Healthy except for cough

Boy howdy, this flu thing hit us hard! Well, it hit me hard. I came down with it first, and it took me the longest to get rid of it. Still have the cough but I'm not feverish and not contagious.

Hubby got the seasonal flu shot, and 3 days later got hit with the swine flu. He was only down 3 days, but yes, still has the cough.

The Kid got it last and was down 4 days, and still has the cough. For someone who has only been sick 5-6 times in his entire 13 years of life, he didn't know what to do with himself. I gave him a break on doing schoolwork, and he's just now catching up.

I'm sure we would have been worse off if we hadn't prepped and taken our supplements. If you haven't come down with the swine flu yet, you probably will. Make sure you're eating healthy, taking your supplements, and have stockpiled plenty of cough medicine, fever reducer, rehydratin drinks, clean water, and tissues/toilet paper.

Be healthy!


p.s. Hubby heard someone calling the H1N1 the "hini" (hi-nee) flu! Appropo, don't you think?

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Update March 11 2014

I taught myself how to can last year. One of my experiments was an elderberry cough syrup, perfect for all kinds of flu.  I didn't really like the consistency, so I plan to experiment more this year. Want to keep up with my experiments?  Please visit www.survival-cooking.blogspot.com for more information. Thank you.

Another Health Update

Hubby's already back to work! His bout with this swine flu was horrific for 2 days, better on Day 3 and back to work on Day 4. Other than a cough and feeling a little tired, he's just fine.

The 13 yr old Kid is on Day 2, still with a high fever and cough. But he's already feeling better. Unbelievable.

Me, I'm still sick.

Guess it's my "compromised immune system" but it seems like the precautions, supplements, and healthy eating helps reduce the severity and longevity of this thing.

Meanwhile, I hope to start posting something else soon! Thanks for all of the e-mails of good thoughts and speedy recovery. Vikki

Update on our family's swine flu

I still have it, bad. Hubby came down with it yesterday. Kid woke up with a cough this morning.

HOWEVER, I'm starting to feel better, so is Hubby, and the Kid might not get a full-blown case of the swine flu. So.... we're thinking that all of the herbal supplements and other precautions we took are helping us beat this. Between the goldenseal, echinacea, garlic, vitamins d and c, multi-vitamin, and eating fairly health with fruits and veggies, this thing is starting to subside.

Keep using hand sanitizer. Lysol your house at least once a day. Sanitize laundry (especially hand towels, wash cloths, handkerchiefs, etc.) with vinegar in the rinse cycle. At the first sign of a cough, increase your supplements. Use vapor chest rub when possible, keeping a shirt on to prevent the goo from getting on pillows and sheets. Get a good night of sleep, propping your head up if you can. LOTS of fluids (water, herbal tea, 100% fruit juice)... try to 6-8 ounces an hour. Eat lots of veggies and fruits, simple proteins, whole grains. Stay away from all dairy, unless it's made out of rice or soy milk. Have bananas, rice (or rice cakes/rice crackers), applesauce and gatorade on hand if tummy troubles start up. Take it easy ... don't do too much (like I did today: 3 loads of laundry, cooked dinner, unpacked 2 boxes, and cleaned the kitchen).

I'll keep you updated as I can. I plan to sleep most of the night and probably most of tomorrow. Stay well.

Prepping saved me and Hubby

I have the swine flu. Again. It's much worse this time. Can't believe I got it, despite my prepping, taking supplements, eating healthy, and using hand sanitizer. But still, I got it and can barely move (only online to check messages and write this, then it's back to bed).

Last night I was practically crying. My throat hurts so much. The tamiflu has given me the trots. The constant coughing has hurt my ribs. Headache and general body aches. You get the picture.

Suddenly I remembered that as we were packing up our house to move here, I had made a special "flu" box. Hubby remembered where it was and grabbed it. I found the vapor chest rub, cough medicine, lozenges, ibuprofen, elderberry syrup, and more. I swept up these wonderful goodies in my arms and cried. Family already thinks I'm nuts; this just clenched it.

I sucked on a zinc lozenge while I planned my attack on this virus. This thing is not gonna beat me. I actually slept most of last night. Nyquil-Wal-mart-brand is wonderful.

