Swine Flu

Surviving the Swine Flu – Monday, August 3, 2009

by Dianne on August 3, 2009

8-1-09 Eliana Skypes with Soleil from one bedroom to another in the same house!

8-1-09 Eliana Skypes with Soleil from one bedroom to another in the same house!

Friends:

It was an interesting weekend at our house. Because Soleil has been sick with the swine flu, Eliana had been staying with my mom since Wednesday. She was really missing home. So we decided to let Eliana come home on Saturday, August 1, 2009. With Soleil quarantined to her bedroom, the sisters spoke to each other by Skype. Eliana was on her mini laptop in her bedroom Skyping with her sister next door! hahaha But it helped keep the girls connected.

Soleil was feeling a little better so we decided to go out for a bit. Eliana is entering a gourmet burger cook-off contest for kids so we decided to shop for her ingredients. She is making “Flaming Flamenco Burgers,” with a taste of Southern Spain and “Ragin’ Cajun Burgers,” with a taste of Louisiana! We went to St. James Cheese Company on Prytania Street in New Orleans for our cheeses and Serrano ham.

8-1-09 St. James Cheese Company's cheeses

8-1-09 St. James Cheese Company's cheeses

Afterwards, we went to Sucre’, a “sweet boutique” on Magazine Street in New Orleans. The desserts at Sucre’ are a sweet tooth’s dream! Walk into the store and a sugary, chocolatey aroma engulfs your senses, rendering you unable to walk out empty-bellied. Decadent desserts that look like mini sculptures, deliriously dreamy artisan chocolates, mouth-watering gelatos, and jaw-dropping, towering cakes covered in edible “sparkles” tempt the palate. A journey into Sucre’ is not for the weak-willed! Dieters, be forewarned…

8-1-09 Sucre's marvelous macaroon cake

8-1-09 Sucre's marvelous macaroon cake

Eliana had the pleasure of meeting Chef Tariq Hanna, the sweet shop’s pastry chef and owner as well as his lovely wife. Sucre’ is the kind of place that fans of Willy Wonka congregate when they are “grown up.” The shop has a sophisticated yet still playful ambience. Chef Tariq is the master of engaging all of the senses in creating his delectable treats. He was so “sweet” and talked to me and Eliana for quite some time. Such a master is Chef Tariq, that he is one of the chef’s competing in TLC’s Ultimate Cake-Off, which airs episodes this month. You can catch a sneak peek tonight on TLC at 9:00 p.m. CDT.

8-1-09 Kid Chef Eliana with Pastry Chef Tariq Hanna of Sucre in New Orleans

On Sunday, Soleil woke up with a swollen eye. But it proved to be temporary and by Sunday night, she had joined the “general population.” My mom even came to visit for a little while. Eliana and I spent most of Sunday cooking. We tested her new recipe for “Flamin’ Flamenco Burgers,” which was very tasty but still needed to be “tweaked.”

8-2-09 Eliana grills Flamin' Flamenco burgers

8-2-09 Eliana grills Flamin' Flamenco burgers

She also made her “Devil’s Food Monster Muffins,” yummy low-fat chocolate muffins. Eliana did a video tutorial. You can find it on her website, Eliana Cooks! Cooking for her family is one of Eliana’s joys.

8-2-09 Eliana makes Devil's Food Monster Muffins

8-2-09 Eliana makes Devil's Food Monster Muffins

It looks like Soleil is feeling a lot better. I disinfected her room and washed her bedding, taking every precaution to prevent the spread of this illness. She is on her last day of Tamiflu and it looks like she’ll be able to return to work tomorrow. So far (knock on wood), no one else has contracted the bothersome bug. I am looking forward to a completely healthy household!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

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How Swine Flu Turns a Household Topsy Turvy – July 31, 2009

by Dianne on August 1, 2009

7-31-09 Soleil's bedside table

7-31-09 Soleil's bedside table

Friends:

It is the Day After. The day after we found out our 19 year old daughter tested positive for swine flu. Life is so far from “normal.”

At 10:00 a.m. this morning, I donned my blue surgical mask from the doctor’s office and checked on Soleil. She was snuggled underneath her comforter, snoring slightly, probably due to the fact that she cannot breathe through her nose and has to breathe entirely through her mouth. I touched her skin. No fever. Good sign. I sighed relief. I woke her up to take her medications. Tamiflu has to be taken twice a day. She also has to take Cheratussin (Robitussin with codeine) for the cough and mucus build-up. She grumbled and snuggled deeper. She was tired. Understandably.

