H1N1 Vaccine Only To Risk Group In Canada

With office furniture all set up and ready to go even before the opening.. you would think that they came prepared to vacinate those that wants the needles right..?  But the town was disappointed.. and more than 1000 were there and 900 were the only ones that got vaccinated.  And now they are saying that they are only giving out needles to risk group. How can they be so wrong with their estimation..?? Only the first day..and they are already changing the rules here. Had we known.. that they were gonna be short of supplies.. we would have lined up .. even before 7am.. to get it done. Now they announced that the  H1N1 flu vaccine is in short supply for the next few weeks and that until further notice.  JOY!  This is afterall Y.A.R.M.O.U.T.H eh..??

H1N1 Vaccine

So it’s all over news this morning that the H1N1 vaccine has arrived on our shores.  So while out for getting our pet supplies we met up with some friends and weigh the pros and cons about getting the needle.   As Mr Moo and I are at high risk – one with asthma and another with diabetes.. we can go in and get the first shots.  But no one will be turned away .. according to CBC if they arrived on the inoculation center.

We are still checking with our public nurse about it.. but this is what i’ve found out so far.  The government had spent like $300 million for this vaccine .. and 85% of any healthy adults who are vaccinated will develop the immunity for the H1N1 flu within 10 days.   In my humble opinion.. i don’t think there would be any harm in taking the vaccine, in fact – this should really keep us doubly safe especially since we deal with the public so much.  What’s your take on it..??

Eye Specialist

So we headed up to the city for my eye appointment last week.  I had to go see an eye specialist up in the city .. but had to defer it .. as the babysitter had mono during the last few weeks.  I think the eye specialist must think we were not serious with our appointment.. because we had to cancel a few times – given that we didn’t know initially what was going on with the babysitter – followed by advice from our doctor that it was only right to let her rest more instead of stressing her.   We did get our travel insurance online and also had to cancel it a few times.  So we also ended up losing money on that – because the dates kept changing and there were no refunds for travel insurance.  But after the going back and forth with regards to the appointment.. we were finally able to set a date.. and headed up.  We are now waiting for results for the test.. and then another appointment due in November with the specialist here in town.  Luckily we do have another specialist here.

Mono

So Missy Moo’s babysitter has mono for the last few weeks.  A check with our family doctor to see if we can have her back to work anytime soon, since she did call back after 2 weeks of MIA.  Well, her mother called for her after the 2 Saturday that she went sick – so we wanted to be sure – that Missy Moo won’t be infected since we all know that it is highly contagious.

The doctor’s office said that Missy Moo’s babysitter will be feeling really lethargic and is not really at risk after the 3rd week.  But because Mono does take a toll on the person’s health – we decided to let the babysitter rest more – so she doesn’t get a relapse.  Plus we were very lucky .. that Missy Moo didn’t get mono from the babysitter – because Missy Moo loves to smooch the babysitter – which I had stopped her many a times.  Thank God.. is all i can say – had Missy Moo been infected.. i’m sure .. she would be in a more terrible position than the babysitter.

So what is mono..??   Mono is caused by a specific virus called the Epstein-Barr virus. Its mode of transmission is probably by saliva. The virus is highly contagious but roommates or family members are unlikely to develop Mono unless there is close contact. The incubation period (time from contact with the virus until sickness begins) averages 25 days. Once an individual has Mono, generally there is permanent protection against having Mono again.

How long will someone who has mono be sick..?? It is very unpredictable. It will depend on the severity of the disease that may vary with individuals. If you have fever, sore throat, fatigue, or other problems, it may be necessary for you to be in bed. With good care, you should be up and around in 1 – 2 weeks. Generally speaking, the healthier your lifestyle, the shorter the duration of the illness.

It is advisable to get plenty of rest in the early stages of the disease. Your rate of recovery will depend on your psychological state. Strongly motivated persons will probably return to their normal activity more rapidly than depressed persons.

Fatigue is another matter. A few people have little to no fatigue. Others may be tired for 1 – 4 weeks gradually recovering their full strength and energy. Fatigue is NOT the cause of Mono, but the result.

When your liver or spleen is enlarged, you must be careful not to allow any blow to the chest or abdomen as this may cause damage to these organs.

Mono can be TREATED, not cured. Increased rest, and an analgesic to decrease the fever and muscle aches are the traditional methods of treating Mono. Some cases of Mono are complicated by streptococcal throat infections and may require antibiotic treatment.

Diabetic On Halloween

So Halloween is round the corner.. it must be one of the most fun celebration of the entire year.  Not only can you get candies.. you get to dress up with you kid.. and bring them around neighbourhood.. and collect candies.  But wait a minute..  what about you ..?? or a child who has diabetes..??  do you absolutely think that it is ok.. for you or for them… to go without candies..??

Well, you and i know the answer to that.. and like i tell Missy Moo constantly .. everything in moderation.  So yes.. go have the Fun Size bars because they are always a more responsible choice than having full-size candy bars, but having the Kit Kat Bar (a wafer-based rather than peanut butter-based bar) will save you 40 calories and 2 grams of carbs and sugar.  So go and eat some.. but everything in moderation now.  Well, i better go get my kit kat now.

Swine Flu Myths

Yer’re all gonna die !

Hehehe!! thought the picture was funny.. i hope it made you laugh too..  hahahha!!