Believe me, Hubby is glad that I packed that box. Otherwise, I was planning to send him out for flu supplies. Thankfully I also had stocked up on tissues (on my 2nd box since Saturday), food my family can fix for themselves, hand sanitizer, bottled water, tea bags, and much more.

Be well, people. This thing is a nightmare.

Doctor's Orders - Stay Home

I'm going stir crazy. We went out yesterday to get groceries and a winter coat and other winter clothes for me since I can't find the box with my winter clothes in it. Big mistake. My symptoms are worse today. So I called my doc.

I've been told by my doctor's office, in no uncertain terms, to not leave my home. Whether or not I have the swine flu or just the stomach flu, it's contagious, and going around fast. Half of the doctor's office is out sick, and as a side note, my Hubby's office has already put people on notice that if more people call in sick, everyone will be sent home to do their job at home.

Just curious... I've been sick with the flu before. Not often, but enough times to have NEVER been told by my doctor's office to NOT leave my house until I'm well.

Hmmmm...

Good thing I have enough food, water and medicine to last for a while.

Swine Flu Checkpoints and Concentration Camps?

This youtube vid was forwarded to me. Checkpoints. Swine flu vaccination requirements. Chips. Concentration camps. Could this possibly be real or a hoax?

Not only watch it.... but forward a link to this posting to everyone you know! Thanks.





And... here is the follow-up vid ...




And check out the CDC page that George W Bush enacted in 2003... http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/executiveorder040403.htm

And here's a vid of actually a phone call that sounds legit... again, hoax or real?

USA Martial Law Preparations Being Made 2009

Awaiting final approval by Gates for Martial Law in the event of outbreak of H1N1 Swine Flu, and we basically can't do anything to stop it. Round-ups of infected people.

Watch this vid ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOWtJTWT5I4 ):


Check out the posting I did a few moments ago, too. Very informative.

Self-Shield Against Mandatory Vaccination H1N1 Flu

Want to be required to be vaccinated against the Swine Flu (H1N1) or be detained by FEMA or WHO's orders?

Watch this vid ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swHUfACaRN8 ):

Antigenic Chart for 2009 H1N1 Swine Flu

We now have 38 cases of H1N1 (Swine) Flu in Colorado: 6 in Adams County, 8 in Arapahoe, 1 in Boulder, 7 in Denver, 1 in Douglas, 3 in Eagle, 1 in Freemont, 4 in Garfield, 5 in Jefferson, 1 in La Plata, and 1 in Morgan. None required hospitalization as of this posting, to my knowledge.

I'm sure people are tired of hearing about this 2009 outbreak of the swine flu, now called H1N1 Flu Virus. I thought I'd post this chart. It has some enlightening info on it.

1918 Flu Survivors May Have 2009 Flu Immunity

A recent study showed that people who survived the 1918 pandemic may still have enough immunity to that strain of the virus (in the form of "B cells") that may help researchers develop a treatment for the current H1N1 "Swine" flu strain.

From what I understand, a person gets infected with influenza through typical ways: it enters through mucous membranes: eyes, nose, mouth, etc. The body fights it with an "immune response". Antibodies are produced by "B cells", which leaves the body a little bit immune to the virus. This immunity is strongest over the first few months, then decreases over time.

Researchers are taking these B cells that are left in the 1918 Flu survivors, and experimenting with them (cloning) to provide antibodies.

Even though this 2009 bout isn't expected to be severe or even very deadly, I hope this study will provide a working vaccine.

What Foods to Store In Case of a Pandemic

I've written a similar post before (at our www.survival-cooking.com blog), but considering the health situation of today, it bears repeating here. Please note that this 2009 H1N1 (Swine) Flu is mild at this time. It is spreading quickly, but loss of life is quite light compared to "regular" seasonal flu.

