H1N1 and the boy.

Jake's laid up with H1N1 - has a good 101*F fever, is coughing, and is in bed laying still for many hours at a stretch. He never does that if he can help it.

We had been debating the vaccine, since he also has cystic fibrosis, but we never had a chance to even get it, so that point is moot now. However, after discussing with many members of his medical team, we had decided - get ready - not to get him vaccinated.

I'm not going to exhaustively detail why, but we discussed it extensively. The gist of it is that he is not a kid who responds typically to vaccination. I have a strong family history of adverse reactions. And while flu is serious, and this flu hits kids particularly hard, his immune system is strong and he is in excellent health. There's also this general belief that the vaccine is effective and that it doesn't have any (or has very few) side effects - and I don't see the science behind either one of those statements. We considered treating with Tamiflu, but the side effects are significant - more than half of the kids who take it experience nausea and vomiting - and the efficacy is doubtful. Many strains are resistant to it, and it only shortens the duration by 1-1.5 days. There isn't evidence that it prevents secondary bacterial infections. And, there's a chance of really gnarly neurological side effects, including self-injury, hallucination, and confusion. No thank you. Not for a kid with neurological wiring that already differs from the norm.

So, we're treating him with plenty of fluids, homeopathy (which I know many feel is pseudoscience, but I do believe in vibrational and electromagnetic energy systems, and I've seen homeopathy work too well to write it off), and TLC. He's fairly chipper - he is still smiling when he sees us, talking and asking for food and drink, and seems comfortable and not in pain. We'll ride this one out, and hope for a quick recovery for him.