Train, Skin, Flu
I’m home from my visit to the other city to see the doctor. A few things:
1. The train was indeed fast (200 kph, or about 125 mph for you Imperialists), but not pressurized, so my ears popped about every 10 minutes. It’s like they get so close… There was a storm on the way home so it was a little easier because the barometric pressure had dropped. I know this courtesy of my 5th grade obsession with weather reports.
2. The skin appears to be non-melanomic. I was given some medicines to put on it twice a day and see what happens. If it doesn’t clear up, they’ll send some off to the lab. I kinda wish they had done that lab thing now, just to be safe, but I’m sure it’s fine.
3. While I was gone, I got a text message from someone at my school that 13 students had been quarantined for (possible or confirmed? No one has told me) H1N1 flu. What they didn’t say is that at least some of them had been quarantined downstairs from my apartment. For those who don’t know, I live in my university’s hotel. (Note: this not like living at the Marriott. Please interpret the word ‘hotel’ loosely*.) There are 3 wings, and I live in the 3rd, most remote, wing. Floors 1-3 are hotel rooms, and we have a separate locked staircase that leads to the 4th and 5th floor foreign teachers’ apartments. Turns out they are housing the quarantined students on the 1st floor. There’s a rope sectioning off our wing and masked, armed guards at the entrance. As of right now, no one is allowed in who doesn’t live there, so no guests for me for a while. So far, though, WE have not been quarantined, which is very good news. Keep your fingers crossed for me!
*My apartment is very nice, though, much nicer than I deserve. The school works hard to keep them nice for the foreign teachers.
1. The train was indeed fast (200 kph, or about 125 mph for you Imperialists), but not pressurized, so my ears popped about every 10 minutes. It’s like they get so close… There was a storm on the way home so it was a little easier because the barometric pressure had dropped. I know this courtesy of my 5th grade obsession with weather reports.
2. The skin appears to be non-melanomic. I was given some medicines to put on it twice a day and see what happens. If it doesn’t clear up, they’ll send some off to the lab. I kinda wish they had done that lab thing now, just to be safe, but I’m sure it’s fine.
3. While I was gone, I got a text message from someone at my school that 13 students had been quarantined for (possible or confirmed? No one has told me) H1N1 flu. What they didn’t say is that at least some of them had been quarantined downstairs from my apartment. For those who don’t know, I live in my university’s hotel. (Note: this not like living at the Marriott. Please interpret the word ‘hotel’ loosely*.) There are 3 wings, and I live in the 3rd, most remote, wing. Floors 1-3 are hotel rooms, and we have a separate locked staircase that leads to the 4th and 5th floor foreign teachers’ apartments. Turns out they are housing the quarantined students on the 1st floor. There’s a rope sectioning off our wing and masked, armed guards at the entrance. As of right now, no one is allowed in who doesn’t live there, so no guests for me for a while. So far, though, WE have not been quarantined, which is very good news. Keep your fingers crossed for me!
*My apartment is very nice, though, much nicer than I deserve. The school works hard to keep them nice for the foreign teachers.
Comments
Poor sick kids. I DO hope they recover quickly and YOU don't catch it. Take care and thanks for the update!! Suz
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm187814.htm
This swine flu mass hysteria is out of proportion and out of control. Ridiculous :(
Hope you don't get Q'd! :-o
It was a bad flu, that's all. I guess it probably broke the "top ten" list of sickest I've been, but it was no where near the top.
The worst part was about 36 hours alternating between chills and bed soaking sweats. Felt it coming on a few days earlier, took a few after to feel OK again.
Did leave me fatigued for a week or two longer.
Town next to me closed one of their elementary schools when half the school (293 kids) were absent.
Another high school about an hour away dismissed early Friday and closed Mon & Tuesday after over 30 staff members called in sick Friday morning!
But outside of those two big pockets, the schools have just been having a few students here and there so far.
Dr. Jen, hi! The school has not tried to vaccinate us, but they did give us OTC TCM to prevent flu. I haven't taken it because I keep forgetting to call Dr. G. about it. My waiban's office knew Jenny came to give us a regular flu shot a few weeks ago, maybe they think we've had it.