The Road Goes on Forever and the Flu Never Ends

From the CDC website:

Epidemiologic data collected during spring 2009 found that most people with the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus who were not hospitalized had a fever that lasted 2 to 4 days

Uh huh, whatever. Sierra's lasted 5 days (5 days of serious fever). Sedona, is on day EIGHT. Yes, EIGHT. And I'm bitter, and I'm tired, and she walks around with her backpack on saying, "school? school?" Granted, it's a very low grade fever at this point and she had 2 full days last week with no fever at all, but it is over the CDC's guideline of 100.0. I'm gonna call the nurse in the morning just to say, "dude, what gives?"

And I could get started on a whole 'nother flu rant here, but I'll zip my lip and just send a *wink, wink *nudge, nudge out to Brandy and leave it at that.

I've worked with newborn babies for several years now and around the Holidays is always the hardest time to keep them well. The whole family wants (and has the time to) come visit, and I understand that, I really do. But PLEASE, if you are around any babies (especially newborns, but anyone under 2), be extra careful about hygiene. Wash your hands when you enter the house. Don't put the mother in the awkward position of asking you to do it, many are too shy to. Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer frequently while you are there. If you have had so much as a sniffle or a cough recently, stay away. I can vouch that adults or older children with minimal symptoms can pass the flu (or something else that's just as serious for a newborn) onto a baby and they are the ones who will end up with the full list of symptoms. It isn't pretty. I see too many babies back in the hospital around November/December because they spike fevers. It really isn't a good time of year to congregate around a new baby. This goes double for babies you don't know---don't get in their face and don't touch them. I remember all too well the horror I felt that people thought it was okay to be up in my baby's face (a preemie, at that!) during cold and flu season. Yes, they're cute, and they're not yours--it's not okay to get up close and personal. Admire from afar, the mother will appreciate it.