The bourgeoi-Vieve

...we spied this eery purple glow.

Glow

Feet

I wasn't watching, and Genevieve went over this rock in the beach.  So, I got her to go back and take another run at it for the camera ;)

Last night, we were instructed by the DHS, in three separate phone calls, to go and get tested.  (Well, not Genevieve, as she'd already been confirmed, but swabs for the rest of us).  So I called our GP first thing and the earliest we could get was 2pm.

I called my boss and informed him of the 'great' news about the fourteen days.  He wasn't too happy - mainly coz I am well, and he is actually quite crook (bronchitis) and is working from home.  I also set about organising getting a laptop from work, because even though there's an application for it, they can't seem to get my network access from home working on my mac.

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Tamiflu arrived for Naomi and me.  I've started taking it. (One a day, at the same time each day, so I started at lunchtime).  Naomi, however, can't take it.  OK... they can't actually say that.  What they say (all ducking and diving) is that there are no studies to show that, at this point, Tamiflu is safe for breastfeeding mothers or infants.  So, we decided against it.  DHS suggested we ask the GP (ie: they didn't want to take the responsibility - which I'm comfortable with - after all, give the decision to the person with the qualifications, eh?)

Genevieve's been good with taking hers.  She doesn't quite hate it, but it's not far off that.  Generally, she'll baulk as much as she can.  However, the 'one parent try and fail so make the offer of the other parent giving it' seems to work.  (It doesn't matter which one - just not the first one).  We also have to give her the promise of a treat afterwards.  Jelly, chocolate, or some gingerbread.  She didn't quite finish this gingerbread bear.

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We're all feeling quite 100% well.  No real symptoms at all.  Genevieve still has an occasional cough - quite deep sounding, but really not all that often.  A slight snotty nose too, but again, nothing like as bad as she's had with colds in the past.

So, after some playdough, some cutting and pasting and a bit of TeeV and lunch, we were headed for the GPs.  Naomi was keen to walk (after all, being cooped up in here for now four days, it makes sense to want to stretch your legs).  However, we decided against it.  Firstly, we'd freak people out walking around all masked.  But, the main one... it's quite an ordeal to keep Genevieve masked.  I think we would've managed for the walk there, and perhaps while we were in there, but not a chance once we left.  In the end, it's just as well we took the car, as we were there a tad longer than we had planned (again!)

We got there at 2pm and again, they whisked us down to the specially isolated room down the back.  We were already wearing masks (and Juliette was in her car capsule, with a nappy draped over the top) so they didn't offer us any more.  This time, Genevieve was wearing the DHS supplied better version, which did help quite a bit.  A lot easier to adjust so it would actually stay on.

We waited about 40 mins before a nurse came to take our 'vitals'.  In the ensuing time, admin staff came by about 5 times and asked if anyone had seen us and 'tut-tutted' loudly.

So, the nurse checked Genevieve's and Juliette's temp, and added blood pressure and oxygen saturation to Naomi and me.  Again, all perfect.  No problems at all.

The GP came a bit after that, and the nurse came back in to.  The GP was really nice, and she seemed to have read up on our case as she had a good awareness of where we were at, and our predicament(s).  She'd received an update, timestamped 11:30 that day, saying that those who are not exhibiting symptoms, even if they are quarantined with known cases, do not need to be swabbed/tested.  As this conflicted with the (probably obsolete) instructions we had been given, but also added to the fact that Naomi can't/won't take Tamiflu, she thought she'd call the DHS to confirm.  Another 30+ minutes of being on hold, her explaining the whole situation, put on hold again for someone further up the chain, explaining the whole situation, put on hold again cycle... and we finally got the confirmation that no, DHS did not want us tested.  That means that we could still get tested if we wanted, however we would have to pay for it.  Meh.

They did, however, reconfirm that at this point, we would still be at fourteen days quarantine.  (Thanks to everyone who sent us this article in The Age. I suppose that means that most of the families from Childcare will no longer be quarantined - however, because we have our own little personal confirmed outbreak monkey, we are).

So the cut and thrust of it was, we had to wrangle the monkeys to and from the GP's, 2 hrs 15mins in total, for absolutely no reason - and manage to freak out a few people on the street near the GPs in the bargain.  We got home and, no messages from the DHS to say we didn't need to get tested.  Nor have they, at this point in typing, called to confirm how things are - something I was told would happen.  S'OK though, they're probably overrun with the enormity of the situation.  

