RICHLAND — Magen Myers was supposed to get married today.
But instead of walking down the aisle, she's in the hospital battling H1N1 influenza and pneumonia.
"She's doing better. It's going to take her a little bit, but she's doing better," said her fianc Tobin Kidder, 35.
Myers, 31, of Kennewick, had a tracheotomy tube in her throat and wasn't able to talk. Kidder said she was exposed to the H1N1 virus -- also known as swine flu -- by a relative and soon developed a cough and aches and pains.
Kidder said he took her to a clinic and then a few hospitals but she kept getting worse.
She's been at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland for about a month, and recently was moved out of intensive care because her condition is improving.
"She is getting better every day," said Kidder's mom, Connie.
But Myers' recovery is expected to take a while. Kidder said she'll need speech therapy because of the tubes that have been needed to help her breathe.
Another stress is that money has been tight. Kidder is on disability and Myers hasn't been able to work at her job at a fast food restaurant because of her illness, Kidder said. She doesn't have medical insurance, Kidder said.
Kidder said Myers had an upper respiratory infection about a month before she came down with H1N1 influenza.
More than 1,100 people in the state have been hospitalized from all strains of the flu since mid-September, said the Washington Department of Health.
Forty-eight of them have died, including 15 in Eastern Washington.
Three people in the Tri-Cities area are believed to have died from causes related to H1N1.
Doses of the vaccine are becoming available in the area. The supply is limited but public health officials expect an uptick in shipments in January.
Officials are recommending the vaccine especially for people in higher risk groups, including pregnant women, people who live or work with infants up to 6 months old, health care workers, children and young adults through age 24 and people ages 25 to 64 with certain underlying health conditions.
They're also reminding people to wash their hands, cover their sneezes and coughs and take other precautions.
Kidder said he's hardly left his fiance's side since she got sick.
They were disappointed to have to postpone the wedding but plan to reschedule it for April when the bride will be back on her feet and ready to walk down the aisle.