It has only been a full day since the doctor diagnosed her and our household has been turned upsidedown. Soleil’s younger sister, Eliana, is now “residing” at my mom’s house. She is 9 years old and we wanted to minimize her exposure to the swine flu. Because I am Soleil’s primary caregiver, it is best for me to stay inside, cloistered in the house. So we Skype. “Mommy, I miss you! When can I come home?” she asks.

“Not yet,” I respond, aching to hold her, tickle her and hear her laughter in my ears. We make goofy faces at each other. My mom drops in to talk. Normally, this scene wouldn’t be out of the ordinary because I travel a lot. Except this time, we are Skyping and my mom lives only five minutes away.

7-31-09 Skyping w Eliana & my mom

7-31-09 Skyping w Eliana & my mom

“I love yooooooou!” Eliana yells as she blows kisses at the webcam. I love you too, baby, more than you know!

Antonio stayed home from work today. He’s not sick but his boss had concerns. Antonio works at a large medical center in downtown New Orleans. An outbreak of swine flu there would be horrendous. So he decided to work from home to minimize the risk to his employees.

Soleil has gone through a case a half of 16.9 ounce waters since yesterday, I kid you not. Like Tantalus in the Greek myth, Soleil seems to be incessantly thirsty and unable to quench her thirst. Of course, this is not a punishment but a side effect of her combined medications.

Earlier this afternoon, when I checked on Soleil, her fever had returned. It seems to ebb and flow like the tide, a reminder that her body is still fighting this menacing virus. More Ibuprofen 600.

I disinfected the doorknobs and Soleil’s bathroom again. This must be done on a daily basis. My hands are so dry from the constant hand-washing and sanitizing but it’s a small price to pay to stay as safe as possible. Soleil must remain quarantined in her room. If she enters the common area of the house, she wears a surgical mask. She doesn’t come out often. It’s too much trouble. She hates the mask. It makes her hot and fogs up her glasses. She is, though, making the best of these unfortunate turn of events. Though she is confined to her room, she stays connected with her friends by cell phone and laptop. And although she has a TV and DVD player in her room, YouTube is her constant companion.

If Soleil needs something, she calls me on my cell phone. It’s kind of comical since we’re under the same roof. Her voice is still weak and she can’t call out. I bring her hot soup, bottled water, and whatever else she needs. Tonight, my mom made a big batch of sotonghon (so-tong-HONE), a Filipino soup with chicken and rice noodles, laden with fresh ginger. Its very scent smells healing.

7-31-09 My mom's sotanghon soup with fresh ginger and French bread

7-31-09 My mom's sotanghon soup with fresh ginger and French bread

I haven’t been feeling very well so I helped myself to a big bowl of this warm, filling soup. Yes, Mom’s soup is nourishment for the body and the spirit! Mom also sent over a big basket of fresh fruit – oranges, nectarines, peaches and plums, a veritable summer orchard. Soleil ate three pieces of fruit. Normally, this is insignificant. But today, it is a milestone. She’s hungry. She’s eating. She’s holding it down.

7-31-09 Basket of fruit from Mom

7-31-09 Basket of fruit from Mom

We canceled all our family plans this weekend (a baby shower, White Linen Night in the New Orleans Arts District, and the movies). No Harry Potter for us. Luckily, we have streaming Netflix, a 50 inch TV, and a Blueray player. This can get my husband through any quarantine!

Yesterday, I contacted our hotel in Cancun, Dreams Resort and Spa regarding their “swine flu free guarantee” and their promise of three free vacations if you contract the swine flu while on vacation. They asked for the doctor’s report. Today, we obtained the official report and diagnosis from the doctor’s office and emailed it to the hotel. Now we’ll see if they honor their guarantee.

Before all this, the swine flu was just another current event in the news. No one we knew contracted it and we followed all the recommended precautions, so we didn’t expect our daughter to get sick. And we didn’t expect our entire household would be so affected. Never before has the flu spun us around like this!

But we wait and hope that Soleil heals quickly. I laughed when my friend Kelly Milner Halls said, “She’ll be a hero at school. She can say she beat the swine flu! She’s a current event.” And laughter is good medicine.

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

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Dealing with the Swine Flu – Thursday, July 30, 2009

by Dianne on July 31, 2009

7-24-09 Dianne, Antonio, Eliana & Soleil with Tulum Mayan Dancers

7-24-09 Dianne, Antonio, Eliana & Soleil with Tulum Mayan Dancers in Mexico

Friends:

It was supposed to be an idyllic family vacation in Cancun, Mexico. Turquoise waters. Sugar sands. Mayan Ruins. Fun in the Caribbean sun. And it was. Until we got home.

