29th October 2009

How to Get Your H1N1 Vaccine Tips

Quick blog - will post pictures this weekend, maybe, if I remember

We were able to get Melina vaccinated yesterday at the H1N1 vaccine clinic for children  6 months to 4 years.  She did fine, although I think with all the children crowded in, she became a little nervous at seeing one girl behind her become quite animated when she got her shot.  So then she began to cry, and in fact, off and on, was clingy and cried often yesterday evening.  But today, she was just fine, and no issues whatsoever.  No redness, no apparent soreness and no fussiness.  Her top two teeth, however, seem to be bothering her gums, and look red and irritated.  But she’s good otherwise.

So how do you get your H1N1 vaccine?  Here are some tips:

  1.  Research upcoming H1N1 vaccine clinic locations by checking your local news stations, and Google - you do not, as of yet, have to limit your vaccine clinic to your city or county.
  2. Online registration just gets you in the system.  It doesn’t alert you, as it says it will, to upcoming clinics in your area.  Dates are often past, and thus I wouldn’t rely on this, until it improves significantly.
  3. Watch the news the night before, and the morning news to see if there are any announcements regarding the vaccine clinic.  I found 10TV News to be very helpful in its coverage.
  4. News websites are not always up to date with clinic information.  So, check them, but don’t rely on them to be up to date by the minute, hour or day.  Best to team that up with watching the news each day.
  5. Go early, really, go early!  What’s early?  I went at 10 a.m. for a 2 p.m. H1N1 clinic.   I got in line about 11 a.m., after keeping warm in the car.  I was about 50th in line. By the clinic start time, the administrator said no one would be able to come in - too many people had already lined up to get the vaccine.
  6. Pack warm - you may be outside for a long period of time, so be prepared for long hours outside with a baby, or young child.   You’ll need blankets to sit on, possibly, and plenty of food, diapers, and things to keep a crawling, on the go baby occupied and out of trouble.
  7. Watch out for germs from others at these clinics.  Crowds of people, some of whom were quite sick.  I have a rain/winter weather plastic slick for Melina’s stroller- I’ve used it twice now for germ-fighting reasons.  Keep the coughing away from your young baby if needed.  Carry Purell and/or wipes, and try to stay away from others with cough.
  8. Be prepared to need to leave your spot to use the restroom - either by securing it with nice people in line, or by having someone else go with you.  I noticed that some people traded off - they had their husband or wife go early, and then the other came with the child later, closer to the time of the actual vaccine clinic’s start time.
  9. As of yet, you don’t need proof of anything other than if you’re pregnant.  You will fill out paperwork when you’re there, a one-pager.  It’s similar to what you do if you register online, but has more information about allergies to shots.  It’s very similar to the paperwork for a seasonal flu vaccine.
  10. You will need to wait around for 15 minutes once you get the vaccine.

Lastly, I want to give kudos to Columbus City’s Department of Health - and their organization.  Thanks to Ohio Historical Society for their facility usage.  They were organized, very helpful and things ran smoothly at least at the beginning of the clinic.  So, we’re glad we got it, and it was worth our time.  As of yet, no reactions for my little one other than lots of fussiness for several hours.  She’s also teething and cutting two teeth simultaneously, so that could be it as well.

28th October 2009

Take 2: H1N1 Vaccine Clinic

Today is all about trying to get my 11-month old vaccinated.  I’ve had three hours of sleep.  I’m without a nanny/sitter for a week now due to her cough.  I’ve got a ton of work to get done, but Melina comes first today.  I tried to get Melina vaccinated the other day, and within the first 2 hours, they ran out of shots (not vaccines, but needles to what I’ve heard).  We had quite the experience as noted in my blog below.

I’ll be updating how the day goes from my cell phone, which is slightly damaged due to moisture, posting to Twitter on www.twitter.com/bizresearchlmt as my cell phone only posts to that account (as opposed to @laurathieme).

My past few days have been based around coordinating business calls and work without a sitter.  But, considering many of the sitters are not getting vaccinated, and are exposed to Ohio State University environments where many students are sick, it’s not worth the risk to Melina.

