars". I know, I have too much imagination.

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  28. Shirley, give that morphine back to your mum!!

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  29. OK :(
    Geez I can't have any fun.
    Lol!

    Bonachichi thanks for what you said earlier. ((HUGS))

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  30. Shirley LMBO @ the idea of someone waving a "Birdee poops on cars" sign at the Trumpette's wedding!

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  31. I'm going to make an admition here. There is a story in our local news since last night that a 15 yr old girl was very, very badly beaten and raped at her Homecoming dance, and 5 or 6 boys filmed it on their cell phones! According to the reports, seasoned police officers were visibly shaken when they saw the condition of the girl. It is stories like this that make me want to hurt certain people, hurt them badly, and I wouldn't lose a minute of sleep about it.

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  32. It upsets me so much I couldn't even spell admission.

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  33. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  34. All joking aside, what are these people thinking? How can a human being do such a terrible thing to another? It does anger one. The perpetrators don't deserve to be treated humanely. Unfortunately, they'll probably get a soft treatment because they're minors.

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  35. That was my delete, folks. An inappropriate comment made whilst JustLin was typing hers.

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  36. Bonach The story is still unfolding. Apparently, the main suspect, age 19, has been arrested. I don't believe he goes to the school. They are looking for 5 or 6 more boys that were part of it and for several more who were recording it on their phones. I wouldn't be surprised if it showed on on YouTube. It wasn't enough that she was brutally beaten and raped at an event that should have been a fun memory for her, but the humiliation of having it all witnessed and shared with others.......it just really upsets me, a lot!

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  37. Hello Everyone!!

    I was leaning towards not getting the H1N1 shot until I watched the 60 mins. episode on it last week, holy cow!!

    I am very careful not to say the swine shot after visiting a hog farm this past summer. The swine flu has nothing to do with swines at all. It was inapporpriatley (sp.) labeled and the damage that was done to this incorrect label has been awful. The hog farmers in our area lost a lot of money. We have a lot of hog farms in this area of Illinois and it was hard to watch hog farms go under.

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  38. I walked out the front door earlier and momentarily startled myself. I forgot about the fake spider webs and black spiders I had arranged right outside the door. LOL

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  39. J/Lin; It's said that if you can remember to take your Ginko Biloba, you don't really need it. I'm guessing you forget?

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  40. Bonach That's one thing I don't take and I'd probably forget to even if I was supposed to. LOL

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  41. I just talked to my son's teacher. They had 11 gone today from his room. I only had six gone today.

    Our high school had 110 gone today. Once it gets 150 they have to close the school until everything is disenfected.

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  42. Good evening feathered friends!

    I got my seasonal flu shot this afternoon. The hospital gave them to all employees, so 6 of us went over to the med center and got them. The nurse that gave it was amazing...I didn't feel a thing and so far, my arm is not a bit sore. Last year it was awfully sore right away.

    The flu vax is completely dead, so there is no way it can cause the flu. Anyone getting sick after it is purely coincidental or sick from a different strain. The H1N1 nasal swab IS a live virus and after getting it, you are contagious for 7 days and then you need the shot to follow it up.

    We don't have the H1N1 vax yet, so I don't know if I will get that one. I probably will.

    ZONA...grats on 1st!! Were you still up or did you wake up to get 1?

    TINA...I didn't know Jr and Jr had the H1N1. SO glad they are all better.

    JENNIFER...thanks for mentioning about the swine flu misnomre. No pigs were involved in this pandemic!! (I told y'all my relatives are INNOCENT!)

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  43. Jennifer, have you been vaccinated and if so, how long until it kicks in? If you haven't, aren't you slightly afraid of getting sick yourself?

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  44. Watching DWTS. Can I just say that I can't stand that little whiney Aaron Carter!! I hope he goes home tomorrow. And I hope he doesn't bawl like a little baby!!

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  45. Mo I agree with you about Arron Carter, I was hoping he would go last week. Can't stand him!

    JL we have been watching the news tonight about that 15 year old girl, it is absolutely disgusting. And to find out that they sent the security guards home 1/2 hour before she was attacked! All do to $$$

    Bona, when I was looking for a Halloween owl avatar, I came across this one, it was called "Demon Owl".

    It is kind of freaky!

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  46. Woo I forgot how much I enjoyed getting a 69! It's been a while!

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  47. Congrats on first Zona!

    J/L: They don't even have the H1N1 available to the public yet here in Louisville.

    My nephew had it and some of my bosses kids too. I think my older son had it but he never got diagnosed. My son who lives here is sick since yesterday and he slept in my bed this evening. I guess if it is swine flu I might as well "oink" "oink" now! Because that little piggy just gave it to me...haha ;)

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  48. Jennifer: No offense to the pig farmers out there..I didn't read your comment until after I already posted. "oinK"..i mean oops! *sheepish grin*

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  49. Tina Now those wayward airline pilots are saying that they were on their laptops looking at work schedules. Ha! I bet they were farming!!!! LOL

    MO LOL @ whiney Aaron Carter. I know!!!!

    Bebbi I was lucky my HMO had it the day I went for the regular flu vax. They had just started having the H1N1 to administer 1 1/2 hrs before I got there. Good timing on my part!

    Jennifer I hope you're able to stay healthy while being exposed to all those little walking petri dishes. ;)

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  50. I saw somebody on the street today wearing a mask. Yikes! Should we all start doing that?

    This is all getting a little too reminiscent of the pattern with the big pandemic in 1918, when the flu died down over the summer but roared back in the fall.

    I haven't got a regular flu shot this year, but I think I'm going to get the H1N1 when it becomes available here.

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  51. "Yeah I got the shot....my arm is swollen twice its size and I have a knot the size of a baseball where the stuff went in.......I have been passing blood thru my eyes and I can't walk but I think glowing in the dark will be neat...when the vomiting and diarrhea stops........so I urge everyone to get one....hell...get two!!"

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  52. DeeDee LMBO! Did you sprout a tail, too?

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  53. It has been brought to my attention that my "girl" on the Island has brown eyes and I for sure have blue. The person that asked me about it wanted to know I I had put in brown contacts on the Island. I guess if I am going to be impersonated it better be the right "stuff" on me. j/s

    I had the regular flu shot and it was painless. I can't decide what to do about the H1N1. I get pneumonia so easy and have some lung issues but then I am almost 63 so maybe too old. I don't know what to do.

    DEEDEE: Good thing they let you get a shot cause aren't you just a minute or two older than I am?

    Hope everyone is doing well and sleeping warm

    MO and J/L: I agree with you about Aaron. I want either Kelly or Donnie to win just because I like them so much.

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  54. Dianne If you have chronic lung issues, then you are one of the people who should get the H1N1 vaccine regardless of your age. Ask your doctor about it, okay?

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