7-25-09 Soleil and Eliana being goofy in the hotel room on our last night in Cancun

7-25-09 Soleil and Eliana being goofy in the hotel room on our last night in Cancun

Our family (my husband, our 19 year old daughter, Soleil, our 9 year old daughter, Eliana, and I) vacationed in Cancun, Mexico from July 20-26, 2009 at Dreams Resort & Spa. On the last day we were there, Soleil didn’t feel well and stayed in bed while we went to Mercado 28 downtown and took a last dip at the beach. Before we left, Soleil asked if she could see the resort’s doctor but there was no time. We had a flight to catch.

7-26-09 Last day in Cancun, view from Dreams Spa & Resort hotel room balcony

7-26-09 Last day in Cancun, view from Dreams Spa & Resort hotel room balcony

We arrived home late Sunday night, July 26. Soleil went to work late on Monday. By Monday evening, she was complaining of a sore throat and asking for tea. She went to work on Tuesday but later that night, she began coughing and sneezing. She felt so bad that she decided not to go to work on Wednesday. By this time, her nose was dripping and we thought she had a really bad cold. She took over the counter medication, which provided little relief.

On Thursday morning (July 30), she barely had any voice. When I looked at her, she was flush. I touched her skin and she was burning up. When I took her temperature, she was running 102.5 F fever. She didn’t want to eat the soup I made for her and complained of achiness and chills. I was alarmed but I didn’t want to jump to conclusions. Still, my mind wandered… “We did just return from Mexico. She has all the flu symptoms.” I called the doctor’s office and talked to a nurse who advised me to bring her in right away.

So, of course, I did. While waiting for the doctor, she had uncontrollable chills and was still burning up. She wanted nothing more than to lie down. After a long wait at the “Urgent Care,” they finally called her name.

The doctor swabbed her nostrils and said she tested positive for Influenza A – H1N1, commonly referred to as the “swine flu.” Concerned about pneumonia, he took chest x-rays, which fortunately showed no signs of pneumonia. The doctor prescribed her Tamiflu, Ibuprofen 600 for the headache and aches, and Robitussin with codeine for her cough and mucus build-up. We were also given a “Swine Influenza” information sheet.

7-30-09 Soleil's Influenza A - H1N1 medications

7-30-09 Soleil's Influenza A - H1N1 medications

After filling her prescriptions at our Neighborhood Wal-Mart, we went home where she promptly crawled into bed. Unfortunately, Soleil has to be quarantined. If she comes into the common areas of the house, she has to wear a mask. I am supposed to wear a mask when I enter her room. Because she is quarantined, I have to wait on her hand and foot. This, I don’t mind. I am her mother. That’s what mothers do… We take care of our children and we pray for their speedy recovery.

We had to send our 9 year old daughter, Eliana, away to stay with my mom. She is young and we wanted to minimize her exposure to the illness. This, I mind. She’s starting school soon and I am sad that I don’t get to spend as much time with her.

The swine flu is a costly illness. Soleil is missing a lot of work. Since she is a student worker, she does not get paid for the days she does not work. She has no “sick leave.” The doctor visit included the H1N1 swab, x-rays, and medication administered on-site. That will no doubt cost a pretty penny. Tamiflu is not cheap either. Fortunately, we have health insurance but all these costs add up and we pay for it, one way or another.

The good news is that Soleil seems to be responding well to the medications. Earlier today, she was listless and exhausted. This evening, she was sitting up in bed, asking for orange juice. She has been drinking a ton of water so dehydration shouldn’t be an issue.

When we booked our vacation, our resort promised a “swine-flu free guarantee” or they would give guests three free vacations. It is even advertised on the hotel’s Facebook page. As soon as we arrived home from the doctor, I wrote a letter, attached a photo of Soleil’s prescriptions, and emailed it to their customer service department. It will be interesting to see how they respond in the face of a claim. I will let you know how all this works out… Of course, I wouldn’t trade three free vacations for my daughter’s health any day. Her well-being is tantamount. But I do hope the hotel follows through with their guarantee as a show of good faith. One of the reasons we chose that hotel was because of that guarantee. We postponed our family vacation from May because of the swine flu epidemic and U.S. travel advisories.

Thank you to everyone who sent their well-wishes. Soleil is strong and is already conquering this swine flu. It too will become yet another story in our lives…

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

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