I could do everything right with Melina, and there could still be problems or complications.  A client mom & friend of mine had her son vaccinated, and four days later he came down with the swine flu.  Guess there are about 12 days before it’s active or effective.  So, I think I’m in for about three more weeks before things get better, or likely in my opinion get worse.

The really cold season brings about worse flu symptoms based on my non-medical experience.  Hearing more information, doing more research on the vaccine itself, as well as those who are getting sick, and some who are dying, I’m all for the vaccine, despite reading Novartis’ disclaimer about testing on pregnant, nursing and children under the age of 4.  It seems that not enough testing has been done on this age group, which Melina falls into.  I’m still nursing, so I’m concerned.  But based on what I’ve read, from credible sources such as CDC’s website, and Novartis, and then less credible sources such as Facebook friends and Twitter feeds on H1N1 - I’m moving forward with this today, if I can get her the vaccine.

I feel the vaccine risks are outweighed by the risks of serious illness, or even death.

On The Early Show this morning, an informal survey indicated that 91% of 100 pediatricians who were polled say that they would recommend H1N1 vaccine.  Only nine doctors saying they were not ordering the vaccine.  While I don’t know if she was polled in this study, I can attest to that.  My pediatrician is one of those pediatricians not ordering the vaccine, but paperwork was a major reason and the need for a dedicated computer and likely other financial resources.

H1N1 clinics are the only option if your doctor is not participating.  One concern I have: the crowds at these clinics.  If you go to protect your child, and eventually you, from H1N1, the chances increase of being exposed to someone who is possibly already sick.

So, we will leave in an hour, or less than that, for the clinic.  I will make one stop to handle some business matters, and then we’ll camp out.  Tune in to my @bizresearchlmt (Twitter account) if you want to see how things are going.  I’ll also post to my personal Facebook account.

26th October 2009

Some Women Waiting in Long Line for H1N1 Vaccine Show the Worst of Themselves

I have written often on my blog about the sisterhood of mothers.  I’m glad to be a part of these moms, especially those friends of mine who are working moms as they understand the challenges I face.  No disrespect to those women who can stay at home all day with their children, of course.  ;-)

Today was not one of those days, in part, due to the crazy women that I experienced on 23N headed to Delaware, OH for the H1N1 vaccine.  About 2 miles away from the clinic, held at Buckeye Valley School today from 3-8 p.m., there was a long line that formed in the center turn/merge lane.  I immediately got over in what I hoped was the H1N1 line.  After 40 minutes or so, I got out of the line just to make sure that I was truly in the H1N1 vaccine line, to turn onto Coover Road.

I’m not familiar with Delaware, and thus, couldn’t believe that this line could be so bad, so early into the vaccine clinic’s scheduled time (less than an hour after it started).  That was of course a mistake, as I then had to try to get back into the line.

What I observed in the line ahead of me were a number of women trying to get over and merge into the central lane, which I had left a few minutes prior.  But it was like watching walruses locking in to protect their young - no one was getting in and taking their spot for the vaccine.  I could see I was also in trouble.  Women were rolling down their windows and asking to be let in.  I finally did the same thing, and with a state trooper right behind me who did nothing to alleviate or improve the situation, this woman began to aim her car right at my car.  I asked her if she had children in her minivan, to which she said nothing.  I told her that we needed to work together, not fight one another in order to protect our children.  She scoffed at me, and told me that I better watch out and move out of the way, because she’d hit me if she had to.    I was shocked.

Luckily, another trooper put the fear in enough people that I was able to barely squeeze in a few cars ahead, but not because one person allowed me to integrate.  The Columbus Dispatch covers story from this evening

So what was the fuss about?

2,000 vaccines

preregistration encouraged - which had its own share of technical challenges, including printer problems that I still haven’t solved

I was in a community where there had been a H1N1 outbreak, including a 14-year old child that I believe died - although you’d have to check the details on that

Another child died over the weekend, likely due to H1N1, at age 3, in Ohio

Inadequate parking at the high school so the drivers were in a standstill formation on 23N and Coover Road for over an hour

Mothers and fathers were parking on the side of Coover Road, nearly a mile walk with their babies and young children in tow, so they could arrive at the high school before vaccine ran out

Melina and I parked in muddy grassylands, and strolled for nearly a mile over gravel, grass, mud, and less than safe conditions with baby supplies in the event we were there for a long time, only to arrive and be turned away less than a few minutes after we arrived, which was about 2 hours into the clinic

I found mothers and fathers to be very supportive of one another, once outside of their cars.  But get these women behind a sheet of metal, and the false protection of a mini-SUV or minivan, and some of these women really showed their asses today.

