Barbara Davis, 48, was healthy just a week ago. She had dinner with her mother Josephine last Friday night. But just hours after that dinner, Josephine got a phone call.
"My friend, he called me and told me Barbara was real sick. And I said, "Well, she wasn't sick when I left, so what's the matter?" Josephine Davis said.
Barbara told her mother that she was ok. But the next day, things got worse. She had trouble breathing, and she was shaking. She could barely walk into the hospital.
"She tried to talk to people, but she just couldn't talk," Josephine Davis said.
Doctors treated her for two days, but they couldn't save her. They believe she died from swine flu.
"They've never seen nothing like that, what she had. That infection just went through her body, attacking her kidney, her lungs, her liver. Everything," said Josephine Davis.
The Milwaukee Health Department confirmed on Friday a Milwaukee adult with no underlying medical conditions died from swine flu, though they haven't confirmed Barbara Davis was that victim.
Barbara's family knows all too well how serious swine flu can be.
"Everybody is just in a shock. The people that I talked to today, they are frightened. Because it happened all of a sudden," Josephine Davis said.
More than 1,800 people have caught swine flu in Milwaukee alone. The city's Health Department is stressing that if you are mildly ill with flu symptoms, you should call your doctor. If your symptoms are serious or if you have mild symptoms that are getting worse, you should see a doctor right away.
lamazeteacher
2,170 Posts
I submitted a comment in the newspaper link herein, about the need to immediately access healthcare with H1N1 making rounds, and have the vaccination ASAP (not in a critical way).
This incident reflects how fast the virus can progress in uncompromised men as well as pregnant women and children. I wonder if the rural nature of Mr. Finger's community inhibited access to care, or if lack of health insurance or stoicism was the reason for that.
On another thread I've mentioned that I have a nastry "bug" presently that began Sunday, the 12th of Oct. On Monday (yesterday) I called my PCP, explained to his MA that I'd wanted to start Tamiflu without contaminating his waiting room, described my s/s and began taking it last night. So far my throat is slightly better 24 hours later, I'm sneezing more frequently, still have a fever and headaches along with pronounced fatigue and muscle aches. I take a Chinese herb called Yin Ciao for control of rhinitis, and tylenol for pain at appropriate intervals.
Last Aug.'09, I had a similar round with this, was tested for H1N1 (negative, as it was 48 hours, too early for a positive result) and took Tamiflu with similar results and a 2 week course of illness. If this thing is coming at us in waves, I want out of the water! I'm 70 years old, in relatively good health, although a hiatal hernia (5cm) takes up space in my thoracic cavity, causing dyspnea with minimal exercise.
As soon as I'm better for a week or so, I'll take the injectible vaccine for H1N1. I had the seasonal flu and pneumonia vaccines 2 1/2 weeks ago......
I wish you all well!!