Flue get you?

JRB

PFG, Picture Framing God
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San Diego, CA
Thursday night I got home from work, started feeling super cold, I went into convulsive shaking, I could not get warm. I crawled into bed with my work clothes on. I woke up briefly the next morning soaking wet and still cold. I got out of my clothes and crawled right back in.

Mary called me that afternoon and I told her I would be fine, and she could leave for Denver as planned. Well I wasn't, I was either asleep or la la land all the way until this morning, Monday. I had eaten almost nothing in three days.

Needless to say, my store has been closed since the 23rd. I swear I thought I was dying. I thought about calling 911 and decided if I'm going, I would rather do it at home. My last experience with ambulances and emergency rooms left a lot to be desired. I had Kaiser at the time, thanks but no thanks.

Anyway, I went to the Doctor this morning, he said it was full blown influenza, but I was over the worst of it, said I should be fine by new years. He gave me a prescription for some antibiotics to help with any secondary infections.

It's frustrating, I missed Christmas eve sales and the day after, both usually big days for us. Upside is, y'all are stuck with me for awhile longer.


John

PS: If you haven't gotten one, get a flu shot. I don't think I have been this sick in over thirty years. I always avoided them because I always got a mild case of the flu with the shot. From now on I will gladly take the mild case.
 
Sorry to hear you are so sick, John.

I rarely got sick, either. When I did, it was always a doozy. I think when you are around people as much as we are, you develop a resistance to alot of stuff. Which is probably why you are so sick. It took a very powerful bug to get you down.

Take care of yourself and get well soon.
 
Hope you get to feeling better real soon!!! Since I work around kids, I'm surprised I haven't gotten the flu myself. The only thing I hate about flu shots are the needles.....you'd think we could just take a pill!!!
 
Thanks Pam, don't you just love it when they cough right in your face at the design table? Happened at least four times this season, way too much trouble for them to turn their heads to the side.

I don't know who got me, probably the three year old standing on the counter helping mommy choose mat colors. She was a darling little thing with a red face and runny nose, hacking away at anyone who was within range. I know, if they can't bring their kids, they can't shop. Wish I had a solution.

John
 
Poor John, I had the flu in 2003 and it turned into walking pneumonia, take care of yourself and take it seriously. You have to rest to recover. It is serious business if it turns into a secondary infection. My doctor told me the flu doesn't kill people it is the secondary illness from the flu that usually kills you.

Lots and lots of bed rest!
 
My son came home from college on the 22nd, got the flu on the 23rd and threw up all over, on the bed, on the floor, down the hall...really nice! Hadn't planned on washing bedding, shampooing carpets, working with last minute customers, and dealing with a sick 20 year old boy...now my husband is getting it and I will have a 49 year old sick boy to deal with...bring on the new year!
 
Well, I went back to work for a few days, Mary came back from Denver, started feeling bad again. This time I went straight to the doctors instead of going home. My flu went from that to pneumonia. Today was my first day out of bed, five more days lost. Went to the doctors today, he said I am over the worst of it. Said I can go back to work as soon as I feel up to it.

If the flu has not hit your neighborhood yet, go and get a flu shot. If your over fifty, get a pneumonia shot as well. This stuff is just plain brutal.

John
 
You betcha John.....it's VERY bad!! We have hospital ER's turning away ambulances - they are full and there is so much sickness among the staff that there are not enough nurses to care for the patients. My neighbor(RN) was just offered double time + $500 to work one day last weekend. It's BAD.......real BAD!!

Now I'm going to say it again because it's VITAL information!! If you are sick, STAY HOME!! DO NOT PASS IT AROUND!!! And DO wash your hands constantly AND your grocery carts!! BE SMART and BE RESPECTFUL OF OTHERS! It's the right thing to do.
 
It was just on the news , over 19% of San Diegans are down with the flu right now. That's one heck of a lot of people.

John
 
Got my shot on Monday. Hope it was in time. & hope you're back on your feet real soon.
 
I heard it started out west this year and is heading east.
I didn't get the flu shot because the one year my husband did, he stayed sick all winter. He swore them off and I followed suit.

