Oct. 22 The Flu Shots, and the flu

Last week Bonnie, the Innova transplant coordinator, told me that Jen and I and any of our care givers should have the H1N1 Swine Flu shot. Michelle was going to check with the Prince William County Health department this morning and find out what was available.

I was in a meeting in the vault at 9 when my pager went off, but the number was garbled. I had been expecting the guy from Autolite to call me to tell me he was out in the lot waiting to replace the windshield on Maxine (He came on Tuesday to fix a I495 gift of a rock chip in the windshield, and in the process of repairing it, broke the windshield. "It was really unsual, I've never seen that happen before," he said.) So I went out to the car to get the phone.

Instead, it was Michelle calling saying that if we got over to the health department ASAP, we could get shots. I didn't even go back to the meeting, forget the windshield guy, and headed over to Manassas. Michelle and Jen got there at the same time. The waiting room was full of Latin mothers for prenatal care, and the nurses were kind enough to let us wait out side the room of sniffling coughing crying mothers and kids. We filled out the forms in the parking lot, and then they came out, gave me a face mask, and ushered us right back to the room for shots. They had given 180 yesterday, said that's all they were doing now. Later in the day, Steve went up to the health department in Loudon County where he lives and got his shot.

So that's checked off the list.

However.

I got home tonight and Michelle said that Jen has a 100 degree fever, and that Steve also woke up with a scratch throat. So they might have been just a bit late.

Bonnie also called later to say she shipped in the first batch of FMLA leave forms to Deloitte, and said that my surgeon, Dr. James Piper wants to meet also on the 4th for a pre-surgery checkup.

Less than three weeks now.

gc