For us to set examples for our children, we need to show kindness, leadership, and collaboration.  This is the sisterhood I enjoy, and marvel in wherever I go.  Today was a sad exception.

That woman who did not let me in - likely did not get flu shot for her young children, if she had children under the age of 3.  All three year olds and parents were turned away by 4:45 this afternoon.

I observed a definite state of panic today.  I can only imagine what is to come, when weather dips into the freezing temperatures.  People need to take this seriously, because if today was just a small sign of how some will act when they think they’re not going to get their children vaccinated - what is it going to be like when there are more than 3 children deaths statewide?  I shutter to think.

We were turned away but we will continue to make this a priority in our lives so that Melina is protected against a very harmful virus, that could turn deadly for her, and thus is absolutely not worth risking further.

From an administrative & managerial perspective, I would recommend the following:

1) This site does not keep you up to date on upcoming clinics - you get more from the news - and don’t just watch one channel, flip around and Google it too - it might take you an hour to get accurate information https://h1n1vaccine.odh.ohio.gov/IndividualPodEnrollmentList.aspx

2) The site listed : https://h1n1vaccine.odh.ohio.gov/IndividualPodEnrollmentList.aspx - only lets you register for clinics in your county or city.  Thus, if you want to go to a neighboring town or county, the registration doesn’t work for that scenario.  I picked my bank’s address in Delaware and registered under those details, making a database nightmare, but the H1N1 Ohio Department of Health’s website needs to realize that as long as we’re allowed to go to clinics outside our county or city, the registration should work that way.

3) Currently the site fails to mention the Wednesday clinic that I heard about on Fox28News tonight at 10 p.m.  I’ve checked the site and it says from 2-5 p.m. for Melina’s category.  Nothing on the ODH website.  Perhaps they need a better system?  So don’t depend on the ODH website to give you up to date info.

4) Get there very early.  Make sure your baby has plenty of supplies including warmer clothes for when the sun drops down, in the likely event you are going to be standing for a long time outside.

5) Make this a priority now because when panic sets in, and more people die from H1N1, vaccine clinics are going to be even more of a nightmare.

6) ODH needs a numbering system - if you pre-register and take the time to make this happen, then ODH needs to let us know if more than 2,000 vaccines  are registered.  If there are only 500 shot vaccines, and 1,500 flu mist and my child falls into the category where she can’t get flu mist, then notify me of such so that I don’t stand in a line of people in cars where women were willing to ram their cars into merging vehicles to get their vaccines

7) Twitter alerts - to our cell phones - announce when they run out, and what they run out of, so we can get accurate information and not be subjected to a near-frenzy like affect

8) NBC4 News has a page about upcoming H1N1 vaccine clinics, as well as those that have passed

22nd October 2009

An Email to My Father at 4:45 a.m. Today

It’s not even 5 a.m. - and I’m up and online.  I received an email early this morning from my father about his birthday escape.  I was online to blog about my dog out of frustration, after being up with the baby for an hour, but I think my response to my Dad’s email about his birthday, escaping life, and a reference to Obama and healthcare is a good reference to my mood.  Here is my response. 

Dear Dad,

 

It is not quite 5 a.m.  I’m online so I can blog about how much I hate my dog.

 

Can Lucky attend the 4-day escape and will you throw her overboard?

 

She can not swim.  This is how I know she is not a Labrador retriever as most people erroneously think she is.

 

Nah - I’d feel guilty.

 

I came home from what today, oh the vet, to pick up the two cats who needed shots, and selling an entire year of unwanted baby clothes so I could get $24 in cash from Once Upon a Child, only to find Lucky had eaten an ENTIRE container of expensive, gifted baby oil (about 16 oz) and chewed the container itself, then pooped, then tried to clean it up (by eating it).  This is the day after Lucky tried to eat the $10 container of just purchased Baby Motrin that I desperately need for both teething baby and Mom’s sanity.  My daughter who is getting her two front top teeth could use a little Motrin at 4 a.m. but my dog needed it more.

