Well, I’ve had an interesting 24 hours. Seems much ado about nothing, but I suppose it’s better than little ado about something.
About a week ago, I came down with a bug. I woke up with a scratchy throat, and it progressed into a drippy nose and frequent sneezing as the day went on. I felt super draggy tired, but not horribly ill. This sent me all over my preggo books and the internet–flu or cold? Cold, everything seemed to say. I had a mild fever–99.5 and change–but nothing more than that. That’s typical of me. In 15 years, my temperature has gone over 100 twice, maybe three times. When I’m sick–even when I had pneumonia–I just know before I put the thermometer in my mouth that it’ll say 99.5.
Anyway, I rested over the weekend, drank fluids, all that stuff. Felt it progress as colds do to nasal congestion and sinus pressure. No further fever, no cough, no real aches…fatigued, though. But, I managed fine and was able to work by Monday.
Tuesday, though, was Back to School Night–a 12-hour workday that’s exhausting when NOT pregnant and getting over a cold, so Wednesday I was just wrecked. Exhausted, I called in sick yesterday just to rest and recuperate. My preggo body demanded it (and there’s no compromsing when it makes demands).
I happen to have my 27-week appointment with the OB yesterday. I moved it to earlier so I could go then come home and resume resting. (Got to do the glucose test…GROSS.) No one said much of anything to me, but when my OB started to walk in for my routine exam, he said, “So, how are you feeling?” “A tad bit sick, but I’m alri…” I didn’t even finish. He stopped mid-step and literally backed up one. “Oh, you need to let them know if you’re sick! You shouldn’t have been in the waiting room…we need to check you for the swine flu. If you’re feeling headache, fever, congestion, sore throat…” “I just have a stuffy nose now. I don’t think I have a fever.” He sends a nurse in jussssssssst in case. My temp is a cool 97.7 (typical for me).
Well, jusssst in case, he was telling me to go right away to my primary care physician to be checked out. I felt silly–I don’t have a fever, or cough, or anything like that. But, the doc was really stressing it, and since I was already home from work, why not. Several times he said if I’m not better by tomorrow, I was to call and they’d start treating me right away. He also repeatedly stressed that if I feel anything flu-like in the future, to call them and they’ll start treating me right away. Again, it seemed silly.
The rest of my exam was fine, and I dutifully went over to my PCP, who put me in an isolation room. But when I said I didn’t have a fever, she doubled back–“Oh, you don’t have a fever? You should be fine.” “I know,” I agreed. But, she went ahead and examined me (and was vbery kind and understanding); at one point, I said, “Geez, I thought I was supposed to be the one hysterical over this. It’s a cold, I swear.” She checks me out, and my lungs are clear, I have no fever, my nodes aren’t swollen…I just have some swelling in my nasal passages. I knew that. But, again, she was very understanding and gave me a flu shot while I was there, and told me they had ordered the H1N1 vaccine and I should be able to get it soon–I should call in a week or two to see, and then come in right away when it’s in so I can get my dose.
I really felt silly, but I was just listening to my OB. (The PCP said she’d call over to his office to clarify what would constitute a referral.) The real kicker–my OB called me today, personally, and left voicemails on my home and cell numbers asking how I was feeling. Better? Worse? Had I seen my PCP? (Guess they didn’t call over yet.) I can be started on flu treatment right away if necessary…
Good grief. I called him back and let him know I’d seen my PCP and she’d said I was fine, and I appreciated his concern. Heck, how often does a doctor take that kind of expressed concern in me? I can’t really complain about it.
But really–it does seem like much ado about nothing.
Meanwhile, I learned the hospital where baby will be delivered has instituted a no-visitors-under-age-14 rule because of swine flu concerns. This means RuffLlama will not get to meet his baby brother in the hospital. 
Bummer, but there are worse things out there.
