"Here come the germs!"

By Ellen

I've had to make a decision about germs. They might take up temporary residence in my child, but they are not going to take up permanent residence in my sanity.

My 9-month-old daughter loves to get out of the house. Frankly, I don't know where she gets it from, as my husband and I are both introverted homebodies. She loves play groups and nurseries. She thinks that other children are fun new toys for her amusement, and tends to crawl all over them. Lately, when I enter those rooms full of children and pre-licked toys, I find myself cringing at the potential for sickness. Every runny nose, every raspy cough shouts to me, "Here come the germs!"

But I've made a decision. I cannot lock Anna away from the rest of the world, and I cannot protect her from every slimy Barbie that she is inevitably going to stick in her mouth. I will go nuts if I attempt it. As hard as it is, for my own peace of mind, I'm just going to have to let it go. I'll take Anna to get the flu shot, but I'll also probably still pick up the pacifier off the floor, lick it and put it back in her mouth. 

Comments

[amy]

She'll just be more resilant when she gets older...at least that's what I tell myself about Ibelle :)

[Gina]

Everyone in our family gets the flu shot every year that it is available.

Three of us have conditions that warrant it anyway -- and as for my daughter, I really want to spare her unnecessary suffering if I can. When I see how miserable and fragile she is when she is sick with the flu -- running a high fever, shivering, throwing up over and over again, hands shaking and dizzy -- I am grateful that there is a way to avoid at least some of that with a flu shot.

It's amazing that for less than $20 and a few minutes of your time you can get a shot and just bypass that misery.

I read in a women's magazine that adults need vaccinations too. As you age, or if you have health conditions that make you vulnerable, both the flu shot and the pneumonia shot (every 5 years) are a good idea. They also recommend, if I recall, that one get boosters for chicken pox and tetanus.

Shortly after reading that article I read a news report of a female politician who had died of chicken pox followed by pneumonia. That reinforced the lesson for me.

And when my huband was recently hospitalized with a serious illness and had way too much fluid in his lungs after heart surgery, I was glad that he had had a pneumonia vaccine a couple of years ago. For all I know, that vaccine may have helped save his life.

And speaking of that, my husband contracted tetanus as a boy when he stepped on a rusty nail. He actually started getting tetanus. I'm not sure how they saved his life. I didn't know you could get tetanus and survive. I hope all of your family's tetanus boosters are current. It's worth checking to be sure.

Some serious illnesses seem almost like fiction (and vaccinating against them seems like unnecessary trouble) -- until they hit close to home -- and then you realize that you and your family are every bit as human and mortal as the next guy or gal.

Although I'm not paragon of perfect health (I need to lose weight), I am glad that there are a few really easy steps that we can take to maximize our health. For a few dollars, a few minutes, and a shot that hurts just for a second if it hurts at all, you're protected for a year. I wish dieting were even remotely as easy!

[Mary]

Congratulations on learning how to let go! Your sanity will thank you for it.

[SuZan]

Unfortunately, Anna probably will get sick. The good news is that every exposure helps build her immunity.

[Michelle]

Kids are walking germ wards, unfortunately. I cringe when I see my kids playing with the toys in the doctors' office, knowing that SICK kids licked the aforementioned toys. Ugh.

But we can't protect them from everything, sadly.

[Peyton]

Both Ella and I had our flu shots last week. After how miserable we were last winter, anything extra to keep us from getting the flu again is worth it.

[Jen]

Actually, by licking her pacifier you are giving her more germs that are probably on it. This is not a recommended thing to do since our mouths are sewers compared to our kids! I read this in one of those baby magazines and it makes sense. So, my mouth is both a sewer figuratively AND literally! Yay!

I wouldn't go near the flu shot for me our my daughter (9 months) because of the mercury in it but there it is for you to chew on.

Jen :)

[Kara]

Jake (our first) is about to turn 11-months and I got him a flu shot. I also got myself one for the first time this year. After catching every day-care sneeze or cough this year, I'll take whatever protection I can get!