Under The Weather

Another home treatment guide at GetPandemicReady

http://www.getpandemicready.com/

Treating the flu: home treatment resources
Page 2 has links to instructions on home care
Page 3 has a list of what to have on hand
http://66.236.6.202/pdf/Treati...

Treating the flu: isolation/infection control  This has the ors recipe and how to set up a sick room so that everything you need is easy to reach.  Good to do before you're too sick to move.
http://66.236.6.202/pdf/Treati...

Treating the flu: Caregiving  (assumes you are well, imo)
http://66.236.6.202/pdf/Treati...

ORS from my desktop, labeled ReadyMoms ors

ORAL REHYDRATION SOLUTION
Dehydration, from a prolonged bout of flu; with its fever, vomiting, and diarrhea, can easily kill patients that might have otherwise survived the virus. As IV's may well be in short supply or simply unavailable during a pandemic, the use of ORS may well be the most beneficial treatment that most patients can receive.  Certainly, with home care being the most likely venue for most patients, ORS will play a large role in the treatment of pandemic flu.
When the human body becomes dehydrated, it loses both water and essential electrolytes, particularly sodium. This condition can quickly become life threatening.
Identification of dehydration: When patients have a fever, vomiting, and/or diarrhea, they lose much more water from the body than is commonly appreciated. Symptoms of dehydration include weakness, dizziness, headache, confusion, and fainting. Signs of dehydration include dryness of the mouth, decreased saliva, lack of or very small urine volume that is dark and highly concentrated, sunken eyes, loss of skin elasticity, low blood pressure, especially upon sitting up or rising from the sitting to the standing position, and fast pulse rate, especially when moving from the lying to sitting or standing positions
You can make single-serve packets of ORS powder, with each packet designed to be added to 1 liter of water. Two packets would be used for a 2-liter bottle.  
You can find small, re-closable baggies, called bagettes sold at Michaels Art Supplies. You will find them in the bead section. Snack sized baggies, though lighter gauge plastic, would work as well. The small 2"x3" bagettes are just a little too small for the amount of powder required. You will need to go to the next size up, which are 3"x5".  
Along with these baggies, you will need table salt and sugar. I am electing to use non-iodized salt, although I am not aware of any reason why iodized salt would present a problem. The only other things you will need are measuring spoons and a felt tipped marker.  
Into each baggie I am placing 3 TABLESPOONS of Sugar, and 1 TEASPOON of salt. These do not need to be mixed. I am writing on each Baggie "ORS POWDER- ADD TO 1 LITER OF WATER".

Making your own ORS- 2 Recipes:
1). The simplest formula is 3 Tablespoons of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt, dissolved in 1 quart of potable water.  
2). An alternative simple formula is 8 teaspoons of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt, dissolved in 1 quart of potable water.
3). If available, add  cup of orange juice or some mashed banana to provide taste and
potassium.

Hope it doesn't get too bad for you!  Remember that Tamiflu works if you take it within 48 hours of getting sick. IIRC, within 24 hours is better.  (I'm not medically trained.)

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

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by: Jane @ Wed Jul 01, 2009 at 20:23:06 PM UTC

I hope you both feel much better VERY soon! Take care! n/t

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by: WhiteSwan @ Wed Jul 01, 2009 at 21:49:40 PM UTC

Hope you feel better!!!

I am pretty sure I had it and if you do I know you feel like crap. Drink a lot of water and sleep. Hopefully you will feel great after 3-4 days. Jon C

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by: JonC @ Thu Jul 02, 2009 at 00:36:38 AM UTC

You are not alone

Dear Backpacker - My family and I are suffering the same fate as you are.  About 2.5 weeks ago, I started coming down with a GI virus.  It was one of the worse stomach flus I have ever had - within the first 3 hours of symptoms, I was laying on the floor of the bathroom seriously debating if I should go in and get IV fluids - I could barely lift up my head.  I was able to start keeping sips of water down at that point and avoided the ER.  The symptoms were severe vomiting, diarrhea, low grade fever, chills, body aches.  I lost 9 lbs in the first day.  At first I thought I might have food poisoning, but these symptoms were much more severe and I later found out that this flu was going around town.  I stayed on the bathroom floor for the first 20 hours because I could not lay on the couch 20 feet away because it was too far to walk.  My husband's employer would not let him go back to work until I talked with my MD to make sure they felt it was not swine flu. Since I did not have a sore throat/cough, they said it was just the GI virus that was going around and would go away within a few days.  They did not feel it was necessary to do any testing and did not want me to come in.  My husband's employer seemed OK with this information.  It lasted 4-5 days before the symptoms were gone.  Not long after the flu symptoms were gone, I managed to catch the cold you were talking about (I suppose my immune system was down and came in contact with the cold).  Sore throat, cough, major sinus issues, body aches are the main symptoms.  I came down with this about 1.5 weeks ago and still have it, but it is getting better.  Some of the people in town have had it for over 2 weeks now and still have sinus symptoms.  Just be careful you don't wind up getting sinus infection or pneumonia.  

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by: Sniffles @ Thu Jul 02, 2009 at 14:51:56 PM UTC

Thanks for the comments

I appreciate the input very much. This is my second day of 100 degree temp, although I just took it and it's down to 99.6, for now anyway. This is not the worst flu I've ever had, but it still stinks. Headache (better today), sore throat, tired, chills, fever, and now it seems to be heading toward my lungs (the whole wet cough thing). Spouse is feeling much better than me, which I'm glad for.

I have Tamiflu, but I am not using it as I don't think it's called for in my situation, and it's too late anyway. Plus, I don't want the side effects. I'll save it for my nieces who are in their twenties, should they get a bad case.

Things I'm glad I have tons of on hand: Super soft facial tissue, cough drops, Gatorade (I water down the powdered stuff and put it on ice. Better than a chilled martini).

Things I wish I had: A refrigerated pillow for my hot head, and 5 gallons of coconut-pineapple ice cream.

Things I'm glad I have: my spouse, my dogs, my laptop, and my collection of Rock Hudson-Doris Day DVDs. Screwball comedies are about as deep as I can get right now. Doris' hats are particularly amusing when your brain is in a fevered state.

Be well all. And thanks for taking the time to read this. We shall survive.  

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by: backpacker @ Fri Jul 03, 2009 at 03:44:22 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Addendum

I'm actually not coughing much yet. It's more like I can tell it's on it's way by the way my lungs feel and how I keep having to clear my throat. Fortunately I purchased a huge bottle of cough syrup last month in case things get bad.

Prepping has really made this thing a lot more manageable.  

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by: backpacker @ Fri Jul 03, 2009 at 03:59:12 AM UTC