Down with the flu - need to rant

[rubyshoes]

UGH UGH UGH!!! DH and I have been down with the flu this entire week. I sleep all day except when I am woken by great hacking coughs... my entire nasal area is congested (but not runny), we are both suffering from a fever, we are achy and lethargic, eyes burning, no appetite and for a week we've been eating soup, bread and Nyquil...

I am kicking myself for not having gotten a flu shot!!!!!!!! I've never had one but apparently the flu epidemic this year is out of whack and IL is one of the hardest-hit states. I didn't even go get Tamiflu within 48 hrs of symptoms. I feel like complete and utter crap and I just want this horrible virus to go away! Just needed to rant.

 

[Enerchi]

ugh - poor you rubyshoes!! I'm sorry you are sick... just stay still, well hydrated and sleep sleep SLEEP!! At this point, nothing you can do but deal with the symptoms. Once you feel better, clean all surfaces that you are touching - lysol wipes or something - to kill the germs plus get a new toothbrush!

Hope you feel better soon....

 

[justginger]

I am sorry you feel so miserable. I HATE the flu - so many people complain of 'the flu' and are back at work two days later. That is definitely not the flu. You KNOW when you have the flu. Just like you said, those terrible aches, the burning eyes, the incessant hot/cold/hot/cold of a proper fever. You just want to curl up in a ball and die! Just try to sleep as much as you can and drink as much water as you can hold.

I hope it runs its course and you feel better soon. In case it makes you feel any better about not getting the flu shot, there's a chance you would have gotten sick anyway. The vaccine only protects against some of the tipped major strains in any given year - you may have contracted a strain not in the vaccine. That's happened to me once. I get the shot every year, faithfully, due to work...but I still got the flu one year anyway. I've only had it twice in my life, and I hope to never get it a third!

 

[Karl_K]

The flu shot would not have helped.
They guessed wrong on what strain was going to be around this year.

 

[JewelFreak]

Oh, you put it so well, I wish I could call your mommy for you! Or give you a nice cold cloth on your head & a bowl of chicken soup. Hang in there & believe it will be better soon....it will!

Dust for recovery!!

--- Laurie

 

[Jax172]

Flu shot would have helped - even if it is not a perfect match, your body will fight off the virus faster if it recognizes a similar virus. My husband had a bone marrow transplant so we are super vigilant about flu shots.

 

[PintoBean]

Have you been to a clinic to get the flu test to rule it out, just in case?

So many of my co-workers got the flu shot and still came down with the flu. The plus side was that they got over the flu in a shorter period of time. I hope you feel better soon!

 

[mimi123]

OMG!! UGH!! You poor, poor thing!! I know exactly how you feel! I wish there was something you could take to get over it faster. Justginger is so right about people who say they had the flu and are back at work two days later. Right. I had the flu once, felt like I got hit by a Mack Truck, even my HAIR hurt. ! couldn't get out of bed for ONE WEEK. I would have paid you to shoot me. Only words of advice are - GET YOUR SHOT EVERY YEAR without fail! Even if you do get it (knock on wood), it won't be as bad, or last as long. Again, my heart goes out to you both!!

 

[tuffyluvr]

You poor thing!!! I got the swine flu/H1N1 about 5 years ago and I was in the same condition for about 5-6 days. It's truly miserable. In between sleeps I would prop myself up in bed and watch Golden Girls reruns and cry and feel sorry for myself.

This year's flu is supposed to be even worse than the H1N1. My dad forwarded me an email the other day. His friend's 42 year old daughter died of the flu on Tuesday. Her blood pressure got really low and she was rushed to the hospital but it was too late. Her flu turned into double pneumonia. So scary!!! You're probably over the worst of it, but maybe consider getting checked out by a Dr? Young and otherwise healthy people have been much more affected by this year's flu strain than usual. I don't mean to scare you, but...

Also, I need to get my flu shot!

 

[KaeKae]

rubyshoes, you have my sympathies. I had the flu two weeks ago. Miserable, and I did get the shot, so please don't beat yourself up over that. I really hope you feel better soon.

 

[minousbijoux]

Dust to feeling better quickly! Of course you are doing all the right things - though I understand that really trashy magazines and diamond blingage are better than Tamiflu in speeding up the course of the virus.

