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My Son Had Swine Flu -- Maybe
Note: WebMD employees are sharing stories about their experiences with swine flu as part of an occasional series: "WebMD Has Swine Flu."
By Sean Swint
Executive Editor, WebMD
It was the Saturday morning after my 16-year-old son had three friends spend the night.
Two of them woke up that morning feeling bad, and one of them was my son.
At first, my wife and I took it in stride. Put four teenagers together in a downstairs man-cave with a gaming computer, guitars, a bass, two amps, a big TV and video game systems galore, and they generally get about two hours of sleep. At best, my son was usually groggy and grouchy the morning after such an event.
After a few hours though we realized this was a bit different.
Dylan could hardly get off the couch. He felt stuffed up, foggy-headed, and very, very tired. Then we found out he had a fever. So, we figured it was either a bad cold, or … well, I work for WebMD. Swine flu is with me every day as a concept, but now I had to face the possibility that it was about to hit home.
To be honest, I wasn't scared, but I was concerned. I knew from all our stories on WebMD, that despite the fact that swine flu is a "pandemic" and people are dying, in most cases, it's just another form of flu. But as a father, I hated to see my son feeling sick – and I knew swine flu wasn't an illness (if in fact that was what it was) to be trifled with.
My wife and I didn't see the need to take him to an emergency room, so she took him to a local clinic where he was examined by a nurse. The nurse hardly asked any medical questions, and she didn't ask Dylan anything at all, except, "what do you think you have?"
Then, she quickly looked in both ears and said he had a double-ear infection. Dylan hasn't had an ear infection since he was a baby, and then rarely. My wife asked the nurse, is there any way it could be the flu or swine flu?
The nurse said, "No, swine flu is abdominal." Then she prescribed antibiotics. We ignored the diagnosis, and didn't give Dylan the antibiotics.
We tended to Dylan over the weekend as best we could, and it wasn't until Monday afternoon that I could finally get Dylan into his pediatrician, during walk-in hours.
When we got there, we walked into pandemonium. The place was standing room only. This was not your average visit – something was up. I knew that the part of the U.S. that swine flu was hitting was the Southeast, and we live right outside Atlanta. I didn't need to be a scientist to know I was witnessing visual confirmation.
After more than an hour, our name was called, and we were escorted into a doctor's room. When the nurse came in the room about 10 minutes later, she asked all the requisite questions, then tested Dylan for strep (negative). She said since he didn't have a fever this day, she wouldn't test for flu. I knew swine flu doesn't always show up with fever, but I didn't speak up. I knew she'd been dealing with these cases for days now.
When our doctor came in, he did a thorough check-up and talked to us for about 10 minutes. He said it was definitely viral, maybe a bad cold, maybe a sinus infection. He eventually said, let's swab him for flu to see if it might be an "atypical seasonal virus." I thought that was an appropriately diplomatic way to avoid "swine flu." No need to scare people.
When the nurse came back in she said, the test was negative. Still, rapid flu tests are not always accurate. (By the way, the doc checked Dylan's ears. No infection.)
So, we went home with a prescription of rest and fluids, but no solid answer. Still, I was satisfied. I knew my son would be fine.
The bottom line: Even if the flu test came back positive, we would still never know what kind of flu it was, and that will be the case with many people this fall.
So, what did I learn? Three things. One, don't panic. Swine flu is a virus that most people will easily defeat with their own immune systems.
Two: Educate yourself! Know your, or your child's symptoms accurately, know the symptoms of flu or swine flu, and come armed with questions.
And finally, trust your instincts, especially after you've read up on the topics.
As for my son, he was back at his favorite climbing gym scaling a 30-degree incline wall like a teenage gecko several days later. He did say though that illness has hammered his high school, with multiple sick-outs.
And me? So far, I've been granted immunity.
Dr. Michael Smith comments on Sean's experience:
Even swine flu can be a learning experience. I work next to Sean every day and he has the benefit of being knee deep in swine flu and other health information. He probably knows more about swine flu that many doctors. That’s why he knew what to expect, the proper steps to take, and that there was no need to panic. Sean’s experience has probably brought up other questions for you about swine flu. Sean was prepared and you should be too. WebMD’s Swine Flu Center has what you need to know, from swine flu symptoms and the latest developments to whether it’s time to buy a mask. Stay tuned for more swine flu stories from other WebMD employees.
By Sean Swint
Executive Editor, WebMD
It was the Saturday morning after my 16-year-old son had three friends spend the night.
Two of them woke up that morning feeling bad, and one of them was my son.
At first, my wife and I took it in stride. Put four teenagers together in a downstairs man-cave with a gaming computer, guitars, a bass, two amps, a big TV and video game systems galore, and they generally get about two hours of sleep. At best, my son was usually groggy and grouchy the morning after such an event.
