A Mother's Experience with H1N1 Flu

Shrwesbury, Massachusetts -- Suffering with the H1N1 flu virus is anything but pleasant. In my case, it felt as if I had the normal seasonal flu -- times two. I've been one of those bacteria freaks who have cleaned my hands after I touch anything and before I eat. And I'm continuously spraying my house with disinfectant. Yet, none of this really mattered because I managed to contract the H1N1 virus in early September.

I have the feeling I contracted H1N1 from doing my normal weekly activities, like going to the supermarket, Walmart or Target. You can never tell who's sick and who has this awful flu, and you never know if you got hit with a sneeze or cough particle. It's really difficult walking around outside and feeling as though you aren't safe and feeling like the person who is standing next to you could be the person who's going to potentially infect you with H1N1. Wherever I was, the person who gave it to me probably wasn't aware they had it yet, or didn't realize that the virus is still contagious three days after you think it's over.

Having a baby, I've been so scared of contracting H1N1, and I've tried so hard not to get, but I guess I didn't try hard enough. Thankfully, my child and husband did not contract this flu. I kept myself pretty quarantined to an area of our house for about a week. I did not want to spread this around the house, knowing how awful I was feeling.

The symptoms started with a two-day headache, followed by the rest of my body aching. I became increasingly tired and found myself trying to sneak in a nap during my busy day. On the third day of my symptoms, I woke up with a runny nose and a very sore throat. At this point, I knew my symptoms weren't pointing to a good direction. I quickly got myself down to my primary care where I was diagnosed with H1N1 flu. They told me to keep an eye on my temperature and hydration. Having a very high fever or dehydration can be serious signs of a bad case of H1N1, which often leads to hospitalization.

Following my doctor's appointment, I did get a slight fever, and became nauseated, which were accompanying symptoms of the symptoms I was already suffering from. I felt my worst the fourth day in and gradually started to feel better after that. It wasn't until the eighth day that I started feeling like myself again.

There wasn't one particular point where I felt as though I couldn't make it through the day, but having what felt like a combination of the seasonal flu, strep throat and stomach flu just made me want to curl up in a ball and cry.

The H1N1 flu is terrible, and it lasts too long. I'd definitely recommend the vaccine to prevent you and your family from contracting the virus. I wish the vaccine had gotten here soon enough so I could have prevented myself from getting sick. I wouldn't wish this illness on my worst enemy.