Pregnant woman's flu ordeal

Austin American Statesman ^ | 10.23.2009 | Donald G. McNeil Jr.

[wolfcreek]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The group most threatened by swine flu and most in need of the new vaccine, world health authorities say, is that of pregnant women.

For example, Aubrey Opdyke.

On June 27, Opdyke, a 27-year-old waitress and former high school swimmer who weighed 135 pounds before her pregnancy and had no health risks other than a smoking habit, came down with mild flu symptoms.

She just came home from the hospital three weeks ago.

[wolfcreek]

These stories just keep popping up.

What WON'T this flu do?

[wolfcreek]

ping!

[Señor Zorro]

and had no health risks other than a smoking habit

That seems like a pretty big one, especially in the light of a pregnancy.

[TheWriterTX]

God, please bless this woman, her husband and family, and accept little baby Parker into Your loving, heavenly arms.

[ntmxx]

If this were true, then last year when the Government was saying Swine Flu, Mexican Flu or H1N1 is no big deal. Were they lying then or are they lying now? Or in the alternative, is the Government implementing a program of infanticide as a form of forced birth control. And as a side note, what of birth defects associated with this Flu?

[OB1kNOb]

ping-a-sad-ling

[dawn53]

We’ve had a couple pregnant women in our area die from H1N1. In both of their cases, the babies survived.

[Tennessee Nana]

When I was in the military and pregnant in the fall of 1973, I did not get a flu shot...

They were suppose to be mandatory for enlisted people, so I asked my doctor whether or not he could affirm the ingrediants would hurt my unborn baby...

When he admitted that he didnt know, I told him that I would not be getting a shot...

I never got the flu...

The situation was much the samer then...people anxious to get a shot so they wouldnt get the flu...

And no proof that the shot would not be worse...

[Free State Four]

That seems like a pretty big one, especially in the light of a pregnancy.

Yup. Pregnancy changes everything in your body, including your lungs. This is one reason pregnant women are at special risk for this flu. Throw in smoking and you've got a big ol' target on your forehead. Pregnancy is one of the few reasons I might take the H1N1 shot. But, this old brood mare has hung up her hooves, so no H1N1 vaccination for me.

[wolfcreek]

ping

[wolfcreek]

My oldest is due any day now. She said no way to the H1N1 vaccine even though her doctor recommended it.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

Sure.

Smoking during pregnancy is always a good idea.

I wonder what else she was doing?

What a tragedy.

[DvdMom]

Smokin’ Joe i’m pinging your list , & some other freepers to a new article H1N1 thread ping .

Thanks for all you do Freeper Smokin’ Joe :)

[Smokin' Joe]

Thank You for keeping us all informed, DvdMom!

[fightinJAG]

Yep. But, still, the word needs to get out about pre-natal care, pregnancy and swine flu.

[tricky_k_1972]

I like this form the article:

As they said this, Aubrey Opdyke was doing her daily physical therapy, struggling to lift one-pound weights. Her therapist interrupted to announce that she opposed flu shots. "Have you ever read the labels?" she asked. "They're so full of toxins."

Asked if she realized that a shot, had it existed in June, might have saved her client and her baby, she frowned and went back to her clipboard.

I had another article posted today about the Mumps outbreak in New York and New Jersey, I tell ya these anti-immunization nut jobs are going to get us all killed.

My earlier Mumps post.

[tricky_k_1972]

I think you might have read this wrong, she did not get the flue shot and hence got the flu which caused her to loose the baby.

[autumnraine]

My pregnant friend is torn as to what to do. Get the vaccine she doesn’t trust or take the chance with the flu?

I don’t know what to tell her either.

[Caesar Soze]

Have you read this blog by a New York pediatrician about anti-vaxers? He compares the upper-class urban liberals he treats with the lower class residents of NYC. The lower classes are under vaccinated, but the upper classes are increasingly unvaccinated. Undervaccination among the poor is an obvious result of poor education, lack of money, and shor-sighted lifestyle. But what explains the complete lack of vaccination among the upper class? He believes the combination of cynicism and empowerment in the upper classes breeds anti-vaccinationism. We see some of this on the right, too: Witness the many people on this forum who say they will refuse the vaccine because Obama is president. (Evidently, one election retroactively changes years of medical data and non-political institutions.)

The blogger also makes the point that vaccines are culturally self-defeating. Within a generation of the introduction of a vaccine, people will forget how bad a disease was. The voices of those that remember the disease will fade, and those that died of the disease are left voiceless.

This blog also has an interesting theory, interpreting anti-vaccinationism as a New Age vitalism. I've seen some of this on the right, too. There are those who would prefer to see disease spread vs. vaccination, because the survivors will have "natural" immunity. Those that die are quickly dismissed as suffering from "risk factors" or "complications," as if that obviates the utility of vaccination.

[wolfcreek]

If she’s really worried, maybe wear a mask, stay out of large groups of people especially children or parents) and wash her hands very often.

Here’s an e-mail I got from my Father about prevention.

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat.
In a global epidemic of this nature, it’s almost impossible to avoid
coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact
with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of
H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of
symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple
steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be
practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official
communications).

2. “Hands-off-the-face” approach. Resist all temptations to
touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).

3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if
you don’t trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in
the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic
symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling
with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that
Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don’t underestimate this simple,
inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. *Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once
every day with warm salt water. *Not everybody may be good at Jala
Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities),
but *blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with
cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing
down viral population.*

5. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in
Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). *If you have to supplement
with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost
absorption.

6. *Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you
can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in
the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the
throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do
any harm.