My Best Friend Just Died. H1N1 Swine Flu?

I heard of a prison experiment where half the inmates were given doses of Vitamin D3 and half weren't - the half that didn't get the Vitamin D3 all got the flu - those that had taken it were flu-free. At least 5000 IU a day - recommended dosages for people with Multiple Sclerosis (like me), have been recommended up to 20,000 / day which is a lot and possibly toxic at those levels.

Also perhaps getting a pneumonia vaccination (which I'd never heard of there being such a thing before) to prevent getting pneumonia once you/I get the flu - I have a doctors appointment next week to ask about it - I'm in Canada and not sure what they have here.

Also washing hands always and avoid touching your face until their clean as we can pick up the virus anytime we leave the house or someone comes in. I have a very quiet lifestyle at this point in my life - years back when we had a much more public and busy lifestyle, I would be insisting everyone before coming into my home was their hands and face with the bacteria killing hand stuff they now use in the hospitals all over in case they're carrying it.

It's also been suggested all over the place to stock up on supplies so you don't have to expose yourself to the general public. If you do have to go for supplies, do it when it's least busy.

It's also been suggested when you buy foods, that you not bring them into the house for at least six hours (even up to thirty-six) or else wipe them with a disinfecting cloth because the virus can live on the surfaces so if someone ill touched them along the way, they're there for everyone to share...

How awful to hear of these recent and sudden deaths from you guys from people so close to you - the reality impact must be phenomenal - they both sound very suspicious and from other rumblings I've heard along the way, there are many other deaths suspicious also - reports of otherwise completely healthy people literally dropping dead within minutes suddenly who were otherwise healthy.

The PTB are evil incarnate. They cannot possibly have a soul to have unleashed this on purpose and everything else they've done and are doing.

I am in the midst of a flu too here is Texas. I started a cough last Sunday, progressed to a cough and sore throat by Tuesday. I work at a college and a student said hey you got the swine flu...I took the joke and said nah i dont. I called from work on Tuesday thinking it was a sinus infection (due to the sore throat which I usually get with sinus, now the cough was puzzling but I still thought Sinus), the doc called in some amoxicillin which i picked up Tuesday night. During the early morning of that Wednesday, I woke up from a restless sleep with the most horrible sore throat, the cough, and a general yucky feeling. Stuffy head etc. Called in sick to work. I called the doc office and spoke to a nurse that Wed., she said to keep taking the antibiotic and rest. I mentioned laughingly the swine flu and she kind of dismissed it, just said there "was something going around"! Huh...oh well, so by Thursday it was going into my chest, bronchial cough with green phlegm besides the stuffy head blowing green out of my nose. Felt so bad i was thinking this has got to be a flu. Friday I was really sick, the bronchial cough/chest stuff was much worse. Feels like my heart is acting wacky too. Called the doc office again and spoke with a staff member who said to keep taking meds and rest and if I got really bad I could come in.
What puzzles me is that is there is a swine flu going around and someone calls their doc with flu symptoms, the doc office should have the patient come on in to test and see for sure if it is a FLU THAT IS GOING AROUND THE WORLD!! Gee, you would think they would want to know.
Here it is Sunday, 7 days in with this mess, and I am still sick. I have to go in to work Monday as sick leave is gone.

reply to post by sharintexas


See my earlier post. The flu is attacking the throat most of the medication on the market dries up the mucous membranes of the nose leaving the mucous membranes of the throat alone. Gargle with sage or drink sage tea.Disclaimer not medical advice.

So sorry for the loss of your dear friend T.

I can think of no words to share but do want to let you know I care as many others do who have read and responded.

Thank you all for sharing your concern and even personal observations with the community here.

This is a place where many of us spend time and we do become familiar with one another on many levels. Caring is part of this.

May your friend find her Peace in another Place.

Swine flus in general effect your body for up to 6 months.

Flus and strokes have been linked - influenaz is considered a stroke trigger. As have sudden cardiac death, and mycardial infarctions been linked with flus.

