H1N1 close to being a crisis in Hawaii

[lanikai]

I have been the of the mindset that problems need to be attacked with a Proactive approach,.. in other words .. I don't like sitting around waiting for the enemy to attack a second time.

So here I am thinking that I am sick and tired of reading weekly the death toll from the center for desease control (H1N1).

it has been averaging 2 deaths a week...

I was constantly told while in the hospital that there have not been survivors to H1N1 where the heart and organs have failed to the point of my case, so little is known about the long term effects to the heart etc.

all the while I'm thinking .. OK I am one of the few if not lone survivor of the swine flu once it went into the final stage of attacking the major organs.. why is no one talking to me from the infectious desease center.. to start a study of my hospital stay and beyond.

So when the State Health Department called today..they simply wanted to make sure I got the report confirming the results of the tests..

I asked to speak to the Director.. and being on the line with a clerk whom was so condesending and english being a second language that she didn't grasp at all.

With a passion I asked the Director .. I am surprised no one is contacting me wanting to study my records and what I will be like within a year.

I inquired if the medical community was alerted... as to the simple tests and diagnosis to determine the difference between a cold and the influenza virus .. the ansewer was "NO"

with a passion I explained the worst case senario..

Imagine .. this is not the flu season.. yet H1N1 is "IN" the Community..schools just started back up.. (great)germ factories to say the least..

Imagine if any one hospital got 3 to 5 cases like mine into emergency at the same time.. ICU would be devastated..because half the staff is out with some sort of cold.

After painting a picture for the Director.. I told him I was shocked.. but not surprised that no one is getting procative ..the lack of aggressive thought is beyond the State ..

I told him I would be more than willing to be a part of a study over the next year..my hospital records could be requested through my attorney since I am not answering any questions about my medical treatment before being admitted to ICU.. and cannot count on my memory (for the record).. when I first went to the emergency room.

And since my Cardiologist has been handling giving out the orders to the staff resident Doctors in the hospital..

he has stated today that it is by mutual agreement that my heart failure and subsequent kidney and liver failure,.. was due entirely to the H1N1 virus..

I stated that I "expect" some communication.. since the peoples primary doctors are not even testing for the virus.. and I'm tired of reading that every death is because of "underlying" reasons other than just H1N1.. to simple, to and clean for the powers that be.

I'm mainly venting here.. but at least the Director said he would get the ball rolling.. actually I told him if he didn't I would go the media..

A~C

Lani

[asf]

Wow I didnt know that it was that you got THAT flu! I hope the directors get on the ball and start being more proactive and I hope you get to full recovery!

[vlydog]

If this is not a wake-up call I don't know what is.

If there is anything we can do as a community just say the word; Lani.

We have your back and your best interests at heart.

[lanikai]

Yup .. the H1N1 is a NASTY mofo... it attacks your major organs..

people ask me if by coming close to dying those 2 seperate nights in ICU if that was a "life altering" experience..

I tell them "NO" the people that I thought of as Asholes.. well,.. I still view them as A-holes now.. .. even when asked if I wanted a preist.. I declined saying I have not done anything to fear where I'll end up.. not perfect but I believe I lived my life by the commandments.

but to have all the information.. in a living survivor and not do squat seems a crime.

going from 190 something... to 150lbs. in a matter of 10 day's says enough... 1 month in the hospital and it didn't seem longer than a week..so if my surviving this is not used to help others..well,.. imagine your child contracting the virus and not being diagnosed ..

I guess sometimes the squeaky wheel does get the grease.

[Member X]

The interesting thing is that in the UK the media are varying between "65000 people will die!!" to "It's a minor illness the majority of people will get over if they have no underlying health problems" so we never know who to believe.

I didn't realise you'd had things that badly though, Lani, so I'm glad you're still with us!

I think you should start with a phone call to the media about the lack of action at the top - little seems to get done unless there's a risk of public embarrassment these days...

Good luck!

[andreww]

Wow Lani, I had no idea that it was that serious! No doubt that your physical conditioning and the prayers of the entire RWG community had a lot to do with your recovery. The WHO probably just realizes that you cant bottle STRENGTH and PRAYERS, no matter how much they'd like to

[omni]

Go to the media, the squeaky wheel will get grease.

[lanikai]

It's always a minor event when nothing hppens right away..

believe me this virus is IMO stealth in nature as it comes on like a common cold.

but when it gets to the stage of attacking your organs and you go into heart failure and the result of that is kidney and liver failre.. amny times it's too late.

I did find it twisted to read in the nation wide press that underlying health problems are the reason for so many deaths..minimizing the virus in a way.

a patient died in ICU after I left the unit of H1N1 .. I was told once you enter ICU the chances of recovery are not on your side.

my point being .. once the virus is "in" the community it spreads rapidly,.. hopefully the anticipated vaccine will be available as scheduled in September.

the pneumonia vaccine is available now..

definately get the vaccines when available .. if you believe the media .. that it is a minor virus.. ask them if anyone of them experienced the final stages of H1N1 .. it's not a pretty sight..

