Hi All!
Well, I did manage to get to Sam's Club and found they have lots of cases of appropriate canned goods. Even found some canned chicken that looks safe for me! I guess we bought about a several day's supply of canned meat/veggies/fruit. Also got a large tin of mixed nuts and some dried fruit. And some water. I didn't buy even a single processed goody - no cookies, candy, etc. It was strictly bare bones. LOL! We're going to shop in stages since it's too darned expensive to stock up all at once.
It was SOOO ironic, because while we were in Sam's Club, we had violent thunderstorms. So we arrived home with a full trunk to unload, and there was a power failure. Luckily, it lasted only about 3 hours, but it gave me a chance to think through what other supplies might come in handy in an emergency, like a lantern, lots of matches/lighters, etc. We also realized that we can charge our cell phones using the attachment to the cigarette lighter in the car.
Had my annual physical yesterday and discussed the bird flu issue with my internist, whom I really like. Was interested to learn that he routinely keeps a month's supply of stores for his family, which includes 4 kids. He wrote me a script for Tamiflu (it is his belief I should have it on hand). He also was concerned about the fact that I am hyper-reactive to foreign proteins (because of the MC and food intolerances) and suggested that I also keep a supply of prednisone on hand. Given the fact that it is the body's REACTION to the bird flu (and not the virus itself) that would probably be the most dangerous for me, he thinks the pred. might help reduce an overwhelming inflammatory response if I should have one. I thought that was very interersting. I will follow through with his suggestion. Plus it might be good to have it on hand in case the MC went totally haywire.
Anyway, I've made a good dent and will now just go on with life and not give the bird flu much more thought. BTW, I have ordered a supply of the N-95 face masks, too.
Love,
a somewhat prepared Polly
What Will You Do?
Moderators: Rosie, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Polly,
That is interesting, about the prednisone. Life takes some strange twists, doesn't it? Who wudda thunk that you would be stocking up on pred?
Love,
Wayne
That is interesting, about the prednisone. Life takes some strange twists, doesn't it? Who wudda thunk that you would be stocking up on pred?
Love,
Wayne
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
A subject I'm very interested in, so I'll try not to ramble.
First, I think everyone should read The Great Influenza by John M. Barry. It does a great job of explaining what happened in 1918.
Polly, we discussed how we (MC'ers) would react before, and you mentioned that our immune systems may do us in. I'm afraid you may be right, in 1918 the largest age groups to die from the pandemic were the 20-30 years olds. It's assumed they had the most active immune systems and the immune response killed them, i.e., lungs filling with fluid produced by the immune system. The very young and the very old faired better.
Of course, there is no way to predict how a new virus will affect us. So much depends on how it mutates. In 1918, the first and last people to get the virus had a better survival rate. Probably because it was mutating, and was less virulent in the beginning and in the end. The avian flu virus is similar to HIV in that it's more of a mutant swarm than a stable virus.
I don't see how we can quarantine enough people to stop the spread of the flu once it reaches the United States. There's also the problem that when you quarantine a group, say an office building, you are essentially sentencing the still healthy people in that group to illness and/or death.
The other interesting thing I've learned is that it will probably take 6 to 12 to 18 months to run it's course. I don't think anyone will be able to stay isolated that long or stockpile that many supplies. We will have to keep living.
My biggest concern is that I will pass the virus on to my birds. It's been a big topic of discussion among bird breeders. It's very possible that once the virus mutates to a form that can pass from human to human, it will lose the ability to be passed back to birds, I hope.
As to what I'll do, I doubt I'll have a job because who will want to golf? I'm planning on volunteering in my community.
Jean
First, I think everyone should read The Great Influenza by John M. Barry. It does a great job of explaining what happened in 1918.
Polly, we discussed how we (MC'ers) would react before, and you mentioned that our immune systems may do us in. I'm afraid you may be right, in 1918 the largest age groups to die from the pandemic were the 20-30 years olds. It's assumed they had the most active immune systems and the immune response killed them, i.e., lungs filling with fluid produced by the immune system. The very young and the very old faired better.
Of course, there is no way to predict how a new virus will affect us. So much depends on how it mutates. In 1918, the first and last people to get the virus had a better survival rate. Probably because it was mutating, and was less virulent in the beginning and in the end. The avian flu virus is similar to HIV in that it's more of a mutant swarm than a stable virus.
I don't see how we can quarantine enough people to stop the spread of the flu once it reaches the United States. There's also the problem that when you quarantine a group, say an office building, you are essentially sentencing the still healthy people in that group to illness and/or death.
The other interesting thing I've learned is that it will probably take 6 to 12 to 18 months to run it's course. I don't think anyone will be able to stay isolated that long or stockpile that many supplies. We will have to keep living.
My biggest concern is that I will pass the virus on to my birds. It's been a big topic of discussion among bird breeders. It's very possible that once the virus mutates to a form that can pass from human to human, it will lose the ability to be passed back to birds, I hope.
As to what I'll do, I doubt I'll have a job because who will want to golf? I'm planning on volunteering in my community.
Jean
Be kind to everyone, because you never know what battles they are fighting.
Jean,
I have to say that I agree with everything you said, except that I doubt that the mutated strain/s that evolve to spread between humans, will revert back to infect birds. Anything can happen, though, and everything is stictly conjecture at this stage.
Love,
Wayne
P S How is Phyllis these days? Did her condition improve?
I have to say that I agree with everything you said, except that I doubt that the mutated strain/s that evolve to spread between humans, will revert back to infect birds. Anything can happen, though, and everything is stictly conjecture at this stage.
Love,
Wayne
P S How is Phyllis these days? Did her condition improve?
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Wayne,
Phyllis is doing much better, thank you for asking. She's gained weight, but will probably never regain her normal weight. Her neck is improving dramatically. Except when sleeping, she holds her head at about 30 degrees off vertical which is an improvement from 90 degrees when I first got her. She can preen both sides of her body now. She's able to play with her toys and even holds them with one foot, which takes quite a bit of balance. Occasionally, she tries to fly, especially when she's startled, but ends up on the bottom of her cage.
The H5N1 virus will probably reach US soil sometime this year via migration routes. I'm thinking that free range chicken will probably be a thing of the past when that happens.
Love, Jean
Phyllis is doing much better, thank you for asking. She's gained weight, but will probably never regain her normal weight. Her neck is improving dramatically. Except when sleeping, she holds her head at about 30 degrees off vertical which is an improvement from 90 degrees when I first got her. She can preen both sides of her body now. She's able to play with her toys and even holds them with one foot, which takes quite a bit of balance. Occasionally, she tries to fly, especially when she's startled, but ends up on the bottom of her cage.
The H5N1 virus will probably reach US soil sometime this year via migration routes. I'm thinking that free range chicken will probably be a thing of the past when that happens.
Love, Jean
Be kind to everyone, because you never know what battles they are fighting.
Jean, it sounds like you have done wonders with Phyllis. I'm so proud of you.