Besides water (1 gallon per person per day for drinking, cooking, cleaning, etc.), the following is suggested for one person over age 8 (to prepare and eat healthy meals for ONE year):

• 150 pounds of wheat berries
• 25 pounds of flour
• 25 pounds of cornmeal
• 25 pounds of oats
• 50 pounds of rice
• 25 pounds of pasta
• 50 pounds dry beans/peas/lentils/soybeans
• 40 cans tuna
• 40 cans ham
• 10 pounds dried turkey dices
• 10 pounds dried chicken dices
• 10 pounds powdered eggs
• 40 pounds applesauce
• 30 pounds dried banana chips
• 50 cans fruit cocktail
• 50 cans pear halves
• 50 cans peach slices
• 50 cans pineapple chunks, tidbits or slices
• 40 pounds of fruit juices
• 30 pounds corn
• 30 pounds green beans
• 30 pounds dried carrots
• 40 pounds potatoes
• 20 pounds dried potato flakes
• 10 pounds dried onion dices
• 10 pounds dried garlic granules
• 20 pounds tomatoes
• 60 cans tomato paste
• 50 pounds powdered milk
• 12 cans evaporated milk
• 2 pounds dried milk items (sour cream/butter)
• 1 pound baking powder
• 4 pounds baking soda (cleaning & cooking)
• 1 pound yeast
• 5 pounds salt
• 5 gallons vegetable oil
• 5 gallons vinegar
• 2 quarts of mayonnaise
• 1 quart ketchup
• 5 pounds honey
• 30 pounds sugar
• 24 jars jams/fruit preserves
• 2 pounds flavored gelatin / instant puddings
• 4 pounds hard candy
• 4 bottles mustard
• 4 jars pickle relish
• 12 bottles salad dressing
• 5 pounds boullion/broth-maker
• 5 pounds peanut butter
• 12 bottles multi-vitamins

This should give you a good start to feeding one person for an entire year. Cut in half for younger children. Be sure to check out www.survival-cooking.com for recipes and information about providing healthy nutritious and fun meals for your family during confinement, and start practicing today!

Also, make sure you have a way to cook this food. Have you come up with alternative cooking methods just in case your utilities go out?

Note: Some people believe there's a possibility they could be confined (quarantined) due to the swine or bird flu pandemic for 3-6 months, and some people believe that there will be many waves of the flu which could last a year or two. Use your own judgement.

Be sure to include a lot of the following list too. Great to spice up ordinary meals, or when you don't have a way to cook. These foods store well and don't need cooking:

Beef jerkey + Canned beef stew + Canned chicken and dumplings + Canned seafood (clams, shrimp, tuna, oysters, crab, salmon, kippers, etc.) + Canned soup + Canned spaghetti sauce + Canned veggies + Canned and jarred fruits + Cereal + Cheese (jar or box) + Chicken salad kit + Chips + Chipped beef + Crackers + Deviled ham + Dried fruits + Dried veggies + Granola bars + Ham salad kit + Instant gatorade and other instant drinks + Instant hot cocoa + Jarred salsa + Juice box + MREs + Nuts and Seeds + Peanut butter + Protein bars + Protein Drinks + Protein Powder + Rice cakes + Spam + Summer sausage + Tuna salad kit + Vienna sausages

Just FYI... the following are non-food items that you'll need during quarantine:

Tissues, toilet paper, paper clips, baby wipes, diapers, hand lotion, powder, can openers, blankets, socks, first aid kit, hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol, triple antibiotic ointment, ace bandage, heating pad or hot water bottle, multi-vitamins, sewing needles/thread/pins, fabric, velcro, defense items, pain relievers, prescription medications, duplicate eye glasses, duct tape, bed linens, towels, plastic baggies, tin/aluminum foil, paper, pens/pencils, reference books, novels, school books, board games, decks of cards, allergy medicine, flatware, fire starting equipment, water purifying items, body sanitation items (portable toilet, etc.), rechargeable batteries, mosquito repellent, sunburn cream, sunscreen, tape, staples, stapler. You'll need to clean and sanitize your home regularly so stock up on those items. Be sure to stock up on N-95 respirator masks, disposable gloves, foot cover/booties, goggles, hand sanitizer, cough medicine, etc. You also need a grinder for the wheat berries (hand-grinder preferred in case you lose electricity).

Did I miss anything?

More H1N1 Swine Flu in Colorado

Two more cases of the H1N1 Influenza (Swine Flu) have been confirmed in Colorado. They are siblings, located in Arvada (up here, a suburb north of Denver).

