My Experience With Influenza A and B

My+Experience+With+Influenza+A+and+B

Syerra Rodriguez, Contributor

What is influenza A and B? Influenza A is a virus and B is a flu only found in humans. Back in 2002 or 2003 there was Influenza A and B going around. When I was a year old I had ammonia which could also be Influenza A . I was sick for a while going on like 3 or 4 months.

During the time I had the ammonia Influenza A and B started coming around. I eventually caught Influenza B, while I still was sick with Influenza A. My mom had kept giving me the medicine you can get at the shopping center thinking I was going to get better.

One afternoon she left me with my older cousins while she went to work. She sat me at the corner of the couch and had told my cousins “Thalia is sitting at the couch please pay attention to her she’s still not feeling well.” So my cousins sat on the couch with me and an hour later realized I hadn’t cried or anything since my mom had left off for work. They started getting worried.

When my mom finally got home from work and saw me sitting in the same spot she had asked, “Why is she still sitting in the same spot I left her in,” and my cousins response was “She hasn’t cried or even talked since you left.” My mom got really worried, so she decided to take me to VCMC (Ventura County Medical Center) where my doctor was located.

We were waiting for hours for someone to see me and within the 6 hours of waiting at the hospital my mom starting getting upset because my lips started changing colors. Finally after hours, one of the doctors that had worked there at VCMC was walking past me, then came back and had asked my mom to bring me to him. Once he saw me he automatically knew what was wrong with me.

The doctor had sent me to the x-ray room and took x-rays on me. Put me on ivy’s, on an oxygen tank, checked my blood pressure etc. Then they finally realized that they had to send me to UCLA hospital to put fluids in my body. While we were on the plane the doctor had told my mom, “I hope you know that if you waited any longer your daughter could’ve passed away in your arms.”

After 3 months, I could start breathing on my own. I started talking more and eating regularly. Just because I was so young at the time and I may not remember the whole story of what had happen doesn’t mean it still scares me. It only scares me because of the fact that Influenza A and B is still going around and I could most likely catch Influenza A and B again. If I do catch Influenza A and B again I’ll be scared that no doctor will realize that I have the Influenza A and B and won’t rush to put me on any ivy’s. I do very much appreciate the doctor who had saved me because now it encourages me to work in the medical field and hope to save someone else’s life the same way.

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