Lupus Support Group

Me and my son both had the swine flu last week.. he took a harder blow than me..his has a primary immune deficiency but i mean i was sick but we caught it early enough took tamiflu and so did he he was almost hospitalized with pneumonia but we chose to keep him home with the slightest change we would take him in but he did ok.. i did get ill from it fevers and body aches but the worst was i also got bronchitis and laryngitis.. my husband loved that i couldnt talk for 2 days.. if i have had the swine flu can i get the vaccine now..

I think I have the flu so its too late for me. I feel terrible and kelsey is sick too. Even if I did get the shot it wouldn't have covered me. From what I feel now I would say get the shot because you don't want this. My husband has been sick for 9 days and is still hacking and coughing. I have been feeling bad for about a week but its just now getting worse.

Hi friends,
I have had the both flu shots now. The health dept here let me have one. I really hope it was the right thing to do, but honestly I feel like I need to take the chance because with my immune system the way it is, I just feel safer.
Hugs to all,
Lyndi

Our entire family, except my husband, has had the H1N1 (we were an early state - OK that was epidemic early) and now I am immune until it mutates, but that shouldn't be this year. My kid's pediatrician is NOT recommending the H1N1 due to its experimental nature (i.e. it has not been used enough) and my rheumy felt pretty much the same. The rheumy did, however, want me to get the regular flu shot, as usual as there is a NASTY flu B coming this year. As a rule, H1N1 was fairly mildly in 3 out of 4 of us as flu goes...I just had to have pneumonia at the same time but which had come out of bronchitis (been a long fall) So, that is my two cents....However, I can't find the regular flu anywhere due to them ordering so many H1N1 vaccinations....so I am a little nervous for REAL flu season to start!!!

If you do decide to get a vaccine, the shot or "dead" virus is definitely the one to get from everything I have been told and researched!

Blessings!

I have had SLE for 10 years, and my rheumatologist advised me also to get the inactive or killed virus--no inhalants. It's due to the fact that not much may be known about H1N1, and the effects on lupus patients. The same goes for the seasonal flu vaccine--killed is the best way to go.

I didn't get my H1N1 shot because there were none.I work at an elementary school. Caught it from the kids. I wound up in the hospital for 6 days. It was touch and go the first 3 days. I don't even remember them. On top of the flu I got pneumonia. I was kept in a hospital room- only my husband could visit because he had already been exposed. the nurses,ect. all wore masks,gloves and special gowns into my room. I couldn't leave my room for anything. I'm home now but after 2 weeks still don't have all my strength back. And on top of that because I was sick my body produced white blood cells to fight the infection- which made my lupus worse.
So I say yea- take the shot. It just isn't worth getting sick. I've had to take a medical leave of absence.
Kathy

ksc6770,

I am so sorry to hear about how sick you were and still are. I hope you feel better soon. It must be so hard to be an elementary school teacher with lupus. It is amazing that you can pull yourself together everyday for an exhausting job like that. I hope you have better days without pain. HUGS!!!

OMG....Kathy....Im so sorry that you got the swine flu. That is so scary. Im so glad you are ok now. What a horrible experience. Thank goodness you got to the hospital and they took care of you. How did you know you needed to go to the hospital? This is my biggest fear right now.......I react to all the flu vaccinations and Im not going to get it. I am trying to find it for my son though. I have turned into a recluse because of this. Not going anywhere where there are alot of people or kids as I hear they are the primary carriers. The vaccination is very hard to find out here right now and Im trying to find it for my toddler. I hope you recover soon and again, am so glad you are ok.
huge hugs
Melissa