Andrew... yes RWG's support is powerful .. Fo Sure !!!

A~C

L

[andreww]

Andrew... yes RWG's support is powerful .. Fo Sure !!!

A~C

L

Better start buying some watches mate, I hear Josh's sales have been waaaaaay down since you took ill

[lanikai]

Better start buying some watches mate, I hear Josh's sales have been waaaaaay down since you took ill

.

.

.

wow.. new releases have really been curtailed.. Joshua emailed me whilst in the Hospital... whenI told him what was going on.. he told me to put the watches on the side and just get well... I told him I still wanted to be updated.. as I was tired of looking at my wrist out of habit and seeing the IV instead of a watch..

[Member X]

Well, you've made me reconsider my "it's all media hype" view so thank you for posting

I will have to lay my faith in my robust immune system and wait and see how I go... lol

[P4GTR]

Im in for a 1:1 made from genuine sample IV of exact one used during your stay. I'm thinking on white NATO.

I'll wait for V3 though..

[Pugwash]

It's a minor outbreak of a fairly harmless virus ... right up to the point it returns this Winter and starts doing real damage on a large scale. If we're not better prepared by Winter, we're in for some ride.

Remember, I'm usually the voice of calm reason that debunks any hype and misinformation.

Superb post, Lani.

[KB]

As the father of a 7yo I have been following this virus closely, personally I think it is quite deliberate that officialdom is playing it down at the moment.

I don't think the are ready yet to fight this and are trying to keep the cap on until they are, Lani says there is a vaccine being released in conus in September, here in Aus we have been told the vaccine will be ready by October.

It does look like they are gearing up for the major fight of the second Winter.

Ken

[gioarmani]

Richard Preston, grab your pad & pencil.

[Demsey]

Go to the media, the squeaky wheel will get grease.

The timing is all wrong JB. They already elected an US president.

Now, if Lani had fallen ill last August? Well, hell, he very well may have been all over CNN, as the one canidate stopped by to get a photo op and tie it in with an impromptu reunion @ Punahou, and the other guy would have hand delivered Lani's medical dossier to the CDC in Atlanta on his way back to D.C after Lehman collapsed. Think of the districts won. There.

Hmmm, this still could work out. If the president keeps getting stone walled with his single payer health plan, he might have to stop by the home town and use 'H1N1' and 'crisis' in the same speech about 25 times.

Shout it from the roof tops Lani. The voice of experience is purdy loud. To the grass roots.

I'm with Ken. I have been, am, and will be; 'on it'. Lani's situation just confirms what the diligent should have suspected all along. The fact that this board is multi-cultural shouldn't be lost. How many concerned with his ordeal are registered as 'members'? Do the exponetial math. Knowledge as 'information' can spread like wild fire. Which is just a little bit faster than the flu. Coo'

[lanikai]

Don't think I'm not aware of the silence in the Government over this virus..

after observing how the chief coronary Doc. and the rest of the emergency staff anserwered Q's on "influenza A" .

my take is that they are not willing to say it's more than the flu until the verification comes from the State Health.

further more they are praying for the vaccine .. hopefully comes out in time before the Holiday's

Now without getting into politics.. I am backing the Presidents plan..why?.. my bill from the hospital is in the 6 figures.. insurance does not cover ll of that since there are caps on different insurance.. the insurance company could cancel my insurance and it would be impossible to get any insurance.. due to a "pre existing condition".. Insurance companies as it is now.. can refuse anyone medical insurance if you have a medical condition when you apply for insurance.

small companies or single business owners .. like myself cannot get medical insurance.. without lying on the insurance app.

the erroneous BS is being put out there by the politicians who have lobbyist representing the insurance companies.

Our media at this point and time is no different from the propaganda spread by different factions in time. all sponsored by the huge profits made by insurance companies.

If you ask every single Physician here if they are backing the Health "insurance" reform they would say off the record.. YES!!!! they are in favour of "practicing" medicine and not Insurance medicine.

Misinformation is rampant with this issue now.

My brother was our President's classmate.. and he was honest and a nice human being then.. and he is the same today..

A~C

Lani

[Dani]

wow, Lani bro.

Been away for some time now, just checking pm's and such..

Its great to hear all is good now, i was worried when i read you where sick..

Cheers,

Dani

[Usil]

Long ago and fresh out of University I worked as an epidemiologist for a County Health Department. That was the 70’s and I can tell you then, we took all communicable diseases very seriously. They were all reportable, by law, and required a follow up visit by the Health Department to see who else in the family or friends might be at risk. That was being pro-active.

Then something happened. HIV entered the scene and activist did not like or want this pro-active approach to happen because of the life style stigma becoming public knowledge. They fought hard and lobbied against it until it was no longer treated as a communicable and thus reportable disease. This was the beginning of insanity towards all communicable diseases and ultimately led to confusion in the public towards taking proper preventive measures to prevent communicable diseases that had been in check for 30 years.