From what I understand... The older boy went on a school trip to New York, and brought the virus back with him. School was on break last week, but the family took immediate precautions. Once the symptoms showed, they had the boy and his younger sibling tested, then isolated the family completely. The tests confirmed H1N1 this past weekend. Neither child needed to be hospitalized.

People who had been in contact with these two boys, among others, have been tested. Results are pending.


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Updated April 4 2009 10:05 p.m.: There are now 6 confirmed cases of the 2009 H1N1 (Swine) Flu. One of them is a student (dorm resident) at Colorado University, and has been in isolation for some time now. None of the three CU cases have been to Mexico recently.

H1N1 Swine Flu Confirmed in Colorado

As of 10:31 a.m. this morning, the top health officials in Colorado released the information that there are now 2 confirmed cases of the H1N1 Virus (Swine Flu) in Colorado. One in Arapaho County - a person who recently traveled via a cruise to Mexico with a stop in San Diego, and one in Douglas County who is a DIA baggage handler. Both were hospitalized and are now recovering at home. Both didn't work so that they could "self-quarantine". One family member took antivirals.

There are no additional confirmed reports at this time.

Symptoms of Swine Flu

I was reading the wikipedia entry for this 2009 Swine Flu outbreak, and loved the picture they had that depicts the symptoms of the swine flu. Here it is:

In addition to replenishing our lost supplies (gloves, masks, etc.), I also stopped by the health food store for sambucol (elderberry syrup), horehound tea leaves, and more. We brought home 16 gallons of water, more cough medicine, puppy food, dog treats, trash bags, baked beans, and puffed rice to make some special treats that hide spinach (for Tween). We already had everything else we need to last indoors/confined for several months. Maybe longer.

Yesterday the news gave a total of 86 deaths in Mexico due to this outbreak. Today, I see on http://www.cnn.com/ that there are 149.

Could it be that it's really here, or are we just going overboard? Does it matter? I'm basically a hermit anyway, and not going to the mall because I never go to the mall. We don't need to spend money on non-necessities. And our garden, yard and house need tending to, as well as our business and schoolwork.

Enjoy your day. Don't be paranoid or afraid. Just eat healthy, wash your hands constantly, take precautions, get plenty of sleep and exercise, drink lots of water, avoid touching possibly-contaminated surfaces, avoid contact with possibly-infected people, and enjoy your life!

Swine Flu Pandemic Possibility

Found this article at: http://www.utahpreppers.com/2009/04/pandemic-preparedness/ - wanted to pass it along in its entirety with a few comments of my own:


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With the current Swine Flu scare coming out of Mexico and popping up here and there in the United States, it is prudent to become familiar with the situation and especially prudent to review your Pandemic Preparedness Level. I should also stress that this is a “DON’T PANIC, Just Prepare!” post. So first, let’s get to know the player - what is the swine flu? Well, it’s just a variant of the “flu” that makes the rounds and gets passed around every year. Thing is, this variant doesn’t typically pass to humans so there is not an anti-virus in production or even made yet. Don’t take it from me though, and don’t take it from the ‘news’. Here are links to the CDC info and briefs on this situation:

• Swine Flu Brief
• Key facts about Swine Influenza
• Human Swine Influenza Investigation
• This is a vid-cast from the CDC about the swine flu outbreak

Some quick anti-panic notes from the above sources:

• Swine flu CANNOT be transmitted by food. Eating pork does NOT put you at risk.
• This is NOT the first time the ’swine flu’ has transmitted to humans. It’s happened several times before without it becoming a pandemic.
• This variant of swine flu, as with any flu, is a virus and primarily spread person-to-person through coughing or sneezing.
• This is just a flu! The key here is to NOT GET IT, since there is not currently an anti-viral for it.

Quick notes about prevention:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people. If you get sick with influenza, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth because germs can spread that way.

Now, let’s talk a bit about Pandemic Preparedness.

We’ve linked to this before, here is an excellent resource on Pandemic Preparedness from the LDS Church. In the case of a true Pandemic outbreak in your area, the most important thing is to be prepared to Shelter In. This means having enough food/water/supplies to keep you and your family inside at your home for possibly several weeks. You don’t want to be caught in a store-run in a pandemic outbreak! You need to make sure you are prepared for that possibility ahead of time. If you have your 3 month supply of everything at home already, then Peace is yours in this situation!

