oink oink...

We have all been hit will illnesses this summer. It started with Sailor in June with a ridiculous cough, then me a few week later and even our little Hobie was not immune and got his first cold. We thought that Vanz may have made it though unscathed, but he was just preparing us for something far worse.  

He started not feeling well a week ago Saturday evening and it hit him hard Sunday. Ironically, he had a scheduled doctors appointment on Tuesday and he was in the full throngs of the flu by then. The doctor prescribed him some cough meds and said if he didn't start noticing improvement to come back in a few days. He said he was certain it was the worst flu he had ever experienced, but since he had not been out of the country recently (his Australia trip was over a month ago) they didn't initially suspect the swine flu, however she didn't completely rule it out either.  

By Thursday, he was really sick with the flu and also having breathing problems. I happened to have a doctors appointment on Thursday (Vanz and I share a primary care physician) and gave him my appointment. She took x-rays and said it appeared that he had the onset of pneumonia. She gave him antibiotics and said he should notice a difference in a few days. In the meantime he got a blessing and we figured by Saturday or Sunday he should be back to feeling somewhat decent, but he continued to get worse. By Saturday night he feeling horrible and by Sunday morning was really having a difficult time breathing. We called the advise nurse on call and our plan was to go to urgent care, but she said to take him to the hospital emergency room.  

After calling to arrange help with Sailor and sharing time for Primary which I was supposed to do (thank you so much Heidi!!) Vanz, Hobie and I headed to the emergency room. One face mask, more x-rays, hospital gown, IV, new medicines, two breathing treatments and four hours later we were told that not only did he have pneumonia, but the doctor suspected that it was viral and caused by the H1N1 virus (ie. the swine flu). The good news is that we think he is over the worst of it. We have no idea where he contracted it and we think that the rest of us have escaped getting it, although we have to watch Hobie very carefully for any signs of fever or cough for the next few days. However, the doctor felt pretty optimistic that he would have contracted it by now if he was going to get it.  Vanz is still very sick, but home and feeling like he is finally getting better rather than worse.  

 As Vanz likes to say...."This pig is survivor of H1N1"