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Has anyone had the H1N1 vaccine yet?

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Posted 1/4/2010 10:16 AM (GMT 0)
Hi all,

just wondering if anyone's had the H1N1 vaccine yet and if they had any problems with it?   Finally having clinics around here and I'm still undecided whether to get it or not.

We're having a lot of snow and cold here so far this Winter and I've noticed a little more pain and swelling than usual.   Still on the Humira once a week and so far it's been a miracle drug for me.    My husband had a total knee replacement last month so I'm the one who's been doing the snow shoveling.     He's still having a lot of pain and it's been almost 8 weeks since his surgery.  

My newest thing is a constant stuffy nose the past month or so.  Gets worse at night and I'm so dry that I even get sores in my nose.   Have tried sprays, vaseline etc and it still isn't going away.

Anyway  - hope you are all doing well and enjoyed the holidays.   Unfortunately my family had a terrible tragedy just three days before Christmas.   My nephew's wife was killed in a car accident on her way to work in Vermont.   She was only 43 and my nephew and his two boys are just devastated.  My sister-in-law is trying to be strong for them but she just lost my brother a few years ago so it's been really hard on all of us.   They live in Vermont, about a 4 hour drive from us so we can't be there very much, especially in the Winter.   I'm trying not to be depressed but our family has had so many losses in the past four years and three of them in the month of December. 

sorry to ramble on so, guess I needed to talk about stuff.

thanks for listening

Alicatsad

Posted 1/4/2010 10:52 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Alicat, Sorry for the lose in your family. No I have not gotten the H1N1 vaccine yet. But
I do plan on getting it soon.

teddybear
Posted 1/4/2010 4:13 PM (GMT 0)
I'm so sorry for your loss. It is never easy to accept and I know you will assist them when you can and the weather is better.

I had the H1N1 vaccine shot in December and had no problem. Not even a sore arm which I sometimes have had with the regular flu vaccine.

Happy New Year to all.

Posted 1/4/2010 9:18 PM (GMT 0)
It was the easiest vaccine I've had too, no after effects, even my kids coped really well.

Sorry to hear about your nephew, how devastating for him at Christmas too and with kids. My heart goes out to them. Christmas is such a powerful time of year and to have it liked with such sadness is truely awful for you all.

You rant away, we all hear you, death is never easy. When children are involved its even harder. Are you close to them? I mean physically, do you live near them? They must be shattered.

Thinking of you, golitho
Posted 1/5/2010 7:32 AM (GMT 0)

((Alicat))) I too am sorry for your loss. You can come on here and "ramble" on as you call it anytime you need to.

I had the vaccine done last Sept. and it was truly no big deal for me.

Good luck and stay in touch.

Jo

Posted 1/15/2010 4:44 AM (GMT 0)
I had the H1N1 vaccine in November and had no side effects and I usually do have side effects from vaccines.
Posted 1/15/2010 4:50 AM (GMT 0)
So very sorry for your loss.
I had the H1N1 a couple months ago with nary a side effect. Now I suppose I should get the regular flu shot.
Posted 1/19/2010 11:53 PM (GMT 0)

Thanks everyone for your expressions of sympathy.    I live in Mass. and my nephew lives in Vermont so I haven't had a chance to see him yet because of the weather.    I have talked to him though and they are coping pretty well.    My sister-in-law has been staying with them for awhile and trying to get the house in order, meals etc until my nephew can work out a schedule on his own.   The oldest boy left yesterday to go back to college.   The younger boy will be 16 next month but has learning disabilities and probably the maturity of about 9 or 10.    My nephew has to get him into counseling as he has very bad anger issues that have gotten worse since losing his Mom.  Life just isn't fair but we all have to learn to live with was is dealt us I guess.

Also thanks everyone who has gotten the H1N1 vaccine for your input.  Still waiting for a clinic here.   They are giving them at some of the local drugstores but I'm waiting on my new insurance card as I had to go on Cobra the first of the year.

As for me, so far the Humira is still doing it's thing for me and making my life a whole lot less painful.

hope you are all well - and finding what works for you

Alicatwink

Posted 1/20/2010 5:40 AM (GMT 0)

Hi Alicat,

Glad to hear that your nephew is coping well, sounds like he has some good family support there to help him, although it would still be hard for him.

Also glad to hear the Humira is helping you. I started Humira in Oct. and it works well for my Crohn's Disease and is just starting to kick in for my AS.

Hows your husbands knee now? Less painful I hope:-)

Do you still have a stuffy nose? I find that I have persistant nasal problems (including soreseyes ) and I blame the meds I take, although when everything else is inflamed why not the nose too:-)

Hope you stay wellsmilewinkgrin

Jo

Posted 1/20/2010 12:38 PM (GMT 0)
HI SYDNEYJO

I do still have constant sinus problems and don't really don't what's causing it.   Still have the sores but using the saline spray and then either vaseline or neosporin helps.    I too thought maybe it was from medication but after talking to many of my "normal" friends, think it's a common problem and for some reason this Winter a lot of people are having that problem.     Hoping when Spring comes it will go away.

As soon as I get my new insurance card I think I'll check with my doctor to just to make sure I don't have an infection of some sort.   I skipped my shot last week but took one on Sunday after almost two weeks w/o one as my hands were really hurting.   I really need that shot every week.

I think I forgot how it feels to feel really good but I do remember how much worse it was before the Humira and it sure makes things a lot better.