The stroke connection is possibly related to inflammation. Infection, inflammation, and possibly if she was suddenly cold (cold ambient temperature as a stroke trigger) as is possible if you're doing yoga in a cool studio.....

I can see it happening.

sorry about your friend.

I'm so sorry, Soficrow.

My deepest condolences.

Originally posted by soficrow
I just got the call. I am reeling, and haven't processed the info yet.

T returned from a 5-month vacation in Mexico at the beginning of March. She told me she had a horrible flu in a February email - doctor's care, meds - but she said she was all better when she got home.

T was very happy, in control of her life, and outwardly healthy - but she had a massive stroke while in yoga class yesterday morning.

Her death will not be attributed to H1N1. However, I believe her death resulted from residual impacts of the original infection. That's a 4-month lag time.

Rest in Peace, T.

Lots of love,
me


PS. ...I got a flu after first spending time with her, and can't quite shake it (but am not worried, confident I know how to protect myself in the long term).

I am so very sorry to hear about your friend! I hope you get well. I don't know you at all, but I feel you need a hug so here is a hug ((((hugs))))

Originally posted by concerned190
I am sorry to hear about your friend. I am a little concerned because I have had a bad cough since a few days before memorial day and it has gotten better but not gone completly. I had no fever just cough. Haven't been to the doc either, don't like going and figure my body will heal on its own. But may consider going now.

I don't personally have a cough but my kids do, with a sore throat and nasal congestion. I myself am sick for the 7th time this year, which is very unusual for me, with yet another sore throat, nasal congestion, and feeling blah!! I am drinking organic sore throat tea which soothes the throat. No fevers at all, which is good but just feeling yucky. My son got sick this weekend, the next day my middle child had it, today I have it and my youngest is starting to get a runny nose, and coughing, and my husband is getting hoarse. This one is rapidly going through us, and it lasts a day or two then the symptoms diminish. Any thoughts on that??

Thank you again to everyone for their support and contributions. And hugs. The hugs are are most appreciated.

I need to talk about 2 different things here.

1. I'm in Winnipeg, Manitoba - and the WHO has identified this area as "of concern" in the current swine flu pandemic because of the impact on aboriginal communities here. See: Swine Flu in Manitoba

...Just so you know, T is NOT an aboriginal. She's white/Jewish. And I remain convinced that she died due to long term impacts of her February bout with the flu in Mexico.

2. T's wishes were that she be cremated, and NOT be given a funeral or any other service. Her brother is responsible for all the arrangements, and has followed her wishes faithfully. No funeral, no shiva, no memorial service, no nothing.

The result has been that many of her friends have been floundering, and some have been quite angry - the lack of a gathering left many unable to grieve, or to share their grief in a healthy way.

Fortunately, her brother decided a celebration of T's life was in order and not contrary to her wishes, so we will have one next week. Much needed all around.

MY REQUEST: If anyone here is or has made arrangements for their own passing, please please remember that gatherings are for those left behind, not the person who died. People NEED to get together to grieve and get closure. Please, don't stipulate 'no gatherings to say goodbye' in your 'last wishes.'

reply to post by soficrow


Sofi-

Maybe it's because I'm half-Jewish, but somehow I knew, and lit a Shiva candle for T. Maybe you sent me a thought somehow....

Thank you for the post- I don't think anyone realizes how many people are affected by each one of us- until we're not here. It's an important lesson, and I'm glad your friend will be mourned and celebrated by those who loved her- and say good bye in a way that allows forward movement.

Love and prayers to you and all.

