And after a search of peer reviewed medical journals I found this:
"Laboratory findings — In a study of 272 patients requiring hospitalization in the United States for pandemic H1N1 influenza A, the following laboratory abnormalities were observed [53]:
Elevated alanine aminotransferase — 58 of 130 (45 percent)
Elevated aspartate aminotransferase — 57 of 131 (44 percent)
Anemia — 87 of 238 (37 percent)
Leukopenia — 50 of 246 (20 percent) http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=4149
Leukocytosis — 44 of 246 (18 percent)
Thrombocytopenia — 33 of 234 (14 percent)
Thrombocytosis — 20 of 234 (9 percent)
Elevated total bilirubin — 6 of 121 (5 percent)
In a study of individuals with probable pandemic H1N1 influenza A infection, relative lymphopenia (≤21 percent of white blood cells) without leukopenia was observed in 23 of 25 adults, but in only 3 of 16 children [54]."
Jen may have been fighting the flu long before showing symptoms.
What about this flu shots?
How is your sister now Linda?
Jen arrived in Moose Jaw with really poor colouring (the trip was hard on her) but by Sunday she'd shaken the flu and left feeling so much better (it was also a huge relief to her to have the doc give her a thorough check-up). She has another appointment in January to check her blood again.
Finally got my H1N1 last evening-. Since the initial fiasco here in Alberta and closure of clinics for a few days the province has gradually reopened with specific risk groups, adding new groups every couple of days. Should have done that in the first place. Yesterday was lst day for over 65. I was driving home from LH going past one of the clinics and decided to swing in and check it out - it was about 5 pm - I basically just walked thru! Nurse said good thing I didnt wait ( I was going to wait till next week, thought there would be lineups again today) but nurse said good thing I didnt because they are opening up to everybody after today!
As predicted by shoulder was quite a bit more sore than with regular shot but I just took a couple of anti=inflammatories and it is just a touch sore this am at the injection site.
Glad that is over with!
My sister is still coughing, can hardly talk before she starts. She doesn't have a fever but she's exhausted. And stubborn. 2 other close friends are almost through with their bout with it after 2+ weeks. Another friend, young man about 40, HIV+ was really sick and almost died. He's so glad 2 weeks ago I asked about his cough, and warned him...
250+ at the funeral yesterday, our 27 yo friend that died last week of a blood clot.
Patches of blue out there... more rain in the forecast.
I need a good joke to lift my spirits.... lets here them!
Linda
The hospital has 4 resistant cases of H1N1 - all are very very sick with multiple organ issues.
Linda
From Nicole for you:
Two muffins were in the oven and one says" boy it's hot in here"
What did the other one say?
OMG a talking muffin!!!!!!.....
Barump bump.
Ann
OMG Linda... I'm so sorry!
It seems that the majority of H1N1 cases are in fact quite mild but when there is a severe case it is really bad. We've had a young mother here who was so bad they had to put her in an artificial coma on respirator to rest her body and help treat - she has survived and is now home but has a long road to go. to recover
Still there are very few deaths in relation to 'regular flu' which kills several thousand every year in Canada , something people forget or just don't realize. Of course with 'regular' flu it is usually at risk people who are the worst sufferers and H1N1 is hitting healthy young people in many cases or younger people with risk factors.
I went in Thursday morning when they opened the clinic. There were 47 people ahead of me. They gave us each a number and by 9AM I was out of there having had the shot.
Much better than what they did over the first few weeks of running the clinics.
How lomg does it take for your body to build up the immunity to H1N1? a few weeks?
Lily's post says 10-14 days.
Three of the folks I mentioned have died. All had underlying medical conditions too. Fancy you are right about regular flu causing deaths -- but as you said --the risks for the young/healthy are significant and that has only happened a few times in other epidemics.
Clinics here are opening to anybody on Monday.
Paper reports we have had 45 deaths in this province and about 1000 cases admitted to hospital.
It will be interesting to see what happens when they open the clinics up on Monday to the general public here. I bet it's going to be another gong show. I can't understand why they don't have a system, say alphabetical or something, so that everyone doesn't rush to the clincs at once.
