I was reading an article that said that the death expectancy this year in America could be as high as 90,000 Americans. That doesn't even include other countries. I don't know about you but that scares me. As I currently am laying in bed with body aches, chills, burning eyes and head pain. At this point it doesn't matter if you call it Swine Flu or H1N1. It was known too long before as the Swine flu and no matter how hard they try to change the name... I think it is to late.

Especially now with schools back in session and the weather changing I lay here thinking to myself... Am I at a higher risk for getting this? Will I be one of those 90,000 Americans that die from this. I have Multiple Sclerosis which is an autoimmune disease. I have 3 children in 3 different schools and I work with the public constantly.

I may not have the cleanest house. Hard to do with pets in the house... Kind of like tumbleweeds rolling across the floors now that the animals are shedding. But since being diagnosed with MS, I have become a severe bleacher and disinfectant type of person. I am constantly washing my hands, I quit biting my nails (which I have done for 33 years), I have disinfectant hand sanitizer in my purse and in my room and in my desk at work. I constantly am bleaching the counters and door knobs and phones and faucets. I have my own set of pens that I use so nobody else can touch them. With that said, think of all the things you touch in a day. Money, shopping cart, even the mail. How do you protect yourself from that?

And then there is the downfalls. I have 3 kids!!! They are good about staying away from me when they are sick... But what Mom will stay away from their sick kids? I still haven't quit smoking and I have MS.

Most of you reading this are in the same predicament. So are you afraid? Are you taking precautions? Will you go get the flu shot and Swine Flu vaccine when it is available? Most people I know that get the flu shot end up with the flu. Odd isn't it? I don't see what the point is if I get the immunizations but my family doesn't. How does that make any sense?

I guess now that they have shocked the United States with this new announcement. I am desperately trying to figure out. How much more at risk are we? With MS does that make our chances even higher and if so how much higher? What more can we do to protect ourselves? How do we get our kids to protect themselves but also to assist with making it safer for us?