PS- read about he First Nation families in Winnipeg- also flu has hit populations of Native Americans in the SW of America- I could be WAY off here, but in loooking at pockets of high infection rates, it seems that people of more unilateral ethnicity seem to take ill more quickly- for ex: Wisconsin is populated by mostly German and Scandanavian settlers. Asian countries tend to reproduce within their own ethnic groups. Scotland is being hit hard. Could there be more resistance to infection amongts groups with higher genetic diverity (and less Founder's Effect from population genetics studies?)
It wouldn't be the first time populations were hit hard by new diseases- nearly EVERY colonial movementhas killed those who are native to an area, by exposing them to the diseases the conquering colonialists carry.
I've been thinking about this a lot,and I could be DEAD wrong- but I'd be interested if anyone has any ideas about this? (and please, don't tell me viruses are racist- I'm discussing genetic diversity....) Thanks

[edit on 10-6-2009 by CultureD]

[edit on 10-6-2009 by CultureD]

Consider that Canada has been hit hard by several of the previous pandemics. But at those times, reserves were less integrated than they are now into everyday life. Particularly more remote ones.

The general population (indigineous for more than the last 40 years) that is old enough to have been hit by previous pandemics are going to probably have some resistance.

Many of those people came through Liverpool. And back again.

There is likely some resistance in the Canadian population, and some that has been transfered to the UK via the routes that people came along.

The native populations being hit harder in Canada are more isolated even now. 40 years or more ago, they would have been even more isolated. The resistence confered by previous pandemics doesn't confer to them.

The 1951 strain that seems to have confered some resistance to people over 60, hit Canada and Ireland and England pretty hard. But it didn't hit Scotland as much. Canada and the UK were also hit very hard by the Spanish Flu.

Can you see why trusting figures from Canada and the UK to indicate the strength of this virus might be a red herring?

Then seeing isolated pockets of indigineous peoples and comparing their rates of infection and the outcomes between similar groups, but contrasting reserves that were close to large centers of trade and reserves that were isolated.

If you want to know what this virus really does, don't look at the Canadian, English and Irish populations. Look at the Native population. Look at Mexico. Even looking at the US would be more useful, because the US didn't get hit as hard by that 1951 strain. That will give you an idea of what this sucker is going to do to most populations.


[edit on 2009/6/10 by Aeons]

reply to post by soficrow


Dear Soficrow, I am so sorry to hear of your loss. After reading your post I did remember hearing during all the hype over the H1N1 that the WHO was worried about what the residual effects of this flu would be. Odviously they had a reason to maybe they know something we do not. It is possible that this virus attacks the heart or other organs or even weakens the vessels in the body thus after what seems to be a recovery from the flu after several weeks one would die of stroke, heart attack or an anurism. this may be what had the WHO so concerned. Other folks around the world are taking this more seriously than we have in the US. Expecialy Asia, they have been quaretining anyone that has any type of flu symptoms so IMO they know more than they are letting us know. Big shocker there I know... This is getting more and more twisted.

Sorry to hear this. I also suffered a small stroke after this flu this year. It had my Afib acting up and I had a small stroke. Could not talk, walk, or move my arms. Was in the hospital six days. Still have severe headache that they can not account for, and feeling pretty scared about it. Been in bed most of the time since being home, and on blood thinners, which i think are making me worse.

Sorry about the loss of your friend. I think any flu will do this though if you already have a heart condition like me. Now if she had none then it makes you wonder.

Ama

I am very very sorry for your loss soficrow. Its hard loosing a friend. I have never felt the loss of a friend but i did loose my father and i miss him very much. You have my deepest sympathies and i will pray for you and for the family of the person who passed.

