To assume that, at some point, we are going to get swine flu and to be really quite scared about it

[imaynotbeperfectbutimokmummy]

I feel like i wish i had it already - the longer time goes on, the more anxious i am getting. I have health anxiety and this is starting to fry my head. My DD starts school in september, so she will be mixing with loads of new children - im fretting already.

does go, obviously

Well, the media are going to tell you what the chief medical officer tells them. Are you guys really saying you'd rather we didn't? That you'd rather just not know, and we kept you in the dark? That alarms me more than swine flu.

It's called swine flu because it came from pigs, just as avian flu came from birds. That's factual - like hurricanes, flu pandemics need a name, to distinguish them from other strains. And Mexico got upset when we started calling it Mexican Flu.

The autumn thing is, again, just what the experts tell us.

Muumydragon - how did you know you had flu? Was it diagnosed? I'm only asking because, like everyone else has said, when I had flu once (when I was 9) I could not get of bed for a week. I'm curious that you say you still managed with your kids. God, that sounds really accusatory and suspicious - it's not, honestly! I just wondered how you knew you had flu then.

What I'm not clear on is the advice that if you think you have swine flu then you should stay at home. How can I be sure what I think when lots of people are saying it's mild? I've got a cold atm which is not bad enough to be off work but what if it was swine flu. Am I meant to stay off every time I feel a bit iffy?

So, can I go on holiday?

I think the media coverage has been very fair and not too alarmist. Don't know what the tabloids say but the BBC and Guardian haven't been overplaying it, I don't think

I think this is a good opportunity for people to look into boosting their immunity so if you do happen to get it, it's not too serious. I have been dosing the DCs with probiotics (supplements not the stuff in yoghurts, the amount they put in is so tiny it makes no difference) and cod liver oil since the bird flu scare as they may help. 2 of out my 3 DCs had 100% attendance at school this year (DS1 had 97% due to his asthma). Diet and exercise also help of course!!

yes

Main difference between flu and a cold initially is high temperatures, I think - if you have a fever it's worth looking at the symptom checker to see if it looks like flu.

Dd (4yrs) developped a sudden exhaustion this afternoon, with a stuffy nose, no appetite and her temp gradually rose to 37.8 deg before I gave her calpol to go to bed (at 6.15pm - couldn't keep her awake any longer and she was sobbing with tiredness).

I'm waiting to see whether she is ok in the morning or not but have already checked the symptom checker for swine flu.

Can't decide if I want it to be 'the flu' or not.

My biggest fear in all this is more about how we as a family will cope if all ill at the same time. I wouldn't want to get my mum to come and help out in case she caught it, so how on earth do you look after children if you are all ill?

IlanaK: dunno your circumstances but you could look at it this way: if over 65yo your mum is probably least likely of all age ranges to become affected (see figure 3 on page 2 of this recent HPA doc). Currently way less than 2% of symptomatic cases are in that age range, and unless she has one of the conditions predisposing to severe infection it seems a good option to ask her to help if willing.

Kwym about worrying about looking after children if you are all ill. You can probably do things to get ready for it though - have paracetemol and thermometer in the house, well stocked cupboards (don't be about to run out of nappies or toilet roll!), dvds for kids, easy to prepare food, loads of drinks. Maybe think through being ill and anything you or children might need, get it in the house if you haven't already and make it easy to find. Like Musukebba says you can probably call on your mum to help if she's over 65, but you might still be able to avoid it if you've got as ready as you can.

Did someone on here say something about needing NHS numbers or passports for Tamiflu? Right now I wouldn't have a clue where to find mine and I would qualify - did they put that in the leaflet?

For goodness sake, only people with severe underlying health problems are seriously affected by Flu - and death is usually cause by pneumonia following the flu in a suceptible patient - the rest of us will probably get better within 10 days.

You are being overanxious!

The nhs number is to help staff find your records quickly to see if you have chronic lung disease etc and so are at extra risk from swine flu.

Who's being overanxious? The OP has health anxiety so of course she is, and she knows it, she doesn't need you to tell her. And if you meant me, I'm not anxious particularly, but I know from experience that looking after children is horrible if you're so ill yourself you have to take to your bed, even if you are going to be fine in the end. I'd rather be ready for it, personally, but each to their own...

YABU. It's actually very like normal flu and not everyone is going to catch it.

Tinker - I rang the doctor and had a chat and he said it sounded like flu.

As for managing with the kids - well, I don't have any family to help me out, and I didn't want to expose my friends to the germs; I didn't think it was fair, as the only friends who could have looked after my kids have young kids of their own, and the doc's advice was to try to minimise the spread of it. So we got on with it. It was far from easy, and as I said, I was literally crawling along the floor for a couple of days, but we managed. Fortunately the weather was nice so we kept sending the kids into the garden while we lay on the floor in the lounge with the patio doors open!! Like many mums on here, being ill is not really an option for me - if I had to go into hospital I would probably end up having to pay for a temporary nanny or something, which would be horrendous (especially for my overdraft!). I have lovely friends, but they have jobs, children etc and to ask them to look after mine would be hard for them too.

You weren't being accusatory, doin't worry

God, I just read my last post and I sounded like such a martyr - and I'm really not! i whinged my arse off (when I wasn't breathless) the whole time DH and I were ill

PeppaPig, I can tell you that having flu when you have young children is un-fun but not the end of the world. I came down with flu last year the day after I took my children on holiday by myself. I was delirious, I soaked the bed three nights running, I saw things and was emphatically not capable of caring for my family.

My children, although worried coped amazingly. My eldest took himself off down the shop and bought food, I told him my pin and he got cash from the cashpoint. He said that he realised that I was really ill when I didn't ask them for a whole day about what they were eating...they had one day of chocolate and pringles and then sorted themselves out and got some real food.

The worst thing was not being able to get any medicine and feeling like I was going to die. I couldn't work my phone, couldn't see well and couldn't think clearly for about five days. I later found out that my children spent most of their time playing around a lake, climbing very tall trees and watching unsuitable telly! On day 6, I got the boys to pack and came home where I collapsed for another week. I will never go on holiday alone ever again.

I'm not looking forward to swine flu but if I survived 'normal' flu then I think it should be bearable because at least I will be at home. I have already prepared by purchasing most of the contents of Boot's cold and flu shelf, 16 cartons of orange juice and some emergency pringles for the kids.

Actually, GeneHunt (great name btw) makes a very good point. Stocking up on easy-to-make food and paracetamol etc is a sensible, practical thing to do - as would be working out who you could call on if you needed help.