So, I did what I always do:

In early September, I scheduled seasonal flu vaccines for both of my kiddos with their pediatrician. All is well, right?

Nope.

In the first week of October, the pediatrician's office calls to infom me that the kiddos' flu shot appt will have to be cancelled due to the fact the practice has completely run out of all seasonal flu vaccines.

What to do, what to do.... oh yeah... I now get to spend boatloads of time on the phone trying to figure out where exactly can my 7 yr old and 2 yr old get their flu shots given the fact that every flu clinic at CVS, Target, Walgreens, etc insists that the child must be at least 9 yrs old to receive a vaccine at their sites.

But a ray of light appears.... in the form of a flu clinic... courtesy of the County Board of Health.

So, I ask my mom to come with the kids and I because I have no idea how this wonderful adventure is gonna go. I also pull BabyGirl outta school for the adventure. And off we go!..... where we get to wait and line up, wait and line up, and wait and line up (did I mention we got to wait and line up???) and then finally, for a mere $14 per child and $20 per adult, as citizens of our county, amongst the hoards of folks who also waited and lined up for a freakin' eternity, we were able to get our seasonal flu vaccines.

We had very sore arms and a giant red welt where the vaccine was given, but all seemed well.

UNTIL

4 days later.........

WHEN

BabyGirl, Lil Man, and I all spike uber high fevers out of no where (BabyGirl's highest was a horrid 105.6, Lil Man's highest was a terrifying 106.8!!, and my highest was a nasty 104.5), we develop stuffy noses with zero breathing capability (yet we get to have loads of snot pouring out... weeee!), we have throats that feel like we gnawed on shards of glass and tossed back a lava chaser just for shits and giggles, we have burning chests that feels like white-hot phlegm is churning around in our lungs with every hacking cough, and we get these lovely body aches that feel like we were run over by a high-speed train and backed-over by a Peterbilt.

On Monday (October 12th) after spending an hour and a half in the waiting room with an endless sea of sick kiddies, the pediatrician performs flu tests and determines that we 3 have H1N1 flu.

Hubby and I look at each other in horror, and the good doc is kind enough to write out Rx's of Tamiflu for all 4 of us and informs my Hubby that the odds are that he has it (and has just not developed symptoms yet) given that the rule of thumb for contracting the flu is this:

If you spend 4 or more hrs with a person who has the flu in a confined space, then chances are that you got it.

(hmm... kinda like the hrs we spent waiting and lining up and waiting and lining up at the flu clinic amongst the hoards of folks?...uh, yeah.)

Well, let's see what the odds for Hubby, who did not go to the flu clinic:

All weekend long, the kiddos and I were blowing our noses, sneezing, and hacking up our lungs in the house.... the house that Hubby lives in with us (plus he and I share a bed).... hmmm, is that confined enough for ya?

Uh yeah. Hubby so has this, too.

Soooooo, I went to a seasonal flu clinic and all I got was the swine flu.

And oh yeah...

The cost of the 4 Rx's of Tamiflu? $210.

The number 1 side effect of Tamiflu? Nausea.

The number 2 side effect of Tamiflu? Vomiting.

The 4 of us now have both... plus all of the glorious symptoms of H1N1, and we're out $210 for the medicine that makes us feel all pukey.