With regards to the post you made about atrial fibrilation i would like to add some information here that might help. First let me say that i work in a hospital in Houston Texas. I am an EKG technician and all i do all night is monitoring EKG telemetry and interpret the wave forms. I am very familiar with Afib or atrial fibrilation so i thought some extra info here would be helpful. What you posted about atrial fibrilation is correct, however it isnt caused by the flu. There has been a link between influenza and stroke but the key thing to remember here is that people with afib have this as an underlying condition. Not as a result of flu. An infection process such as influenza can set off or exacerbate your afib condition but resulting in the possibility of stroke or heart attack.
Your heart has 4 chambers. The upper chambers are called atrium and the lower called ventricles. In afib the atria are fibrillating or quivering at a rate of about 200-300 beats per minute. On an ekg this looks like a wavy base line followed by the spike that you see which is your ventricles depolarizing the electrical current. This doesnt relate to cardiac function just electric conduction. The 200-330 bpm are the electric impulses sent which the atrium does not capture so your atria doesnt contract regularly to fill the ventricles. The atria do contract at times in irregular patterns which is why your heart beats irregularly. Because of this there is a loss of what doctors call Atrial Kick ,which amounts to a signifigant amount of extra blood flow into the ventricles that is lost. Imagine filling a balloon with water and then squeezing it all out. That is how the atria should behave but in atrial fib not all of it is squeezed out. There is a small amount of blood left behind which tends to pool up in the atria around the valves and creating blood clots. The result is higher risk of stroke.
A stroke is a burst blood vessel in the brain or a clogged vessel in the brain due to blood clot or plaque dislodged from an arterial wall. If a blood clot from a person with afib gets dislodged and finds its way to your brain it can "possibly" cause a stroke. the risk is there and it does happen but part of the treatment of afib besides antiarrythmics is blood thinners. You take coumadin or lovenox as a means to prevent such cases of stroke or heart attack
Heart attack is essentially the same as a stroke but involves the arteries on the hear titself. The vessel is blocked by either a blood clot or the build up of plaque on the arterial walls causing a narrowing of the artery which will not allow blood flow past the area blocked resulting in damage to the heart muscle itself.
I am including a link here that might help explain the relationship of influenza and stroke/heart attacks.
Also i must say that the swine flu thing in my opinion is a big media scare. At the hospital i work at we are on guard but not panicked. We are on the front line of a pandemic should one occur and health care workers at the highest risk and we are not freaked out. I hope this helps ease some peoples fears over this. Swine flu has the ability to become bad but hasnt and most likely wont. I am going to add on another reply here what we have from my job regarding swine flu to help everyone know what to do.
I really hope to help eliminate any fears regarding this but do not let your guard down. If your sick go see the doctor and yes get tested. Do not ever let any flu go past 7 days without treatment as this can lead to pneumonia and death.
Flu and strokes

[edit on 11-6-2009 by fizzy1]

OMG Sofi!!!!!!!
You & I have been on ATS a long time now........I have watched and read your posts all these years and YOUR the ONE who keeps us updated on possible pandemic and terrible flue!
Its just SO WEIRD that this ended up hitting you so close to home OMG......your poor friend, I hope to God they did not suffer a moment and it was fast.....
I can tell you from personal experience that T is still living, just in a different form that you can't see......but T is with you during your grief, hoping so much you might hear them tell you they love you and WILL see you again.
T is probably liking the new state of being much more than the one they left behind.

This thread is creeping me out so much...reading all the posts.....
because the last week of Feb I got so sick with a horrible barking cough and bad fever, my teeth hurt so much I wanted to yank them out of my mouth......I got over the fever, but the cough lasted, and the exhaustion and body pains held on to me ALL of march and half of April....close to 10 whole weeks I was sick......just recently am I feeling like my WELL self again......
I am 46.......I'm raising a son.....I do not want to just drop dead suddenly as my son still needs me.......BUT I can imagine it happening as that flue was SO STRANGE it surly could have damaged me in ways I don't understand.
MAYBE the flue is not what we need fear but how it weakens us in other ways we can't see yet......and we die after the fact of the flue from 'something else'......I do NOT fear death as I regularly go to the other side via OOBE....but I fear leaving my son alone in this insane world.

I went to the Dr in the middle of my long illness and the young Dr gave me strange looks about how long I was saying I had been sick. He prescribed NOTHING, and told me "Well IF you have been sick for 5 weeks then your bound to be getting over it by now, so why bother giving you anything at this point. Drink plenty of fluids blah blah blah"
....and then I was sick yet another 5 weeks long.

I am currently Dr 'shopping'........I won't see that imbecile again.

All the swine flue talk I figured that HAD to be what I had....but they did not test me so we will never know for sure.

