So here it is, Saturday evening — the sun hasn’t quite set yet but, from the window of my second floor where the computer sits on its huge antique rolltop desk, I gaze south through the thinning branches of the adjacent cherry tree and out onto the massive pines and firs on my property, I can see that the few deciduous trees have their leaves beginning to yellow and drop.
It’s the fall season, clearly here now. Time to reorganize the shed, take down the umbrella and chairs from my deck, stack more wood inside, make way for the rains that are apparently coming in a day or two. Information indicates these rains won’t be just a few drops; they’ll be consequential. And to that I say: fabulous. We can use the rain. In torrents.
Further, people up in the mountains where I live are saying this winter will be much wetter than normal and, in response, I say once again: fabulous. Send lots of rain. We need it. I won’t flood. It all runs downhill.
At my “new” job, getting days off is an Act of God. I don’t have sufficient juice to acquire all the holidays this year. At 30+ years in service I’ll be working Thanksgiving. I got Christmas day off, and the next day. I’ll be working New Years’ Eve, day, and the following day.
My Dad isn’t here, so Thanksgiving doesn’t mean that much to me. Christmas will be likewise diminished. I almost don’t want to acknowledge their existence this year. It won’t kill me to work the Holidays. It will just remind me of my rookie days on the department when I worked for the senior officers.
I decided to take some “hits” so that other supervisors with families could enjoy themselves.
Additionally, there are rumors flying about that all “discretionary” days off are about to be canceled; that is to say, if you hadn’t originally made your request for your union-guaranteed annual leave, any and all other requests for days off would not be granted — indefinitely. Essentially: all days off canceled.
What that means to me as an individual and as a supervisor: employees will always “manage” their leave. They’ll just call in “sick.” You can demand note after doctors note — but, of course, the employees know that the requirement for a note necessitates another visit to a doctor and another day in order to accomplish that.
Our morale will also tank, obviously. I’ve seen this all before.
While at work a few days ago, however, one of the facility nurses asked if I would like to take a flu shot for this year. I declined. It was quite the odd timing because, just the day before, I’d been to my chiropractor (Dr. Robert Graykowski, whom I would highly recommend) for an adjustment. All about him were signs indicating that flu shots were worse than the flu, as they contained thimerosal. Mercury is used as a preservative in thimerosal.
When I’ve had flu shots, I can’t specifically recall that I’d remained flu-free those specific years. One year in particular I recall I acquired flu-like symptoms about two weeks after my acquiring a flu shot. A reaction? Anomaly? Who knows?
CVS and Walgreen are already running out of seasonal flu shots — which, one must understand, are not the H1N1 vaccines.
Again, some people think the H1N1 vaccine “cure” is worse than the illness. The CDC remarks on H1N1 here.
You might want to read about some H1N1 vaccine risks here.
CBS News records a video of the H1N1 risks here.
Another point here.
So, my final two questions:
1. Will YOU be acquiring a standard flu shot this year?
2. Will YOU be acquiring an H1N1 shot this year?
BZ
I am still deciding on the H1N shot. 76 children have already died from it, so my son will be getting it. Not going to lose him over that. He is “my prince, my seed! 😀 My dad has been gone since 1993. It was when I finally realized that life will not go on forever, and that now at age 48 it is very likely that I have more birthdays behind me than I have ahead of me. I think a lot more about God than I used to, and crack open the Bible a lot more. After all these years I still miss Dad terribly. I think about him almost everyday. He was only 8 years older than I am now. When I was in the Coast Guard I missed many holidays with family. My tip to you is to try to do something nice for your work buddies. Bring in some Turkey and stuffing even if you have to eat it on the fly off a paper plate. Sometimes those are the best of all, because you appreciate what you have more. Like the old bluegrass song says “keep on the sunny side of life”.
You got a great woman, nice house, a job, and your bills are getting paid. Give thanks to the big guy upsatirs. Things will improve, gradually.
Tim don’t give that garbage to your son. It hasn’t been out long enough for its efficacy to be known. We don’t know about long terms effects and since Sebelius said that vaccine manufactorers are given blanket immunity from suits over damage from taking the swine flu vaccine, you should think twice.
BZ to answer your questions, hell NO and double hell no.
I got the flu every year I got a shot. Turns out I’m allergic to the preparation and it does my immune system worse than when I don’t take that crap.
Secondly as I said to Tim above, the swine flu vaccine hasn’t been out long enough for its use to be justified. In 1976 500 people were injured from the swine flu vaccine. Screw that.
Turns out the cure and prevention for many ailments is sunlight ala vitamin D. Tim get your kid under a sun lamp and some vitamin D3 supplements. His health will be far better because of it.
