I just thought I’d start a new thread on this subject. My son is already missing a ton of school and missed almost all of last week due to Influenza. The vaccine did not cover all strains this year and my mom just came down with it too. His first audition is a few days away and the only one requiring memorization. I hope his brain isn’t mush and he retains it. He said he’d practice at 1 am when he was sick because he couldn’t sleep. So hopefully, he got some good practice in. Its hard to believe that he did. Have those you tube links and dvd’s ready this year. You may need it.
Ugh. Hopefully your S will be better by his audition! Is he on the upswing do you think?
Yes. He is. He just has 4 days of makeup work and then. Add 2 days from this week and 4 days from the week after that. Music theory will be tough to makeup.
I am so sorry. I thought I was being very smart getting my S vaccinated so he wouldn’t get the flu during all of his traveling to auditions. He ended up getting the flu and pneumonia and missing a week of school right before finals, two weeks of practicing, and a competition. I think his memory will be fine but make sure he doesn’t exhaust himself with practicing. Good luck to you!
So sorry to hear this. This could be any of us. You can do everything right and walk through a 30 minute old cloud of sneeze and catch the bug. Wish people would stay home when sick but then I understand life goes on and one has to do what one has to do. I sincerely hope the best for all of you.
I was worried he’d get pneumonia so I got meds for his old childhood nebulizer, but I think his flu strain was very receptive to the Tamiflu and he didn’t really need the nebulizer. So far, his thinking has slowed down and he wasn’t quite with it for rehearsal tonite. He has 4 more days before his audition. I think he’ll be ok. Luckily it’s not at a more competitive school.
My d had full blown bronchitis for her last audition and finals for a $5k vocal competition. She came in 8th and they marked her down for breathe support… well duh. We went to the doctor the day prior to the vocal comp and he offered her a steroid shot. She declined partly because it has been recommended to her that a singer not get steroid shots but more so because she is deathly afraid of needles.
Stay safe and wishes for healthy bodies and minds.
Saw this thread and had to comment. My daughter came down with the flu the day before we were flying to Belmont Jan 8. She is a singer and she could barely talk. Belmont was great, they rescheduled her for 2 weeks later. Although I actually found a cheeper flight, I am still waiting to see if United will refund the $400 change fee since we had a doctors note.
@cellomom6 Hope your son is feeling better. How did his audition go (today?)
@ helpfulmom That is great the school rescheduled her audition. I hope she is feeling better and stays well for the rest of her auditions!
This is such a horrible time to have auditions. Why not spring? 
My son got sick, horrible sore throat, achy body, lethargy etc… 4 days before his first vocal audition. I took him to the doctor to hopefully start him on antibiotics. He was tested for influenza (the strain not vaccinated for) Strep and Mono. He has MONO!!! What horrible timing. We could not reschedule his first audition, so he did the best he could. The severe sore throat only lasted for about a week.
I am loading him up on immune support and making sure he gets plenty of rest.
Wishing everyone a healthy and safe audition season
I was horrified to learn my son had a friend with mono. I was like you are not hanging out together until after auditions.lol. I hope your son is doing ok. Both auditions went well. The teachers heard improvement from his last visit. I now know you just have to not worry and let things be. Hell go wherever is the best. He has no control of what happens.
OMG @dblbassmom it’s bad enough that music kids don’t get a break after 1/1 like the rest of their senior cohort. Making them wait till spring to audition sounds like torture. Better to move it up to the autumn and accept that kids are still developing over the course of the next 12 months! But that would probably freak families out on a whole other level… 
@dblbassmom - How is your son doing? My D2 was diagnosed with mono the first week of college classes this semester, but luckily it seems to have been a milder case. Horrible sore throat, glands the size of walnuts, and fatigue. All of her professors were very understanding, and said to just let them know if she needed to miss rehearsal, studio, lesson, etc. She made it through by taking Advil as prescribed, curtailing all activities and sleeping as much as she could. She also had to back off on practice for about 1.5 weeks, but she still made it to every class, rehearsal, etc. I hope your son’s case is similarly mild and that he turns the corner soon, if he hasn’t already!
@cellomom6 - My D was told to follow usual precautions (no kissing, don’t share drinks, cover mouth if you cough, etc.) but that mono is not that contagious. She was not quarantined from her roommates. Unfortunately it has a 4-6 week (!) incubation period so kids are contagious for about a month before they know it. It’s the kissing and drink-sharing during this phase that is typically the culprit in passing the disease around high school and college. And once infected, they can also shed the disease for months after symptoms disappear…
Logically I know this, but all it takes is one mistake drinking after someone. I will only be paranoid for 10 more days when auditions are almost done
@cellomom6 - LOL. Sometimes parental paranoia is a good thing. It certainly can’t hurt in this case! Best wishes for healthy, successful auditions!
Oh the memories! After making it through auditions in 2013 and the various snowstorms in NYC/Boston, my D (voice - BM) ended up with Mono in late April, just before the state solo contest, she’d won the regional one. She couldn’t talk, let alone sing. Her school choir wasn’t very happy – but what could we do? So, hang in there all it does get better!
Good luck and good health, @cellomom6!
@listenmissy Yeah you are right! 
@MomOf2TeenGirls This stuff strikes at the worst time. It sounds like your daughter pulled through without missing too much. I have always heard the horror stories of mono. Kids missing months of school etc…So I was freaking out.
I think my son has it pretty mild like your daughter. The first week was the worst, he missed 2 days of school and 2 choral rehearsals. I just feel so bad that his first audition was during that first week 
Funny, the doctor said he should not do any strenuous physical activity. I had to laugh (my son is not athletic!!) he thought he was going to get away with not doing chores!!! I told him he could still take the trash out and feed the dogs. We have completely different definitions of strenuous activity 
Now I will go post about audition day. He has had 3 so far.
My daughter (singer) just had a terrible head cold this past weekend - and 3 auditions. We decided to just give it a go, and she actually was pretty pleased with how it all turned out. She is pretty sure she got sick because one of the kids in the musical sneezed right in her face.
3 auditions in one weekend? And sick? Poor girl! I’m glad she felt good about the auditions. Both my kid’s vocal coaches tell them you have to be able to perform and sing even if you are sick. The show must go on! That’s reality.
I cringed when I read the “sneezed right in her face” UCK!!
Hope she is feeling better this week.
Wow. 3 auditions while sick. That is tough.