A year ago my best friend lost one of her brothers to Cancer and at the wake  his ashes were in a plain wooden box with the inscription, "It is what it is".    That has become my motto.    None of us get through this life w/o something we have to endure and we all have some amount of suffering.    We get what we get and just have to cope.    I think we're all here for a reason.   Hoping someday when I make it to the other side, I'll get some answers.  Till then we'll all get through with a little help from our friends.

Have a great day,

Alicatyeah

 

Posted 1/20/2010 5:27 PM (GMT 0)
Alicat,

check with the drugstores. As I understand it and was the case when I got mine they are free because of the pandemic scare

Posted 1/21/2010 9:26 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Alicat,

I like that motto 'It is what it is' - seems to sum up being chronically ill doesnt it:-)

I hope the Humira kicks in for your poor hands asap. I would be too scared to miss a dose at the moment in case I fell apart againyeah .

Take care and keep posting.

Jo

Posted 1/26/2010 4:47 AM (GMT 0)
Sorry for your loss. I would suggest getting it. I wish I had. I had H1N1 in November. My 6 yr old son ended up getting it from me. My family doc shoved so many vitamins and antibiotics in me I couldnt stand to look at a pill. I honestly didnt leave the couch for 3 weeks. I had a 6 yr old that would feel like crap for 2 or 3 hrs then he would bounce off the walls until he started feeling weak again. But if it wasnt for him I would have went nuts. He helped his daddy alot. Thank god I work for a company that lets me bring work home and for laptops. It isnt a fun flu to have. Since I had it they wouldnt even let me have a regular flu shot because they were afraid I would get even more sick. I am still taking all kinds of vitamins and praying I dont get anything else.
Posted 1/29/2010 11:50 AM (GMT 0)
I've had it - (had both flu vaccines actually) no problems, I'm fine. . . and flu-free!

Edited to add - sorry to hear about your family tragedy. I lost my mum at a young age, I'm lucky I have 3 sisters to help me deal with it.

Post Edited (EmmaRose33) : 1/29/2010 4:53:18 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 2/5/2010 12:37 AM (GMT 0)
Sorry to hear of your loss. I truly understand. This year my grandaughter would've been 16, she passed away at 10 and she is
sorely missed by all. Her sister passed away 14 years ago at 7 weeks of heart failure.

I haven't had the H1N1 as it scares the **** out of me. I've read on the ingredients in it and don't want all those chemicals
injected in me. I had a bad enough reaction to the regular flu shot years ago. It floored me and it took nearly a week before I
could walk normal again. I have arthritis in most joints in my body and it kicked it into high gear. When they give these stupid
shots they ask if you are allergic to eggs but they never ask if you are allergic to chemicals. I am severely chemical sensitive.

As for the nose problems, try Colustrum...it's bovine breast milk in a pill. For those who are lactose intoleratant it comes in
a goats milk formula. It builds up the immune system and has made it so I only have a couple of sinus infections a year instead
of one every couple of weeks. If you are stuffy, try echenacia/goldenseal if you aren't allergic to ragweed. If you are
marshmallow root works pretty good for unclogging the nose.
Posted 2/5/2010 11:45 AM (GMT 0)

Dear Nana

I'm so sorry about your grandaughters.   It's hard enough losing loved ones when they've live their lives but unbearable to lose young people.    I lost my Dad 8 days before Christmas in 2005.   He was 86.    Five months later lost my older brother who was only 63 and then one year later my Mom passed at 86.   She tried to rally after Dad passed but then when my brother died she sort of gave up.    I miss them all every day and life just won't ever be the same.    I have one younger brother left.     He lives right down the street but we don't see much of each other.    I invited them for Sunday dinner and am happy that they'll be able to make it.    Looking forward to Spring when I can get up North to visit with my older brother's wife and her kids.    We don't get to see them much either but stay in touch with emails and phone calls.   Family is everything.

I did end up getting the H1N1 shot as I've never had a problem with the regular flu vaccine.   So far haven't had a problem and it's been three days since I got it.   I guess all of us have different allergies and reactions and a lot of it is trial and error.   Sorry you have so many problems but glad you find relief from some of the natural remedies. 

Thanks for your advice and hope to hear from you again

Alicatsmilewinkgrin

Posted 2/5/2010 11:27 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Ali,
My Mom passed 32 years ago and my Dad last spring. My family lives nearby but none bother with me as I'm different.
I finally figured out that it's their loss. I have my 2 boys that live 5 miles from me and them and their families are everything.
For many year it was just us as I raised them by myself.

What amazes me is how our bodies react to different things. I have reverse polarity so I never know how I'll react. With
thyriod meds I gained 26 lbs and with birth control I lost 75....go figure. Med pak is supposed to build your immune system and
I missed a weeks work because I got so sick from it. The herbals have been a blessing as I've even gotten off all heart meds, too.
I don't miss shelling out $1000+ for a visit to the cardioligist.

I never got really sick until I had the flu shots. I got the first one at the factory where I worked and kept getting sick. I
thought it was just from the plastic fumes. Then the next year I went to the nursing home and they were mandatory so I got
the second one. The little old people in their walkers were passing me. The staff nurse said she had never seen such a bad
reaction. That was when the fibro started kicking in real bad. Now I just sit back and say that my drs note is in my file that
I can't have them. I'm glad the mandatory part was recinded this year.

Nana Monster
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