 

Fast-forward 18 hours - At 4 a.m. this morning, Melina stirred and woke up slightly.  I laid in bed listening to decide whether or not I should go in.  She would have likely gone back to sleep by herself, but the dog who is afraid of me coming in and telling her to get off the bed, decides to jump off the bed (in Melina’s room) and run underneath the bed where she belongs.

 

This woke up Melina really good.

 

Now Melina is back in bed -she’s had her juice - she’s getting her two front teeth- and is congested from all the colds she gets from OSU students/sitters, and teething.  I’m also congested.  No, we do not have H1N1 or so the docs tell me.  I’ve applied the Vapor’s Baby Rub to her and yes, some for Mommy too.  I’ve given her baby saline, which she promptly batted at me, and then calmed down after remembering this actually helps her breathe better.  I’ve refilled the cool mist humidifier because I can’t open her window, because someone stole the screen out of her window and my dog failed to kill the person.

 

Lucky has been admonished to downstairs after going outside and pooping some more baby oil.

 

The 7 week old kitten is downstairs in the bathroom quarantine playing with her toilet cap.  She’s happy and quieting down.

 

Dad - no one could fix the healthcare system in 10 months.  It is not Obama’s fault.  Stop blaming him for it.

 

We know that the idiot in the Republican White House didn’t fix healthcare in 8 years - so don’t expect Obama to do it in less than a year.

 

Okay, enjoy your escape.

 

I’d like to do the same thing, or just shoot my dog.  I think a 4-day escape on the water would probably be more productive however.

 

Love to all copied on this email.

 

Have a wonderful day.

 

Laura

15th October 2009

It’s Difficult to Be Green as a New Mom

When I started this website/blog, it was to focus on environmental awareness and global warming/climate change.  I’ve since travelled to Antarctica so I could see climate change first-hand.  I journeyed with others who were interested in climate change, along with some who just wanted another feather in their cap for having seen all the continents before they died.   I was shocked by what I observed in Antarctica.

I came back and went to see Al Gore a year ago, while pregnant,  on climate change initiatives.  I’ve blogged about many things that were green.  I gasped as I observed coffee-goers at Starbucks and Panera throw out plastic cups.  I learned about electric and hybrid cars.  I’ve participated in some green events.  I had passion for the environment and how to effect change in our future.  And then I had a baby, heh heh.

So,  wonder how much green I have in my life with a baby?

Today (it’s almost over, but this was the first chance I had to blog tonight) was Blog Action Day - Climate Change

To be entirely green with a newborn, I’d nurse all the time instead of twice a day, recycle and wash those super poopy diapers, never use plastic, and if I dared to use plastic, I’d recycle every single time, and of course, I’d try to re-use those glass bottles for something.  But the fact is, within a few weeks of total exhaustion beyond belief that only mothers can understand, you begin to slip as a green mom.  I never envisioned this would be my cupboard.

Baby Plastic Food Containers
My cupboard of baby food, no longer the green extremist

More will be posted to this but to meet the deadline of 11:59 p.m. 11/15/09 Blog Action Day, I’m publishing a half-complete blog.

My cupboard wouldn’t be filled with this type of ingredient at all - tiny single-use plastic containers that are the epitome of wastefulness and consumerism.  But the fact is, as a working mom, business owner, I barely have time to do a load of laundry, much less get all the cleaning done in the kitchen.  I steamed spinach tonight for Melina.  By the time it was ready, Melina was done with her chicken and applesauce and about ready to catapult out of her high-chair.  I have the baby food mill that my dear friend Alicia got for us. I’ve used it lovingly about ten times, if that, in nearly a year.  It’s simply easier and faster to buy those horrible plastic containers.

The first few months I stacked up the plastic recycling until it was overflowing so many places I’d trip over a bag waiting to go to the recycle facility down the road.  I admit, I stopped recycling entirely for a few months after Melina was born, despite the mass quantities of plastic consumption.  But I just couldn’t do it all as a new mom.

Now, I’m back to recycling and have been for a while.  I admit, I still occasionally fudge.  But, I do try to be green.  If I could affect change on a grander level, I’d just get Starbucks and Panera to recycle on site, in every store they have throughout the United States.