They are using armbands with numbers I think.
Yes, on Thursday I was given a numbered wristband and told that I could go for coffee and come back when they were nearer to my number. I joined the line and was through very quickly.
I am in Berlin but there was an email from ny Ottawa City Councillor indicating that the clinics in Ottawa are now open to all.
Got my H1N1 shot this afternoon. Got to the clinic at 4:30 pm, filled out the form, got in line and got my shot at 4:45 pm. Amazing. Where'd all the people go??? LOL.
(Carol - I went to the clinic near you. Apparently gets busy after 4:30 pm because that's the end of some of the nurses's shifts. Busiest time around 5:30 pm according to one of the staffers).
Jo also people going past there on way home from work.
And yes number of nurses would sure affect the lineups!
We are in Montreal on our way home from Germany. Picked up a German newspaper which had an article about unusually large numbers of allergic reactions in Canada. I've been gone a week. What have you folks heard?
Ann
I have not heard anything. Papers here continues to report deaths - usually people who have risk factors and of course possible they were nevervaccinated or not in time since it takes a couple of weeks .
But I dont always bother to read full articles anymore.
I suspect that something happened somewhere and a reporter picked up on it. They always seem to make things into sensational things.
Heard on the radio today about severe reactions, but the info was very vague
BC was reporting an increase of adverse reactions. The gov't is looking into a specific batch of the vaccine.
After hearing that, I'm glad when I went to my GP yesterday they were out of the vaccine. She didn't repeat her opinion that I should have both the seasonal and the H1N1 vac. I've only had one flu vaccine, back in '99 and 2 weeks later all my health problems began. I'm not going to have the shots unless my GP is very convincing.
Linda
For those of you who have had the H1N1 vaccine, how sore was your arm? I have some musical activities coming up and don't want to put myself out of action. I had very little soreness from the seasonal flu vaccine.
Ann
I was just aware of my left arm-----not really sore.
When I got mine, I got the seasonal in my right arm and the H1N1 in my left. My left was considerably sorer (is that a word?), but it dissipated in a couple days. Ann, be sure to have them put the H1N1 shot in the arm that is less used. No other side effects though.
I didn't have any trouble but I always get it in my dominant arm so I move it on a regular basis. I could feel it if I bumped it but not when I moved it.
I also had the regular flu shot in the same arm the week before.
Ann
You are lucky Ann; the arm I had the H1N1 shot in, I could hardly lift that evening. But everyone is different, and even in the past with just the seasonal flu shot, my arm is a little tender to the touch for a couple days, My husband on the other hand, doesn't have any discomfort at all. (At least that what he claims...Men!) ^_^
I have to have both shots in my right arm. The HlNl site was rather sore that evening ( I had the shot about 5pm) and I recall taking some Ibuprofen at bedtime but it was OK next day, just a bit sore to touch which is my general reaction to flu shot also. My shots were about a month apart,
As an RN in a NICU we were required to get our vaccines due to our at risk patients. Had both of my vaccines Nov. 1. H1N1 arm was sore for a couple of days; no reaction to the seasonal vaccine; had them both at the same time.
We got ours this morning. So far, just slight tenderness - perhaps a bit more tender than the seasonal flu shot was, but it's not getting in my way yet.
I got my H1N1 and regular flu shot a couple of weeks ago and the H1N1 was definitely much more painful. The site was very hard and redness to about three inches across. I could not lie on that side at bedtime and heaven help anyone who inadvertently bumped my arm ! I took some Tylenol (that's all I'm allowed because I am on Warfarin) and it was fine in about four days. These were my first flu shots ever and I probably wouldn't have bothered getting them but my doctor and daughter MADE me !!
Heather
Yikes, that's tough, Heather. It effects us all differently, doesn't it? I was pretty sore in the H1N1 arm for a few days, but no redness at all. The seasonal shot was the same as always, a little tender, but not bad at all.
No redness here, but a bit swollen and hard. And quite tender still. Doesn't bother me to play the viola though.