Living proof of the dangers of swine flu

John Kelleher Havre Daily News [email protected]

Ramona Abeita says she is living proof that you should be aware of the dangers of the H1N1 virus, better known as the swine flu. The 30-year-old Box Elder woman contracted swine flu in October when she was more than eight months pregnant. There were some tense moments when doctors feared for her life. The story has a happy ending, though. She came home after a week-long stay in Benefis Medical Center in Great Falls, and her baby, Krystian, was born healthy and is doing fine. But she realizes better than most how serious the disease can be. Her troubles started in October, when she felt weak and tried. “They said I had a fever,” she said. “It reached 101.” When her fever hit 103, her husband told her it was time to see her doctor. The doctor sent her to Northern Montana Hospital, where she was given fluids and put into the intensive Care unit. Eventually, she was flown by medical hel icopter to Benefis. There, her doctor told her her lungs were shutting down. Abeita has been through a lot in her life. “I'm a two-time cancer survivor,” she said. “But other than that, I am in good health.” Even so, this experience was tough. “It was scary,” she said. “They were afraid I wasn't going to make it.” Her doctors put her on antibiotics. She said that is the best and only treatment for H1N1. Once she was on the road to recovery, things moved along very well. At first, her doctors feared she might be in the Great Falls facility for a month, but seven days after being admitted, she was released and headed back home. Then on Nov. 17, her son was born, weighing nine pounds. He's doing fine, Abeita said, and she's now back to work at Northern Montana Care Center. The experience has turned Abeita into an advocate for immunizat ions against the H1N1 virus. A lot of people tend to dismiss swine flu, she said. “People should get their shots,” she said. “And if they feel the least bit sick, they should call their doctor.” She doesn't want to see other people go through the same thing. “When I had cancer, I wasn't really scared,” she said. “I knew I could beat it. But this was scary