We didn't give those Whooping Cough commercials a second thought. After all, we'd been vaccinated when we were little, right? But after a combined 8 weeks of being sick, 9 bottles of cough syrup, 4 misdiagnoses, 3 doctors, 1 case of pneumonia, 2 cases of severe bronchitis, 1 case of pleurisy, 1 torn tongue (from coughing so hard), torn rib cartilage (also from coughing so hard), 3 chest x-rays, 4 trips to the ER, 1 trip to urgent care, 3 trips to the doctor, 5 antibiotic prescriptions, 3 IVs of antibiotics, 1 nebulizer treatment, 3 inhalers, 2 rounds of prednisone, multiple pain medications, thousands of dollars, hundreds of hours of suffering, pain, and gasping later, it has our full attention. To all those we unknowingly exposed, we are very sorry. If you develop cold symptoms, please go to your doctor or clinic and get the quick and easy test. If you don't have symptoms, please go get a booster shot. They are only 85% effective and they only last 5-10 years, but it's much better than no protection. And beware that you can UNKNOWINGLY carry this highly contagious and air borne disease to your innocent loved ones. Kudos and gratitude to our beloved niece, a medical student, who recognized this was whooping cough by symptoms I emailed to her. She is going to make an amazing physician. To our friends and family and co-workers, thank you for all of your patience, compassion, and support during our trial. We're both still very sick, but at least now we know why.
Six pokes later, I have learned to flush my own IV (Shelbe, I might be after your job), but I'm starting to feel (AND LOOK) like a human pin cushion.
I think I'll ask him to rob a bank. We're gonna need the money to pay our medical bills.
When we're not at the Emergency Rooms, we spend our leisure time in the ICU. Nice folks. I wanted to get photos of Wade, Nathan, and Paulette, but I guess ICU nurses are kind of busy. Go figure.
My newest hangout. They bring me pop and let me crochet and watch TV. But you know, nice as they are there, this is NOT my idea of a good time. And two afghans later, we are still suffering with no end in sight.
Sure wish our Pertussis would have been diagnosed before it got to this all-consuming point.
PLEASE GET VACCINATED, STAY CURRENT ON YOUR BOOSTERS, AND EDUCATE YOURSELF AND OTHERS.
We weren't informed. Are you?
Take the quiz below to find out:
2) There is no treatment for Whooping Cough. TRUE Antibiotics, cough syrup, mucinex, inhalers, vaporizers DO NOTHING for the symptoms or duration of the illness. Oxygen sometimes helps patients breathe easier, and tylenol will help with any fever, but other treatments don't alleviate the symptoms or shorten the duration of the illness. HOWEVER, antibiotics must be given to prevent the spread of the disease.
3) Whooping cough is highly contagious, but is not spread by air. You must have contact with a person to catch Pertussis from them. FALSE Whooping cough IS highly contagious, and it is easily spread in the air.
4) If you've had the vaccination, then you can't get Whooping Cough. FALSE. The vaccine is only 80-85% effective. Even vaccinated people can still catch or carry Whooping Cough. Further, the vaccination is only effective for 5-10 years, so repeat "booster shots" are necessary.
5) Most people with Whooping Cough are eventually diagnosed with it. FALSE. Less than 2% of people with Whooping Cough are ever diagnosed. Many adults are misdiagnosed with bronchitis. Many children are misdiagnosed with croup.
6) Pertussis usually starts with a high fever. FALSE. Early symptoms are usually very mild and often go unnoticed, but sneezing, a mild cough, a low grade fever, or fatigue might be experienced.
7) Only about half the people with Whooping Cough get the characteristic "whoop". TRUE About half of Whooping Cough victims don't ever "whoop" and may have only a normal and OCCASIONAL cough.
8) The coughing episodes of Whooping cough can cause bleeding in the eyeballs, bleeding from the facial skin, vomiting, incontinence, and torn tongue tissue. TRUE The all-consuming coughing episodes can also cause broken ribs, aspiration of vomitus leading to pneumonia, pleurisy, torn rib cartilage, and fainting.
9) Babies and small children may turn blue and faint from during a whooping/gasping episode, but adults never do. FALSE Adults can also black out during a coughing/whooping episode.
10) Whooping/gasping episodes can last up to a minute. FALSE. They can last up to several minutes.
11) All adults should be immunized. FALSE Booster shots are usually NOT given to people over 65 years of age. Call your health department and ASK!
12) Many adults get very mild cases of Whooping Cough and never seek medical treatment for it. (TRUE) Those adults can NOT pass Pertussis to another person. FALSE. Even a mild, undiagnosed case of Pertussis can be spread to a baby or small child, who can then die from the illness.
13) Adults don't die from Whooping Cough--only babies and children die from it. TRUE AND FALSE. Mortality in adults from Pertussis is extremely rare, but complications such as pneumonia can be fatal in adults.
14) Most doctors have been educated about Pertussis and are testing for it more often in patients presenting with long-term coughs. FALSE. Unfortunately, many doctors know less about Pertussis than the general public does. Educate your doctor! http://www.whoopingcough.net/For_doctors.htm And keep in mind as you do your research, much of the information on the internet is outdated.
15) There have been only two outbreaks of Pertussis in the U.S. in the past 10 years. FALSE. There have been outbreaks in several states, including Idaho, in the past year. Although health departments are working vigilently to contain these outbreaks, they are underfunded and understaffed. And the lack of education among the general public AND medical professionals, as well as the highly contagious nature of the disease, are all working against them.
16) Teens and young adults are still protected by their childhood immunizations. FALSE. The protection of a childhood immunization can wear off by the teen years.
17) The test for Whooping Cough is very painful and time consuming. FALSE. The test is a snap and involves a swab of each nostril. You'll have the results within a few days. If you test positive, be SURE your doctor treats you with the right antibiotics to prevent the spread of the disease. Then stay home until you're positive you're no longer contagious, drink lots of fluids, keep tissues handy, keep a pillow on your belly when you cough to help prevent broken ribs, and prepare for a coughing extravaganza for a few weeks or months.
SO HOW DID YOU SCORE? Average is 5 correct answers. I hope you're above average by now!
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