I'm a little scared this year though.

The other thing is, are the flu shots the same strand. I heard they don't help unless they are.

Jennifer
 
My UPS guy just came in today and described his weekend and it sounded just like your Xmas weekend, John. He ended up at the ER receiving two units of saline intravenously.

Nineteen percent, yikes. It's a doozy and it's heading east.

Everybody I know who gets a flu shot, gets the flu. Lemme go flip a coin...

edie the imstayinghomeforthenextthreemonths goddess
 
Jennifer, that is the exact reason I stopped getting flue shots, they gave me the flue. After this experience, I will take that mild dose of the flue anytime. I would much rather feel a Little sick for a month or so than go through another week of what I just did. Believe me, if this flue is not a killer, it sure had me fooled. Do yourself a BIG favor, get your flue shot, rag on your husband until he does the same. If nothing else, get a pneumonia shot. When you get this flue, it's just like getting the shot, only a whole lot harder on you.

John
 
I haven't had a flu shot since the 70's when Ford made it manditory to get that Swine Flu shot...was sicker that a "Swine" that evening and for 2 days after...haven't had on since and don't want one either.
I must say it was very interesting last year with the shortage of the flu vaccine, the media telling us not to get the shots unless we had health issues, were elderly, or very young. And to talk to people who were none of those people who got their shots anyway and then asking me why I hadn't gotten mine...well, it was rather a strange thing to me...rather strange. Humans!
 
Bird flue transmissible to humans has Turkey and the whole world in high alert as we speak. Are you aware of that? This flue IS a big time killer; over 50% of those infected had died. Studies showed that regardless where in the world it escaped control, five days later that virus made it into USA. Watch the news, get educated.
 
Yes but I don't think we were talking about Bird flu here, just regular flu. And as for Bird Flu, I don't believe there is enough of the meds to go around so there again we are talking that it is for the sick and elderly and very young...
 
Julie,
You didn't get it, dear, or just wanna push a blonde reply at it and make fun of what appears to be next pandemic with many millions of deaths worldwide as result. Last time the world was shaken by a pandemic was back in 1918. That flue epidemic went down in history as Spanish Flue and took more than half a million American lives. Bird Flue is much more deadly than Spanish Flue. Yes, children and elderly will loose that battle FIRST and more than half of them will not survive it. But keep in mind that so far there is no protection against Bird Flue. More over, it will take time to develop an effective antidote and make it available in suficient/significant quantity to mark a difference. The flue shot that JRB is talking about is USELESS against BF, and not being a child or an elderly is simply of no help in deflecting that virus away of yourself, if that's what you meant to say.
 
I have a feeling that you are not understanding what I am or was trying to say here.Yes the bird flu is a serious matter and there is no vaccine for it...and I was not talking of the Bird flu in the first place. In fact, you were the one that raised that point in the first place by introducing it. They are 2 very different virus and there is not enough medication te help all if the bird flu hits...
I am not blond, but I am getting a few gray hairs...if that means anything to you!
 
OK, I can't stand it any longer!

It's NOT "flue" and it's NOT "flew".....

It is FLU!.....no matter WHAT the strain!!

Gee - that makes me feel better!
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For Sherry and Julie:
"Suffering from this terrible strain of flu, the weary and disoriented bird flew straight down the flue of Mr. Floo's chimney. " ;)

For JRB: Glad you're feeling better- I have always shied away from the flus shot for similiar reasons to Tenn Jenn's, but you have a good point. The lesser of two evils, and all that..

For WhyNot: This flu situation is scary, and quite serious. I don't think anyone on this thread is discounting that. I am concerned, however, about your "get educated, watch the news" comment.
That seems oxymoronic, somehow. I'm serious when I say, you seem much too smart to suggest this.

(ducking and running out of the room............)
 
Anyone spelling with the words "flew" or "flue" while under the ugly effects of the FLU are exempt from the need to know any difference! We can only expect just so much from each other, after all!
kaffeetrinker_2.gif
(drinking chicken soup, in this case!)
 
Maybe the disoriented flu-bird flew down Mr. Floo's chimney while listening to the Foo Fighters...or is it Flu Fighters in High-FUdelity...flippent flatulance is for floosies!
 
