Oink Alert!! How Swine Flu is Already Knocking Me Down

Oh, H1N1 vaccine. You elude me like a football does Charlie Brown. Just am I close to finding a vax clinic I'm eligible for, it gets canceled.

Now, I'm not a particulary germ-phobic person. I was raised by a mother who....Let Me Eat Raw Cookie Dough! And batter! I have tried to pass on this noble activity to the next generation but have thwarted by Samonella. (Don't worry, Eleni. I always made sure the kids didn't lick the spoon when I was your nanny.)

But as I am about to have pretty serious surgery, I will suck it up and get the shot. (Or the nose spray; I'm not going to be picky.)

The other reasons I'm fairly irritated by swine flu are the new visitor restrictions that all DC-Metro Area hospitals are adopting. No child under 18, even siblings. (Which really sucks for folks in the Maternity Ward, too.)  Virginia Hospital Center H1N1 Visitor Policy

I can't have Elizabeth visit me in the hospital. It's depressing the hell out of me. But I understand. She goes to preschool. Which, next to public bathrooms at any mall at Christmas-time, is the filthiest, germ-iest, place on Earth.

I worry about how she will handle my absence. Yes, we plan to Skype. Still not as good as hugs.