I'll give them a call to, again, confirm it's still at fourteen days.  Hopefully that may change in the next few days, eh?

Well, last night Genevieve was very sweaty, and moving about a lot in bed.  Babbling on all the time.  I'd say it was a slight delirium.  She was a lather of sweat.  Naomi measured her temp though, and it was finally back down to something pretty normal.

We measured her temp again in the morning, and it was fine.  As it was for all of us.  I had a bit of a headache, but two paracetamol and that didn't return. My thoat was now fine. Nai, still, a tad nasal.  But Genevieve seemed right as rain.  Whinging.  Complaining.  Laughing.  Dancing.  Hugging.  Looking good for just a throat infection.

We rang the doc at 10am.  He rang us back about 45 mins later.

Genevieve had tested positive for Human-Swine Influenza.

We'd be getting a call from the DHS later that day, or early the next day.  In the meantime, we set about SMSing, emailing and phoning people, letting them know.  DHS actually called early afternoon. We had a chat.  He let me know that we could all get Tamiflu, although he couldn't say whether or not Naomi (or Juliette) should take it. We'd read elsewhere that infants, and breasteeding mothers (or pregnant women, not that she is) shouldn't take it.  He suggested to consult a GP.  He also said to make a list of the people who had had more than 20 mins of contact with Genevieve the day before her symptoms came out.  So that would be Sunday.  A visit to friends', the 80th birthday party, and the swimming lesson.  I also said we were at a wedding on Saturday.  He asked if Genevieve had close contact with anyone.  I responded "Well, she's a very cute 3 yr old.  What do you reckon?"  He thought it best if we put them on the list too. :S  He said we'd get a second call for the list.

As you can imagine, there were quite a few we had no idea who they were.  But we started to put a list together, and try to get some contact numbers.

Not long after, we got the second call.  She also said that we could get Tamiflu if we wanted it (which I said we did).  She also suggested we get swabbed tomorrow to see if we were infected.  Finally, after a discussion, she suggested that we wouldn't need to give them a list.  Only people 'at risk' (lowered immunity) should be considered.  So, we contacted those people ourselves and gave them the details - the toll free number and our very own special 'not-so-confidential' case number would get them Tamiflu courier-delivered.

Finally, she said about the quarantine.  Genevieve is quarantined for 7 days after her first symptoms.  However, it can take 7 days for our symptoms to come about.  You got it people.. 7+7= fourteen days of quarantine.  The cruel irony of it is, if we had it, we'd be out earlier than if we're not.

I'd imagine results of our swab test could make a difference here.  I guess we'll find out eh?

Tamiflu - VV says it doesn't taste nice

The Tamiflu arrived late last night, so Genevieve's first dosage was this morning.  She didn't really enjoy it (not like her paracetamol, which being sweet and orange flavoured, she actually doesn't mind).

She still had a temperature, so there was still plenty of paracetamol.  We were also quite aware that she was crook, as she wasn't whinging, nor annoying, nor complaining, nor harping on about something.  She did have enough fortitude to dictate what was on the TeeV however - gotta tell you - ABC-Kids does get to you after the 7th hour.

But today was a day of waiting.  We had the swab - but it was highly unlikely the results would come in today.  Our GP suggested I call him at about 10am Wednesday morning.  So... we posted some stuff online (blog, facebook, forums, etc).  I checked in with work to let them know the deal.  We also filled in our friends and family - in particular the ones we'd seen in the past few days (wedding, 80th birthday, friend's visits). 

We'd separated the sleeping arrangements.  I was with VV in our bed.  Naomi was in the spare room with little Juliette.  Genevieve had slept OK until about 3 am, and then each hour I convinced her that going back to sleep was a good thing.  Consequently, I woke pretty tired.  But, I think, there was a little bit more.  I felt like I was fighting a sickness.  Not much though - just barely off 100%.  You know 'that' feeling... well I had 'that' feeling, but only really mildly. Naomi had a bit of a sniffle - but then, she was sleeping in the spare room, which has more dust in it.  Juliette seems fine.

Many friends were quire concerned for us.  Particularly for Genevieve.  But really, she seemed OK.  We were just worried about Juliette getting it.  The advice was to keep her seperated from Genevieve, and for Genevieve to wear a mask.  That's pretty impossible for a 3 yr old.  We're also supposed to stay 1 - 2m away from her.  Again... we just ignored that one as soon as we heard it.  If a kid feels bad, a kid wants cuddles.

So... it's just wait and see eh?