Anyhow.. to continue on the facts and truth about the Swine Flu.  Some ppl said they will never get swine flu because they put on the mask.  How true is it..??

The blue surgical masks you’ve seen being passed out to any  pedestrians are better than nothing but probably only marginally useful, said Andrew Pekosz, associate professor of microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland.

While such masks block the relatively large, virus-carrying droplets sneezed out by infected people, the viruses themselves are much smaller and could easily pass through. Specialtymasks, designated N-95 or N-99, are better filters but still not perfect.

Some ppl say not to eat pig or touch the pig.. because by doing so – you can get infected…??  *roll eyes(

This is untrue. The virus itself mutated so that it transmits from human to human. This is the reason the World Health Organization and the Disease Control Center  began watching how the virus transmitted.

Swine Flu

So what do i know about Swine flu right..??  but everyone is talking about it.. and everyone is afraid of it – well, almost everyone.  And Missy Moo being in school and all, one cannot but be afraid.. that she might catch something from her friends who are less informed about the swine flu.

Can it kill..??  I’ve listened so much to the radio.. and death toll reported in this part of Canada.. I thought we should call our public nurse .. and pick her brains.   Just so you all know .. the vaccine is not here yet – there was not much she could tell us yet but she was very helpful.  And if you are asthmatic, you automatically qualify for the vaccine.

How bad is swine flu, really?  In many ways, it’s really not that different from seasonal flu, experts say. But there are some important distinctions.

It’s natural to feel a little anxious, if not downright panicky, about the possibility of you or a family member catching the swine flu. But before you worry about worst-case scenarios, let’s put some things in perspective. The fact is, seasonal flu — the kind that circulates every fall and winter, year after year — kills 30,000 to 40,000 people. We just don’t read about every single hospitalization or complication in the news. In comparison, current government predictions are calling for anywhere from 30,000 to 90,000 swine flu-related deaths this fall. That may sound like a lot, but keep in mind that it’s out of hundreds of millions of potential infections — meaning that even as a worst-case scenario, only a small percentage of the US population would get seriously sick.

Is the swine flu really like the seasonal flu..??

So far, swine flu doesn’t seem to be more virulent than seasonal flu (symptoms are largely the same), but it is slightly more contagious. According to a new study from Cornell University, every person infected with swine flu puts 1.5 other people at risk in the few days before they themselves experience symptoms. With seasonal flu, that number is about 1.3.

Part of the reason why swine flu is more transmissible is that most people don’t have any immunity to it, unlike other seasonal flu strains, to which we may have been exposed before (this gives our immune system a leg up in fighting off the virus).

Does the swine flu only affect those old and unhealthy individuals..??

Unlike seasonal flu, which has the most serious health effects in people older than 65, with swine flu incidences so far, 75% of serious cases and 60% of deaths have occurred in people younger than 49, according to recent CDC data. But some experts believe that it’s not so much that young people are more vulnerable, it’s that older adults are less at risk. About one-third of adults over age 60 have some kind of pre-existing immunity to the H1N1 strain, according to CDC data. (There were likely strains similar to the current swine flu circulating when they were children).

What this means for you: Unless you have a chronic condition that’s shown to increase complications of swine flu (pregnancy, asthma, diabetes, or heart, kidney, or liver disease), you’ll likely battle the flu and come out just fine, says Allison Aiello, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. But that doesn’t mean you should blow off preventive measures. No matter what your age, be a vigilant handwasher and instill the habit in your kids. Get vaccinated for swine flu if you’re eligible (as well as for seasonal flu). Avoid people who are sick if you can. And pay attention to symptoms (most commonly fever, sore throat, cough, runny nose, sneezing, muscle aches, fatigue/exhaustion — and in some cases, diarrhea, headache, and a stiff neck). If you feel sick, don’t be a warrior. Stay home, rest, and drink plenty of fluids to help ensure that your body fights off the flu instead of developing complications.

More answers later.

Track Your Steps To A Healthier You !

My girlfriend told me this .. a few months ago, to get a pedometer if i wanted a healthier me. I also use  fat burner to help me out .. ont he areas where it’s just stubborn.  But by using a pedometer, you not only track the steps you take daily but it also encourages you to walk more.  For every 10, 000 steps .. you actually walked like 5 miles. With the pedometer, you increase your steps by 200 every week to a healthier you and you get to lose weight too.  Try that.. and let me know how you make out.

Diabetics Eat Pizza

Many ppl are surprised that I’m able to eat pizza even though I’m diabetic .. and after looking at some tv stands for our new home, I asked my g/f if she wanted to have pizza.. and of course, she looked at me.. as if i was speaking in a foreign language.  I had to laugh each time.. when i get a reaction like that.   Many ppl think that being a diabetic, one can only drink water and each crackers.. but in fact it is not true.  In fact, as a diabetic, I found that I eat pretty much everything… but in moderation.

Sure you can eat pizza, a pita, tortillas and whole wheat bread dough makes the perfect healthy crust for homemade pizzas and calzone.  One can enjoy all these carb smart pizza without any guilt or worrying about your sugar level – or your blood sugar sky rocketing.  With Canadian-style bacon, a four-cheese blend, and just the right seasonings, this mouthwatering pizza is loaded with flavor but has only 216 calories and 6 grams of fat per serving.  Try it out eh..!