Tuesday, September 1, 2009

My son has got Swine Flu

3am 2 September: Dominic (18) wakes with a high temperature (100.4F (4.30am) -101.3F (5.30am). He has a throbbing headache and vomitting (6 times in 2 hours). The National Pandemic online website advises he has Swine flu and prescribes Tamiflu - an antiviral treatment course and issues prescription number and tells us to phone GP because he may have complications. The authorisation number for this patient is: R10-123xx123-B

We give him a capsule of Tamiflu (prescribe via www.pimsreg.com) but he vomits within 10 minutes. He vomits with paracetemol tablets - which come up.

We phone our GP and then the west Hampshire Out of hours service 0844 811 3060. Catherine Trusson, a call handler for the antivirus service advises that Mike (nurse) will phone in <1 hour which he does.

Mike, the nurse reviews his symptons (5.30-5.45am) and says that this is probably a "simple viral illness" probably not "swine flu" or "meningitis".
At 5.55am Dominic has diarrhoea.

I take a Tamiflu capsule but wife refuses to do so (I've been taking a Tamiflu capsule every other day since early August, as a preventative measure). We both wash hands since we've touched the glass that Dominic was holding.
9.05am: Dominic has a rash around shoulders, temperature 100.3F, he says he is 'confused'. I phone GP, Dr Nigel Savage will call before 9.35am.
10.30am: Nigel says rash is not meningites/meningococal. 38.2C= 101F. His 'symptoms tick all the Swine flu boxes'. After some obfuscation (government has made a mess of it..) he agrees with me for Dominic to take Tamiflu. Will be in bed for a few days, take fluids and anti-vomiting tablets.

Dr Savage after mentioning economics / health tradeoff, agrees that other members of my family should take Tamiflu once a day as paliative (prevention) measure.

No comments:

Post a Comment