Other Pandemic specific things to make sure you have an excellent supply of:

• N-95 Masks: These masks are different from regular dust masks or other types of masks. They are rated to help stop the spread of viruses. You should have enough in your preps to provide a new one to every member of your family every day for at least 2 weeks. They can be purchased at most stores that include a pharmacy, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, WalGreens, etc. Generally they are a little pricey but are necessary for your preps.
• Medical Gloves: You should have several hundred pair of medical gloves in your preps. These are needed if someone in your family gets sick and you have to self-quarantine. Anytime you touch anything that a sick person has been around, you need to be wearing gloves. You can buy these at the same places you buy N-95 masks. They are a lot cheaper than the masks though.
• Alcohol-based Hand Sanitizer: Even though you’re wearing gloves all the time, you should have lots of alcohol based sanitizers in your preps. You should have them in your day bag, your go bag, your 72-hour kits and your regular preps. You should also have lots of anti-bacterial soap as well.

Other Preps: To be prepared to take care of someone infected in your home, you should also have the following in your preps (these preps will be for the single person providing care for the sick person, you do not need to have enough of these supplies for everyone in the family to wear constantly):

• Disposable surgical gowns
• Disposable shoe covers
• Goggles or face shield
• Bleach (to clean surfaces and items touched by a sick person)
• Supplies to boil water (to sanitize dishes and other items used by sick person)

I can’t stress enough how important Pandemic Preparedness is. The worst possible thing you could do in a Pandemic outbreak is rush to the store with thousands of potentially sick people and try to fight them all to buy supplies to shelter in. The only rushing you want to do in a Pandemic situation is rush home - and stay there.

Make sure you have N-95 masks and hand sanitizer in your Day Bag, Office Kit, Car Kit, Go Bag and 72 Hour kits! Keep a good supply of sanitizing materials in your preps at home and .. .. .. Don’t Panic!

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According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control): symptoms for swine flu (H1N1) include: fever, lethargy, lack of appetite, coughing, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. If you come down with even a few of these symptoms, call your doctor, don your mask, and head on to get checked out. Samples of your blood will be sent to be examined to see if you have this strain of flu. Better to be safe than sorry.

Here's a link to a .pdf file that gives information on how to give chest compressions to people who are having troubles clearing their lungs: http://www.phoenixchildrens.com/emily-center/child-health-topics/handouts/CPT-55b.pdf. Print it out and put it in your emergency binder.

You haven't started your emergency binder? Do it. TODAY! Grab a 2" binder and label it. Start with printing out the .pdf mentioned in the above paragraph. Then start your inventory of your stored foods, disposable gloves and other items mentioned in this article. Do you have hygiene and sanitary products, i.e. toilet paper? Cough medicine, theraflu, ibuprofen, acetamenaphin, children's products? A way to light your home? A way to cook if your utilities get shut off? Enough water (1 gallon per person per day)? Make a note in your binder of everything, then get out there are purchase what you don't have. Be sure to include a section in your binder for first aid, cooking without utilities, and more.

In addition, be sure to sanitize (with bleach, ammonia and/or vinegar) all doorknobs, telephones, toilet handles, cups, and everything else that you come in contact with. First thing tomorrow, we're going through this house and sanitizing everything, including the doorbell outside!

We have a particular situation: we have begun packing and preparing to move. We also have some minor repairs to make, and I have a business to run. Busy busy. We don't intend to put the house on the market until June, but have to pack and store lots of items to "stage" the house (make it more sellable). So... we have to figure out how to store our "prep" items without making prospective buyers think we're end-of-the-world freaks (which we're not). We can't fill our big water storage tank, and in the midst of moving some things to the storage unit we rented, we can't find the disposable gloves, masks, etc. At least we still have plenty of stored food on our special shelves.

So, despite tomorrow being my birthday, after I take the dogs to the vet, Tween and I need to gather some more disposable gloves, N-95 masks, goggles, bleach, and lots of gallons of water. Then we'll get a couple more bags of dog food and head on home.