H1N1 and cruising...

[crazycruzer68]

I know this has been talked about and talked about, but here's what I am worried about. It's seems to be going around everywhere here in Northern Kentucky with no vaccine in sight before our Oct. 11 cruise, I am afraid we are going to get it before we go. Everyday DD comes home from school saying someone new has been tested, football game cancelled this week because 5 players have it. Just very worried about this, even if the vaccine gets here before we leave we don't fall within the group that gets it first. Keeping fingers crossed!!

[StillPooh]

Best way to avoid it is to follow simple infection control techniques (handwashing, etc) and boost your immune system. Whenever I am going to travel by plane I start taking a supplement like Zycam (the oral tabs, not the controversial spray), Airborne, or Emergen-C. Since I started with this practice I have yet to get sick on a trip, and I used to nearly every time.

[family cruisers]

How soon before traveling do you take these ???

 

Best way to avoid it is to follow simple infection control techniques (handwashing, etc) and boost your immune system. Whenever I am going to travel by plane I start taking a supplement like Zycam (the oral tabs, not the controversial spray), Airborne, or Emergen-C. Since I started with this practice I have yet to get sick on a trip, and I used to nearly every time.

[StillPooh]

For a plane trip, I usually start a couple of days out. If I had a kid in school, though, I might just start putting it with everybody's breakfast beverage once a day between now and sailing!

 

BTW, Target carries their own generic of Airborne for much less money. You throw one tablet in 8 oz. of water and it fizzes like Alka-Seltzer.

[GinnyJ]

This is sooooo off topic (forgive me!)

But,

StillPooh, I noticed your Cavalier.....how sweet! We have 3 of them....Sophie, Sadie and Tucker!

[StillPooh]

This is sooooo off topic (forgive me!)

But,

StillPooh, I noticed your Cavalier.....how sweet! We have 3 of them....Sophie, Sadie and Tucker!

I have 2 blenheim boys, Clancy and Dillon. The avatar pic isn't either one of mine, though it resembles Clancy when he was a baby.

 

*threadjack over* :D

[critterfriend]

It's going around here in TN as well. We cruise in 1 week. Our daughter and myself have been taking echinacea and vitamins. I'm also taking some probiotic. When I go to the grocery store I wipe down the cart handles with the stuff they provide. I'm doing lots of praying that we all stay healthy and well.

[KruznKel]

It's going around here in TN as well. We cruise in 1 week. Our daughter and myself have been taking echinacea and vitamins. I'm also taking some probiotic. When I go to the grocery store I wipe down the cart handles with the stuff they provide. I'm doing lots of praying that we all stay healthy and well.

 

I think there is a big hype with the media as to the swine flu.. it is a flu just like normal.. you need to take precautions as you do with every flu season.. I take vit C everyday and have been since Jan of this year.. and have not got sick.. and usually after every cruise I come home sick.. this April we did a B2B and I was not sick after... keeping hands clean is a key as well.. but I do double dose on the Vit C as you can not OD on it.. you will just p away that what is not needed.. so that is my suggestion to anyone.. double dose on the VIT C before and during the cruise...

[salty dingo]

I'm going to check out the advice on the preventive meds... good idea there.

 

Hand washing and general good hygiene are the most important things. I understand the H1N1 affects people in no worse a way than the seasonal flu, it just spreads faster.

 

Definitely not a reason to be all worried about the cruise. If you follow the precautions you will be very, very unlikely to catch the flu. If somehow you do get it, unless you have a weak immune system, you'll have some miserable days in bed, but will otherwise be fine.

 

It's true that illness spreads faster in a confined environment like a ship - but I think a lot of that is due to the fact that many people are just plain unsanitary. If you are not one of them, you probably won't get it.

[madelinerose]

... I am afraid we are going to get it before we go.

 

 

Four words - Live in the moment. ;)

[Indiansbaseball]

I don't know if it was just me...or not..but here is my story.

 

I started taking Vitamin C and that probiotic drink Danactiv every day before I left for my girls vacation back in March of 08 to ward off sickness. Everything was great BUT I didn't take the Vit. C or the Danactiv with me and about 4 days into our 8 day vacation I got a horrible cold.

 

Like I said..could have been me but I recommend taking the airborne or whatever you choose to use with you and keep taking it. I feel that because I stopped cold turkey... I got sick.

 

But when I was taking that stuff.... I felt great !!! :D

[KruznKel]

I don't know if is was just me...or not..but here is my story.

 

I started taking Vitamin C and that probiotic drink Danactiv every day before I left for my girls vacation back in March of 08 to ward off sickness. Everything was great BUT I didn't take the Vit. C or the Danactiv with me and about 4 days into our 8 day vacation I got a horrible cold.

 

Like I said..could have been me but I recommend taking the airborne or whatever you choose to use with you and keep taking it. I feel that because I stopped cold turkey... I got sick.

 

But when I was taking that stuff.... I felt great !!! :D

 

When taking vitamins or anything else for that matter .. you do this as a preventative it is not only a one time thing.. you must continue taking it.. as with gravol.. (sea sickness med) I take it the day before and thru out the cruise plus 2 days after so avoid the sea legs ..