OK, girls, I owe you for teaching me the correct spelling of that terrifying word. In the meantime news has it that bird meat has been officially banned for consumption throughout Turkey and neighboring countries shut close their borders.
But that's irrelevant here. We are talking of ordinary flu only. Sorry for interjecting a word of warning in your calm, academic debate.
 
the one and only time I ever got a flu shot was last winter when I wa pregnant. It was in California and I was lucky toget it.
I'll just leave them to those who need it; elderly, very young, pregnant, etc.
Since I am normal and healthy now, I should bounce back from it- it's not life and death for me. We don't want to create any shortages by being paranoid, do we? If you are a normally healthy adult and are not in the immediate care of an elder or infant skip it. there are others out there that need it more than you.

anyway... Should I get a shot because I have a 10 month old daughter and should she get one, too? Is she too young?
aaaack.
 
Your daughter isn't too young. I think her doc would recommend one. Babies are in the high risk category until they are two years old (that just means that they can get the shot when others can't).
 
Imaluma,
Advice on who should receive flu shots (or any other drug) should come from no one other than your doctor(s)- and same for your daughter. Give them a 'buzz'!

Here's to good health!!
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When I worked outside for the Tel company the company decided that it would be a good idea for all the outside people to get the flu shots. First year we rolled up our sleaves, got poked and went to work. Second year they had a questionaire. A sort of health for review...One of the questions is do you have any allergies? I replied yes, hayfever and latex (and latex is a bummer, think about where it shows up in our day to day (and night) use).
Oops, they can no longer give me the flu shot as they come in preloaded latex needles. There is a small chance of injecting latex inside me and who knows what would happen. I would have to go and see my doctor and get it out of a glass vial, where he loads the needle and gives it to me immediately (less chance of latex transmission). Never bothered. No noticable difference between having the shot and not. Maybe I am lucky, but I find I don't often get sick......but when I do it is a doozy! I would still recommend that people get the shot if they are succeptible, but be educated about what you are putting in your body.

James
 
Did you have the vaccine shortages in Canada last year that we had here? And did they suggest who should get the shots before others...just wondering.
 
Yes we did have shortages too, but I guess not as bad as in the US. There was a mini economy for a while where you could get a bus tour to a border town in Canada which went to a health clinic. There you got to pay your $$$, get your needle, then the bus would take you back home to the States again.

James
 
Interesting isn't it...are the Canadian drug companies like here in the States, privately owned? Or are they owned by your Gov't.? Who gets the $$ for the drugs that we here buy from you there?
 
Please tell me it doesn't start with fatigue, congested feeling in the chest, and the feeling you have an anvil sitting on top of your lungs....

I am through my 16th tea for the day and about 1/2 bottle of rum. And Vicks too, as Baer wisely suggested.

And yes, bed rest.
 
Paul, sounds like you have the flu, doesn't sound as bad as the one out here in California. Not so sure about the rum. Booze can give you temporary relief, or at least make you not care if your sick or not. It does not do much to help your immune system. You need lots of rest so your body can fight it. Everybody THINKS they are a great fighter when they are drunk, it ain't so. Give yourself a break, put the rum away.

John
 
My husband and I got the flu two days after christmas... First I felt weak and like crap but I didn't realize I had the flu. I went to lunch and when I got back, it just hit me...HARD! I got really ill and my husband followed soon after; he felt like he was going to die. Apparantly someone who was sick from the flu came to the christmas dinner at my mom's and gave it to EVERYONE!!!! We are still pissed!!!

Paul- I really hope you don't have this but if you do the best thing is rest. Oh don't eat like normal again until your sure you can handle it... actually if you really have it, you wouldn't even consider it! I hope your okay.

Angie
 
Originally posted by Julie-Tulie:
Interesting isn't it...are the Canadian drug companies like here in the States, privately owned? Or are they owned by your Gov't.? Who gets the $$ for the drugs that we here buy from you there?
As far as I know the drug companies are all private. I believe there is probably some gov't money going towards development, but I am only guessing.

James
 
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