AND I hope you are feeling better. Rub your cats, snuggle with your wife and get a drink. Life is too short to stress of bullshit, as I am truly learning now that I have a baby. Other stuff simply isn’t as important as it used to be.As good a man as you are, I KNOW y’all will be okay.
I have only had one flu vaccination in my life – the after-effects were worse than the flu it was supposed to protect me from. Pass on this one…
Last time I got a flu shot I got sicker than I did without it. I’ll take my chances.
As far as holidays go, I understand. I suggest you find ways to fill the emptiness. One thing I did when my family was gone for the Holiday and I couldn’t go with them was help deliver Thanksgiving dinners to shut ins and it made a big difference that year. Sadly I can’t do it right now because of obligations. I don’t know how the Spirit moves you but find a way to fill the void. Nothing can do it perfectly, especially for the first holiday without him, but you can find some small joy in doing so and remember, you will be reunited. He still with you in many ways.
That was a touching thought, SR. You are indeed correct. Many times I have felt that somehow, Dad was near. Especially at times when my son and I were alone together skiing or fishing. You guys will think I’m nuts, but once when I was shaving I swear, for a split second, he was staring back at me from the mirror and not my reflection. Subliminal, like a single film frame in a movie that you barely know is there. You can’t reach out and touch, but that connection is there.
I, too am comforted by the thought that we will all be together “up yonder”.
I am a nurse and I would not give the H1N1 flu vaccine to my children if they were still little and I will not be taking it! There is not enough study on it and I am not willing to be part of the study. As for the yearly flu vaccine, I do take it and my children took it. Neither one of them take it now, but then again they are adults and can make their own decisions. The medical field is treating the H1N1 flu as any other flu, treat the fever and the symtoms. Lots of fluids and rest. Your best precautions are keeping the hands washed and do not eat/drink after others. Keep your hands away from your face and cough/sneeze into your elbow and/or tissue. I work for a big medical company that have multiple hospitals and senior living housing. We are not allowing any children under the age of fourteen to visit any of the facilities during the flu season.
BZ as for the holidays, do something or prepare something that was special for your father and make new traditions keeping him part of the new. My grandma has been gone for twenty seven years and that is how I keep her alive during the holidays. God Bless all your readers and have a healthy flu season.
1. Will YOU be acquiring a standard flu shot this year?
Already have…
2. Will YOU be acquiring an H1N1 shot this year?
Not no, but HELL NO!
we’ll get our usual standard flu shot – but it’ll be a cold day before that pigshit gets shot into my arm….
Thank you for your thoughts and weigh-ins, Tim, Mahndisa, Tom, Shoprat. This will be the first Thanksgiving without Dad and, quite frankly, I’m kind of glad I’ll be working that day. It just doesn’t have much meaning for me right now. The last, best photo I have of Dad and the entire family together was on Thanksgiving of last year, at my brother’s house. What a wonderful photo.
And there you have it, folks, writing from a professional, a nurse. Thank you, Anonymous, for coming to the blog, for reading it and taking the time to comment. Please come back any and all times.
BZ
Don: thanks for weighing in and, clearly, an unequivocal thought on your end. And TF: seems like a number of folks are saying, uh, maybe on the regular flu shot and pretty much NO on the H1N1!
BZ
Nope and Nope.. I’ve never been a fan of injecting a virus into my body…I’ve had the flu I don’t like it…But I’m ok with dealing with it the way GOD intended…I’m not real paranoid about it either, although I will be more aware of where I put my hands and I’ll wash them more frequently.
My Dad isn’t here, so Thanksgiving doesn’t mean that much to me. Christmas will be likewise diminished. I almost don’t want to acknowledge their existence this year.
Mr. AOW will likely still be in the hospital during Thanksgiving. If so, this Thanksgiving will not be celebrated as usual.
I’m not looking forward to Christmas, either.
1. Will YOU be acquiring a standard flu shot this year?
I already did so. My family doc insisted because Mr. AOW was in the hospital at the time the first shots were offered. Mr. AOW and I both got our shots on the same day at the hospital. I was under the weather for a couple of days but suffered no serious side-effects
2. Will YOU be acquiring an H1N1 shot this year?
Likely not. I’m not in the at-risk age group.
There have been some safety concerns on H1N1, particularly with neurological disorders. Luckily multiple companies are getting involved to develop alternatives. So I will remain without it: as the folks at NIH point out, I have a great immune system which is very active as it destroys my own insulin producing cells. Isn’t auto-immunity wonderful? I can deal with a flu, even a nasty one as I’ve had multiple sinus and ear infections simultaneously, along with pleurisy and vomiting. Simultaneously.
I can deal with the flu.
That said China still has some H5N1 running around and that would be a very bad time for some people in China to get both of them and have them exchange genes. A very bad time for that.