When Pigs Fly vs. Swine Flu

"And swine flew (flu)...avoid this activity..."

Herbert Spencer coined the term "survival of the fittest" after reading Charles Darwin's reference to "natural selection" in Origin of the Species in the mid 1800s. Darwin was refering to the adaptation a species undergoes to become "better adapted for immediate, local environment" rather than the common misinterpretation of survival of those "in the best physical shape".

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As I read about the possible swine flu pandemic in the public health document sent to all health care providers in this state, Charles Darwin's writings came to mind. I wondered "is a flu pandemic nature's way of ridding the human race of the weakest links"? For the first time, I feel like one of the weakest links! Darwin, however was concerned with the gradual adaptation of a species to it's environment, not the elimination of the young, frail, ill, and disabled members of our society as his concept of "natural selection".

This entomologic fine line assumed importance in my household as my youngest daughter returned home from her on-campus living quarters with a cough she could not shake. A few days later, she woke up with a temperature of 104 degrees, chiling, achy, pale, and worsening cough. She tested positive for the flu - probably H1N1 or more commonly referred to as the swine flu. She and I are both in high risk groups related to asthma and disability. Will this "eliminate" us?

Fortunately, we were able to seek help early and get started on antiviral treatment for her and preventative treatment for me. In the midst of this time period, the first fatality from swine flu in Alabama occured - an 11 year old boy who fell threw the healthcare cracks and lived in a town only 75 miles away. It's interesting how the presence of a chronic condition alters one's perspective. Perhaps it's the survival mentality that kicks in. Who knows. I only know how scary it feels to see my daughter so sick and be concerned about whether or not she might develop pneumonia, knowing that pneumonia and the flu are a deadly combination.

So, how are we handling our "quarantine"? Watchfully and including the extra precaution of nebulizer breathing treatments every six hours around the clock. She is still very sick and coughing, but her fever is staying down...that's a good sign to me of progress toward wellness. I'm doing fine with antiviral prophylaxis. Hopefully, we are stronger than our underlying conditions would seem to place us along the survival continuum. Not to mention that we are both very stubborn...