In the clear (I hope!)

Whew! The anxiety is over. The swine flu is still working its way through our church and preschool. But it's been over two weeks since David and Mary got the vaccine, so they should have immunity built up by now. Hooray! We made it!

Since the bizarre state of American parenthood put mothers on the defensive about everything from potty training and plastic to sleep schedules and schooling......

In case you are wondering, no, I was NOT among the crazy people willing to sell their souls to the devil for an H1N1 flu shot. We were in the pediatrician's office for something else entirely, and he mentioned they'd received a shipment of H1N1 vaccinations...and I wasn't going to pass that up!

I am not brainless when it comes to vaccinations. (Though I could probably be a poster child for the CDC, as I often find myself spouting their party line. I would insert a link to their website here, but the site is so lame that it makes you think they deserve to have the whole world revolting against vaccines.) But, like most things with parenting, I go with my gut.

My kids have strong immune systems. Vaccinations don't affect them in the least--they don't even get grouchy or take extra long naps. (Seriously, NOTHING makes my kids take extra long naps!)

I also cannot forget that David was hospitalized for nearly a week with complications from RSV. RSV is a normal childhood illness. But it can turn serious, especially in babies. But David wasn't a small baby--he was a strong, robust, active 20-month-old. A "normal" illness (like the measles, chicken pox, or the flu) can unexpectedly turn serious in a child. I do not want my children in the hospital. It's traumatic for them. (And me!) And complications and infection can arise from being in the hospital. I'm grateful for our hospitals, the wonderful people who staff them, and the modern medicine they provide--but they are definitely places to be avoided.

Despite what the actual statistics may or may not be, the reality I see and feel as a mother is this: The chances of one of my children being hospitalized for complications from the swine flu (or the seasonal flu) is much, much greater than the slim chances of their having an adverse reaction to the vaccine.

I am especially concerned about David because of the scarring on his lungs from that severe case of bronchiolitis (from the RSV). I (as well as the various pediatricians we've had) are concerned that another case of bronchiolitis like that (which is a not uncommon complication to the flu) could lead him to develop asthma. So, for David, we are diligent about seasonal flu vaccines too. A flu shot or a lifetime of asthma? That's not a hard one for me.

So, while I could probably take up part-time work as a spokesperson for the CDC, it's not without thought and some motherly instinct that my kids got their swine flu vaccines. (Okay, okay--and it's nice to have the anxiety gone. My mind creates plenty of other things to feel anxious about!)

[And speaking of poster children for the CDC, I think David would fit the bill, seeing as how he once BEGGED and CRIED and PLEADED for a flu shot!]