My heart is truly BLEEDING for you Sofi.........I am so sorry this struck so close to your home.
TRG

[edit on 11-6-2009 by theRiverGoddess]

Here is the CDC website. I looked for my hospitals guidlines for the swine flu in my emails but i dont have it any more.
CDC Website


In any case regarding the swine flu or H1N1, the best thing to do is not let the media create a panic and scare you to death. I swear i hate the media. If you look at the map on the CDC website you will see alot of people with suspected and confirmed cases so not all the numbers there are confirmed cases. In my hospital we have 1 confirmed and 2 unconfirmed with 3 unconfirmed admissions last week being dischared WITHOUT swine flu. So alot of the ones we are seeing arent swine flu just precautionary admissions due to age and symptoms to rule out H1N1 and prevent possible secondary infections that lead to pneumonia.

I suggest to everyone the same as we are being told as health care workers. If you have flu like symptoms do not report to work. Minimize your exposure to others as much as possible and go to the doctor immediately who can send a swab of your nasal mucosa to a lab for analysis. Then go home and treat yourself just like any other case of the flu. get plenty of rest, drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration, take any medications prescribed by the doctor and limit the amount of exposure you have to other people to help prevent either secondary infections to yourself or spreading the flu to others. Also lying in bed with fever for 10 days is a good way to get pneumonia. Thats what happened to me 2 years ago and i ended up in the hospital for 7 days barely able to breathe. All thanks to a doctor who let me suffer for 10 days before he did anything. Advice.. dont trust a doctor if you feel your not being taken seriously or being treated right. Go get another opinion. They are humans like the rest of us and can and DO make mistakes.
Hope everyone out there stays well and safe this year during the upcoming flu season.

reply to post by Aeons


Aeons-

Fantastic input on a question I'd been thinking about. Thank you for your research and post. Well said!

reply to post by theRiverGoddess


River Goddess- your words to Sofi were enlightening and ethereal- and helped ME- who has not lost anyone to this. Thank you for saying what you did about Sofi's friend, T. I, too, believe that behind a veil, or in a different dimension, our loved ones look after us.

Thank you for stating so exquisitely what I feel- and what needed to be said.

Blessings,

C

OH man .. my sympathies.
It's hard to find true friends on this planet.
My heart goes out to you.

Originally posted by soficrow
That's a 4-month lag time.

And I'm sure they wont' attribute it to lasting Swine Flu effect.

I had a 'flu' in April. Here it is, two months later, and I feel like I'm going to fall over and die. I'm so dang tired AND I have face and tongue numbness and tingles. All this since catching that 'flu' two months ago. I just got bloodwork done this am. One doctor says it sounds MS-ish and I need an MRI. (I'm 47).

I haven't felt right since that flu. It's an awful feeling. Something isn't right.

I wouldnt be surprised if that flu pushed something over the edge for your friend and that she'll be one of many, many, people who die from it months later but who are not counted in the official death toll.

Again ... I'm sorry for your loss. Good and true friends are rare.

Originally posted by thisguyrighthere
I guess it would have to be some sort of organ damage cause by a prolonged fever?

A lot of people are reporting a SUB TEMPERATURE. Mine was sub-normal for 3-4 days before going up to 101 for a couple of days.

Originally posted by kosmicjack
I've never felt 100% myself since getting a flu in March.

Exactly. And I'm feeling worse with each day.
I swear it's like someone is draining my life energy out.

The doctors are saying .. oh it could be Lyme .. oh it could be MS .. oh it could be anemia ... oh it could be ... but it all started with that dang flu in April. It's a general feeling of being 'off' and being 'bad' but you don't know where or what it is.

sofi, my heart goes out to you.
The loss of a best friend is a huge loss.

I hope you take your own advice....and I thank you for sharing your knowledge and the kindergarten quote with all of us.


And' I'll tell you what is scary.
I had thought my immune system, was in pretty good shape.
Until I got pneumonia. No flu, no cold, the pneumonia was the primary illness.

My doctor tells me there's a lot of that going on, too.