H1N1 has left the building!

YAY!!! We are all feeling better.

Mason and Charlotte both went to school yesterday, and Matt went back to work. Mason still seemed a little worn out during the afternoon, but he's doing great. His cough is sticking around, but with bronchitis it may be around for a long time yet.

Last night was the first night I wasn't coughing during the night, I slept great, and this morning my lungs feel good, clear, and almost actually normal! I'm still feeling a little run down, and trying to take it easy, but it feels so good to be feeling better!

H1N1 was no fun, and I'm thankful it's gone, we are all now immune (even baby!), and we don't need to worry about it anymore.

For historical purposes, here was my personal experience with it, note that I never had a fever:

• Day 1 - Morning: Cough, no fever, feeling run down. Positive influenza A swab at doc office. Afternoon was spent in bed with cough, aches, and a massive headache. Started Tamiflu in the evening.
• Day 2 - unable to get out of bed, achy, cough, headache, and tired.
• Day 3 - Feeling a bit better, thinking the Tamiflu helped. Cough and exhausted, but aches and headache are *mostly* gone.
• Day 4 - Woke up to still a bad cough, and coughed up a spot of blood. Called the midwife and they put me on an antibiotic to head off any potential for infection due to irritated lungs. Feeling EXTREMELY exhausted, hard to keep my eyes open!
• Day 5 - Feeling ok, it's now Halloween. I seem to be getting better, although my cough is still bad, and lungs feel pretty 'wheezy'. Can't be out of bed for too long before needing a rest. Naps still necessary.
• Day 6 - Coughed up another spot of blood, called the midwife who said to come in. She listened to my lungs, which sounded clear, and my oxygen saturation was great at 99%. As a precaution, due to the wheezing I felt, she wanted to put me on two inhalers. One a broncodilator, the other a steroid. Hmmm...more drugs for baby?
• Day 7 - Still a little wheezy and decide to use the broncodilator inhaler (albuterol), but skip the steroid one (flovent). It seems to help clear my lungs, and Matt is back at work and I manage most of the day by myself with the kids. DEFINITELY feeling better.
• Day 8 - TODAY. I wake up realizing I slept soundly and didn't cough in the night. My lungs feel clear, and I actually have enough energy to get up and help with the kids. Today, I'm declaring victory over h1n1 for me and baby :)

To be honest, the worst part for me was seeing Mason so, so, sick. He was really not himself. He usually has a very strong immune system and it surprised me to see him so set back by this. I praise God he is doing well. Before it hit our house, I wasn't afraid of h1n1, I felt like it was just another virus. Well, turns out I did underestimate it a little bit...but it wasn't much worse than I expected.

Now the most important piece of this post and my experience with h1n1. My husband. For the last week, he has managed the kids, meals, a sick wife, laundry, shopping, doctor appointments, cleaning, etc so very gracefully. Never a complaint, never a harsh word, never asking for anything. He had to give up his job for a week and take over mine. I have truly seen God shining in him and I know his complete faith and trust in our Lord helped not just the sick ones in this house, but him as well. We had no choice, he had to be the one here to take care of us, but he did it with grace. Thank you, my sweet, caring husband :)

Thanks also to everyone praying for us, I could feel God's healing presence in our home. And a special thank you to my dear friend, Sarah, for all the errands, groceries, and meal deliveries. Yes...that's what we do for each other, but it is GREATLY appreciated.

And to H1N1...pppphhhhbbblllttt!!! I told you so!