After a few hours though we realized this was a bit different.
Dylan could hardly get off the couch. He felt stuffed up, foggy-headed, and very, very tired. Then we found out he had a fever. So, we figured it was either a bad cold, or … well, I work for WebMD. Swine flu is with me every day as a concept, but now I had to face the possibility that it was about to hit home.
To be honest, I wasn't scared, but I was concerned. I knew from all our stories on WebMD, that despite the fact that swine flu is a "pandemic" and people are dying, in most cases, it's just another form of flu. But as a father, I hated to see my son feeling sick – and I knew swine flu wasn't an illness (if in fact that was what it was) to be trifled with.
My wife and I didn't see the need to take him to an emergency room, so she took him to a local clinic where he was examined by a nurse. The nurse hardly asked any medical questions, and she didn't ask Dylan anything at all, except, "what do you think you have?"
Then, she quickly looked in both ears and said he had a double-ear infection. Dylan hasn't had an ear infection since he was a baby, and then rarely. My wife asked the nurse, is there any way it could be the flu or swine flu?
The nurse said, "No, swine flu is abdominal." Then she prescribed antibiotics. We ignored the diagnosis, and didn't give Dylan the antibiotics.
We tended to Dylan over the weekend as best we could, and it wasn't until Monday afternoon that I could finally get Dylan into his pediatrician, during walk-in hours.
When we got there, we walked into pandemonium. The place was standing room only. This was not your average visit – something was up. I knew that the part of the U.S. that swine flu was hitting was the Southeast, and we live right outside Atlanta. I didn't need to be a scientist to know I was witnessing visual confirmation.
After more than an hour, our name was called, and we were escorted into a doctor's room. When the nurse came in the room about 10 minutes later, she asked all the requisite questions, then tested Dylan for strep (negative). She said since he didn't have a fever this day, she wouldn't test for flu. I knew swine flu doesn't always show up with fever, but I didn't speak up. I knew she'd been dealing with these cases for days now.
When our doctor came in, he did a thorough check-up and talked to us for about 10 minutes. He said it was definitely viral, maybe a bad cold, maybe a sinus infection. He eventually said, let's swab him for flu to see if it might be an "atypical seasonal virus." I thought that was an appropriately diplomatic way to avoid "swine flu." No need to scare people.
When the nurse came back in she said, the test was negative. Still, rapid flu tests are not always accurate. (By the way, the doc checked Dylan's ears. No infection.)
So, we went home with a prescription of rest and fluids, but no solid answer. Still, I was satisfied. I knew my son would be fine.
The bottom line: Even if the flu test came back positive, we would still never know what kind of flu it was, and that will be the case with many people this fall.
So, what did I learn? Three things. One, don't panic. Swine flu is a virus that most people will easily defeat with their own immune systems.
Two: Educate yourself! Know your, or your child's symptoms accurately, know the symptoms of flu or swine flu, and come armed with questions.
And finally, trust your instincts, especially after you've read up on the topics.
As for my son, he was back at his favorite climbing gym scaling a 30-degree incline wall like a teenage gecko several days later. He did say though that illness has hammered his high school, with multiple sick-outs.
And me? So far, I've been granted immunity.
Dr. Michael Smith comments on Sean's experience:
Even swine flu can be a learning experience. I work next to Sean every day and he has the benefit of being knee deep in swine flu and other health information. He probably knows more about swine flu that many doctors. That’s why he knew what to expect, the proper steps to take, and that there was no need to panic. Sean’s experience has probably brought up other questions for you about swine flu. Sean was prepared and you should be too. WebMD’s Swine Flu Center has what you need to know, from swine flu symptoms and the latest developments to whether it’s time to buy a mask. Stay tuned for more swine flu stories from other WebMD employees.
2 Comments:
We took our 5 year old granddaughter to a FL emergency room last night, and she tested positive for Swine Flu. Symptoms included a headache, chills, high fever and she slept constantly. With three other grandchildren in the home (a sibling age 6, and two cousins age 6 and 6 wks), we are concerned about the spread of this pandemic. Our girls have always practiced the old fashioned drill of washing the hands and covering your mouth when you cough/sneeze. The ER doc said they have been already exposed, however we have opted to keep our granddaughter at our home as a precautionary measure. What I did not expect while picking up the prescription was the lack of availability of the medicine and the difference in cash price ($60) from one pharmacy to the other. Another example of our drug companies running amuck, and our leaders too busy focusing on party posturing instead of figuring out a way to keep our children healthy and alive. Call your leaders, stomp your feet. This is going to get worse before it gets better.
That must have been a scary time for you. I'm glad your son is alright.
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