The health requirements that virtually closed down many very bad communicable diseases, saved many, prevented spread and nearly eliminate some historically bad bugs slipped from the hands of trained professional people and entered into the hands of politicians. It got so bad that mothers began refusing to even inoculate their children for the common communicable diseases.

So, now with H1N1 ‘out there’ in the ether, so to speak, we have politicians still controlling and disseminating bad or conflicting advice and both epidemiological and prudent medical investigation is suffering as a result of it. The average Joe just has the media to listen too and who would pin their medical health on what they see in 20 second sound bites or blogs.

Sorry, lanikai for getting caught up in this mess and as you have ranted about the indifference I join you. Thank God you are surviving but then for you to see that this seems of no consequence to those supposedly who are learned medical professionals hired with the sole challenge of protecting us is inexcusable. Keep up the fight. Somewhere in the system, some medical person actually cares about this but finding that person may be difficult.

Rational approaches to disease control and prevention do exist but we unfortunately are caught between indifferent medical people (remember that half the doctors out there graduated in the bottom half of their class – probably the ones that hire on as administrators), clueless politicians and a frenzied media that can’t report anything today without whipping up Armageddon scenarios and scaring the hell out of the general public.

Keep up your health and the fight.

Usil

[chronoluvvv]

when i clicked on this thread, i thought it was about outsourcing US jobs to India

[Demsey]

Good points Lanikai, and the better part of it is, that; you are of the sound mind and body to raise them considering these weeks past.

I suppose I have a counter, could, merely for the sake of 'debate' with regard to 'healthcare', but not up to the chore today. Much. Food for thought though, what would have been the outcome, do you think, despite the pitfalls of the current, of your situation under another, more universal system? Perhaps the Euro contingency could add. As you stated, and I agree; "misinformation is rampant". Insurance caps are caps surely, and yet considering, at a county hospital 'cost' would have been scattered to the wind to be sorted later in the interest of timely care (spelled; no governmental interference and tape). But waiting lists and 'government stance and policy on disease specific' are another. From your account here, the powers that be (official position) seem to be of the notion; "You had the sniffles", albeit, it almost killed you. Somewhere in the status quo, some eager physician's interest was piqued and, well, due to the deep pockets of special interest insurance/HMO pools, here we are? Hell, I do not know. Another scenerio? That would require 20/20 forward sight. No one ever claimed that resource and was not deemed a lunatic. Save perhaps, Nostradamus. He was such a hack.

Anyhoo and suffice, and it should not go un-mentioned; the President's good character as a man is not, or should not be, reproached. I am enough a student of history to understand; right or wrong, in the shaking out of the thing, to a man, they all ( US presidents) have acted in largely what they deemed in the 'best interest'. Whether dictated by popular opinion in the House or from the heart (the latter will always be their undoing. Sigh. What 'men' do) Unfortunately, the tenets of the job will compromise the man and his plan. Always. It's part and parcel of the job description. Unfortunately, it's only after the inauguration, that is discovered, and to what degree. As citzens, we know bupkis. For all we know, you never had the Swine Flu. Perhaps Rihab Taha mixed up that bug in 1988 and the ampule(s) only made it to so many ports of call after the occupation. Who knows? Pity Chrichton is dead. However, the silence you are experiencing from the bureaucracy is deafening. And quite disconcerting.

<edit> Cross posted with 'Usil' 's. Great insight 'Usil'! It's a sad testimony to 'politico' and 'media' when you really have to be on the inside to 'know'. And they expect a fair and unbiased political system? Frustrating.

@Dani

Goods to hear fom you!

Actually have had you in my thoughts these past weeks. I have 'rescued' yet another dog. Much to the dismay of Mrs. Demsey. A [censored] (the dog ) that is largely German Short Haired Pointer, but it's father is a certain bull terrier breed whom you know well that 'jumped the fence'. Here, she is only 12 lbs, but in three months has doubled that. Her chest is growing and when she squints to the sun, her father's lineage is betrayed. It's a good dog and she'll hunt quail well. I think.

'Largo'

[Dani]

@Dani

Goods to hear fom you!

Actually have had you in my thoughts these past weeks. I have 'rescued' yet another dog. Much to the dismay of Mrs. Demsey. A [censored] (the dog ) that is largely German Short Haired Pointer, but it's father is a certain bull terrier breed whom you know well that 'jumped the fence'. Here, she is only 12 lbs, but in three months has doubled that. Her chest is growing and when she squints to the sun, her father's lineage is betrayed. It's a good dog and she'll hunt quail well. I think.

'Largo'

Hi Dems,

Nice looking dog my friend, congrats :)I em sure Mrs.Dems thinks its all right now It will grow to be nice looking lady that dog..

Man 3-4weeks of just 5-6min check ups a day is not anuff, i miss all of my buds here..

And to come back to such good news as Lani's Recovery, cant get any better..

Cheers all,

Dani