[tikimon]

Good informative thread! We've been cruising since 2000 and almost every cruise my wife would get sick during the cruise or right after we got back. Then we found out from our Doctor that it is best to start taking the vitamin C double dose along with your everyday vitamins atleast a month before the cruise. Since we started doing this she has had no problem.

[G'ma]

Well, that's just one more thing on the list of things that I don't worry about.......

 

36,000 people a year die from the flu...every year... I have never worried about that either.

[amybeth4]

Well' date=' that's just one more thing on the list of things that I don't worry about.......

 

36,000 people a year die from the flu...every year... I have never worried about that either.[/quote']

 

Well, G'Ma, I usually don't agree with things you say but I'm 100% with you on this one. Why are people so convinced they're gonna catch H1N1, but they don't have the same fears about the seasonal flu, which tens of millions of Americans get and which kills 36,000 Americans a year?

 

Just wash your hands and if you touch something, don't touch your face until you wash your hands again. And not with the stupid anti-bacterial soap that you throw in your bag. Use soap and very warm water...for 20 seconds.

[halos]

I know this has been talked about and talked about, but here's what I am worried about. It's seems to be going around everywhere here in Northern Kentucky with no vaccine in sight before our Oct. 11 cruise, I am afraid we are going to get it before we go. Everyday DD comes home from school saying someone new has been tested, football game cancelled this week because 5 players have it. Just very worried about this, even if the vaccine gets here before we leave we don't fall within the group that gets it first. Keeping fingers crossed!!

 

I love the advice for the vitamins and minerals (like zinc) and all the other preventitives :) But I also want to say that stress over the worry of contracting something can actually affect your immune system so try to stop worrying about it!!!!!!!

For me personally, the flu is something I don't worry about. I have never had the flu...ever. My dh is prone to getting it and despite the fact that he has had it several times I have never caught it. I seldom even get colds. I do think this is because I take supplements and vitamins and try to eat healthy.

IF you are not prone to catching the flu, then that is even more reason to stop worrying about it.

 

Noro going around?? That scares me. For some reason that is something I tend to get....less now than when I was a child though thank goodness, and again I believe it's because of the vitamins and supplements that I take.

 

Keep your hands clean and away from your face and eat healthy, get adequate rest and fresh air and take vitamins. You'll be fine. ;)

[sam1148]

I leave in mid Oct...well before the vaccine will be ready. If I knew someone that had the H1N1 I'd go stay at their house and try to get it to now.

 

I've also seen reports that Elderberry extract will shorten the flu..and maybe help prevent. There's a danger with that for younger people tho. There's some indication Elderberry might work TO well--increasing Cytokines which are the things that cause problems with H1N1...a "Cytokine Storm".

 

The drug store product is called "Sambucol". I might bring some of that onboard as a 'just in case' measure.

 

I'd suggest you google this product and Elderberries and decide for yourself.

[Martini Mom]

I really like taking Ester-C. That works great for us. I am going on a cruise in November/December and I'm not going to worry about the flu. I am just going to do everything I can to prevent it and that's that. Worrying actually stresses out your immune system and makes you MORE likely to pick up bugs.

 

On a side note. You may want to check out the ingredients and potential side effects of this year's vaccine. They can be as worrisome as the actual flu.

[letmetellya]

I have heard that vitamin D was good for fighting off the flu , anyone know or have more info on that ?

[NKG6002]

According to Dr. Oz last week it's Vitamin D and yogurt ... sorry, I don't remember the dosage but you can check his website. :)

[momoftwins2]

Off the subject, but this is for Stillpooh, how did you get the Denise signature with the dolphin? I have a dolphin tattooed on my leg and that would be so cool to have my name in my signature like that :)

[bklynangel]

I take vit c every day and acidofilus (opps spelled it wrong but you know what i mean) every day...it boosts your immune system and i havent been sick in two years and i work with kids who are sick everyday....try it...it really works

[Lisichka]

Well, G'Ma, I usually don't agree with things you say but I'm 100% with you on this one. Why are people so convinced they're gonna catch H1N1, but they don't have the same fears about the seasonal flu, which tens of millions of Americans get and which kills 36,000 Americans a year?

 

Just wash your hands and if you touch something, don't touch your face until you wash your hands again. And not with the stupid anti-bacterial soap that you throw in your bag. Use soap and very warm water...for 20 seconds.

 

A seasonal flu would be covered under your (travel) insurance. The swine flu would not.

 

This is NOT just like the regular flu. Why do people keep saying that?!?!

 

Please educate yourself when it comes to this flu.

[StillPooh]

This is NOT just like the regular flu. Why do people keep saying that?!?!

 

Please educate yourself when it comes to this flu.

This is true. It spreads more easily, but is much milder than regular flu in most people who contract it.

 

People need to stop freaking out, and the press need to stop whipping them up.

[Lisichka]

This is true. It spreads more easily, but is much milder than regular flu in most people who contract it.

 

People need to stop freaking out, and the press need to stop whipping them up.

 

What do you base this observation on? On the fact that we have only had the first wave of it so far? First waves of any new flu are always mild.

 

This particular flu is more dangerous to a segment of the population that the regular flu rarely poses a risk to.

 

Yes, it is different indeed. I would love to see your research where it says that this flu will remain milder than the regular flu.