In the meantime, this is my recycling, and I’m determined to take it in tomorrow, or maybe Saturday, or maybe I’ll get that done Sunday.  I’m tired, are  you?


My Whole Foods bag of recycling - and way too many plastic containers

14th October 2009

What Else?

Earlier tonight, as I was walking my rescue dog, Lucky, and Melina in the stroller, I thought of a blog entry I needed to make.  It was going to be about my dog - and how I need some help with her.  How much changed in the next couple of hours….

 A lot has happened in the past month.  Melina and I went to NYC, so I could speak at a conference on PPC Conversion Tactics at the SMX show.  It was so incredibly challenging with a baby, driving (to avoid more germs than necessary and H1N1), parking - schlepping all that stuff around… Before I left, however, there was a major water leak from tub to living room ceiling.  We had to vacate the premises immediately while they cleaned the air, checked for mold spores, and pulled moisture out of the air.  Melina and I made things work despite this, we managed to get off to NYC only a couple of hours late, and we survived the trip to Hershey, an apparent ghost in the Homewood Suites hotel room  313 (sorry too tired to tell that insane story), Harlem, Spanish Harlem, Israeliness, walking all over the place, sitter issues, speaking on a new and possibly controversial topic, driving 14 hours back to Columbus, and yes, Melina getting sick (despite all efforts to keep her healthy). 

In the past week, Melina and I have had our share of doctor visits to ensure she doesn’t have or get H1N1.  We discovered a 5-week old kitten in a carwash bay, like I need that - and yes, it’s in my bathroom quarantined until leukemia tests can be run on the kitty.  The dog is driving me nuts.  One of the cats who is indoor/outdoor has decided he wants to be outside more than inside, and has decided to start marking rugs and the like.  I am not letting him outside because I don’t want to pay a vet bill if he gets hurt.  In fact, I think I could easily trade in the dog and maybe even the indoor/outdoor cat for the new kitten. 

Work has been somewhat challenged, but despite trekking to NYC and back, speaking at a conference, and Melina getting sick, I still managed to present on some new business opportunities.  I’ve got some bloodwork tomorrow to get some tests run, and am supposed to be on 12 hour fast.  I’ve got client meetings every day.  I’ve got daycare issues to balance.  So, life is really, really full.

 And then tonight, I come home with Melina, put her to sleep, and think I’m doing really, really good.  I’m ahead of schedule by an hour.  I was motivated by the list of chores ahead of me.  And, then I heard something.  I didn’t like the sound at all.  It was coming from my basement. 

So, when you are home with your baby, and you hear something coming from the basement, it’s amazing the decisions you make in seconds, not minutes.

I was not about to investigate the sound.  It sounded so menacing that I disarmed the security system, grabbed the baby without putting more clothes or jackets on her, put her in the car, and why, I got the dog too, I do not know.  I mean, why not leave the insane dog inside the house to deal with what was downstairs?  But, I got Lucky and Melina into the car, and figured, I’d get the cats out of the house.  And, then I heard the sound continuing to come from downstairs.

It sounded like fire…. cackling, hissing, ugh.  If not fire, it was a person.  Someone had broken into the second floor room in my house, recently, so I was already armed for danger, but this was a new, unnerving feeling.  I grabbed the fire extinguishers, the cell phone, and called out to my neighbors to watch Melina in the car, while I called 9-1-1. 

So what was it?  Is your heart pounding 1/10th of what mine was?  It was a water leak, a major water leak.

So tonight, I am writing without running water, soon, without heat, and with a child and animals to protect.  I always thought I’d grab a few things if I had to evacuate the house.  But, there was really only one priority that I needed to secure and it was my daughter’s safety.  What I noticed, however, is that in the past month there have been two situations that have impacted my feeling of security - and it is disconcerting to see its affect on my child.  Her eyes were pitch black, and clearly concerned.   Despite the insanity of my dog at times, clearly keeping my child safe is my top priority.  I’m thankful for such responsibility.  But there is the saying about Mama Bear - watch out for Mama Bear - and what she will do to protect her cubs….

So, thankful that this was not a fire, but will be more at peace when I know that the water leakage is fixed, and heat is reinstated after water damage is remedied.