Ahhh, Blessed Swine Flu

Tanner with his Tamiflu, a craft, and his medicine chart

I have been terrified of swine flu, and who wouldn't be? Every time you turn on the news, there is some story about a horrific swine flu related death. That's why when my sister Annie got the swine flu (which she she promptly changed to be called, "Pretty Princess Flu") I was horrified. I was afraid to even talk to her on the phone for fear a spit droplet might come through the line and land on my face.

Despite my best efforts to evade the dreaded illness, our little Tanner came down with a fever of 103 on Sunday. He kept saying he was having a headache, but we just assumed it was from watching conference and didn't think much of it until we took his temperature. So, I made Zac stay home with Ian and Ashlyn Monday morning (I was NOT going to take them into the germ infested doctors office, where they would have probably licked the toys) and I took Tanner in, wrapped in a blanket in his pajamas. *Which he was mad at me for, because he felt fine and wanted to be dressed and not wrapped in a blanket. The doctor tested him for Influenza A and he came back positive. Because of the amount of tests being submitted and the cost for swine flu testing, they are not able to confirm with 100% that this is swine flu, but the doctor said he was almost certain that it was.

Zac and I both freaked out. I went to the store and got 6 bottles of hand sanitizer and tons of juice. We made the boy a bed on the couch and quarantined him from his brother and sister. I boiled bath toys and washed sheets...much to the offense of both Ashlyn and Ian (Ashlyn: I'm sick, I have a cough, where is my juice? Ian: I sick mom, hold me!).

Now that we are all settled in to our little bunker, we are bored! Now that the fever is gone, Tanner does not have a cough, sneeze, sniffle, sore throat, or anything, but having been diagnosed with swine flu, he can't go anywhere for the next 7 days!!! We are going crazy. He wants to be outside and at school and is bouncing off the walls. So far the rest of us are staying healthy and are counting our blessings.

1) We are glad that this is a very mild case. Maybe now that he has had it, he won't get the more severe kind.
2) We think that having it in our home is building up our immunity to it.
3) It has gotten me out of about 10 obligations this week including babysitting, football, and achievement days.
4) It has kept us home and not at town spending money.
5) It has made us find creative ways to spend time together as a family.

So now that you can see how blessed we have been by swine flu, feel free to come on by and drink out of our cups!