One other note: be supervigilant and observant about any change. so if you start to get better and then you take a turn for the worse, go see your doctor to make sure it hasn't become some kind of bacterial infection. But I'm pretty sure you know to do that already

 

[rubyshoes]

Thanks guys My mommy called me up this morning and I felt instantly perked up. Going to take a long nap this afternoon to continue convalescing.

 

[rubyshoes]

Also, my next door neighbor who is also one of my closest friends, gave me this card and flowers

 

[missy]

Thanks guys My mommy called me up this morning and I felt instantly perked up. Going to take a long nap this afternoon to continue convalescing.

Oh you poor thing! I am glad you are feeling a bit better and sending tons of healing dust your way for a continued and hopefully quicker recovery!!!!

 

[Dancing Fire]

Have you been to a clinic to get the flu test to rule it out, just in case?

So many of my co-workers got the flu shot and still came down with the flu. The plus side was that they got over the flu in a shorter period of time. I hope you feel better soon!

IMO,a flu shot is bunch of BS.the only guarantee is that you'll catch the flu... i have never gotten a flu shot in my life and i haven't caught the flu in 25 yrs...

 

[Dancing Fire]

Thanks guys My mommy called me up this morning and I felt instantly perked up. Going to take a long nap this afternoon to continue convalescing.

hope you feel better soon...

 

[Roxy]

ugh - poor you rubyshoes!! I'm sorry you are sick... just stay still, well hydrated and sleep sleep SLEEP!! At this point, nothing you can do but deal with the symptoms. Once you feel better, clean all surfaces that you are touching - lysol wipes or something - to kill the germs plus get a new toothbrush!

Hope you feel better soon....

Great advice re lysol wipes. Make sure to wipe down everything including things we take for granted like door knobs, TV remotes, cell phones & receivers on your landline phones. Hope you're feeling better soon!

 

[justginger]

Have you been to a clinic to get the flu test to rule it out, just in case?

So many of my co-workers got the flu shot and still came down with the flu. The plus side was that they got over the flu in a shorter period of time. I hope you feel better soon!

IMO,a flu shot is bunch of BS.the only guarantee is that you'll catch the flu... i have never gotten a flu shot in my life and i haven't caught the flu in 25 yrs...

This is a classic argument fallacy regarding cause and effect. And a very dangerous medical inaccuracy to perpetuate.

 

[missy]

Have you been to a clinic to get the flu test to rule it out, just in case?

So many of my co-workers got the flu shot and still came down with the flu. The plus side was that they got over the flu in a shorter period of time. I hope you feel better soon!

IMO,a flu shot is bunch of BS.the only guarantee is that you'll catch the flu... i have never gotten a flu shot in my life and i haven't caught the flu in 25 yrs...

This is a classic argument fallacy regarding cause and effect. And a very dangerous medical inaccuracy to perpetuate.

Huge ditto to Ginger's post.

 

[Enerchi]

Have you been to a clinic to get the flu test to rule it out, just in case?

So many of my co-workers got the flu shot and still came down with the flu. The plus side was that they got over the flu in a shorter period of time. I hope you feel better soon!

IMO,a flu shot is bunch of BS.the only guarantee is that you'll catch the flu... i have never gotten a flu shot in my life and i haven't caught the flu in 25 yrs...

This is a classic argument fallacy regarding cause and effect. And a very dangerous medical inaccuracy to perpetuate.

Huge ditto to Ginger's post.

Thritto! (???)

Often people could be incubating a virus and it flares with in the 2 weeks it takes for the vaccine to be effective. Or, you get a variation of the strains that are in that years vaccine. Nothing is perfect and it is based on the strains that were virulent the previous year.

I would always recommend people get the flu vaccine, especially those in high people contact roles, elderly, frail, children....

 

[PintoBean]

Pardon my ignorance! Mea culpa

What I really found curious is that one of my co-workers who cried "flu" didn't go in for a flu test, called his doctor to explain his symptoms, and was prescribed antibiotics?? I thought antibiotis were solely for bacterial infections, and flu is viral.

I personally choose not to get the flu shot because I can count on my hands the few times I've gotten the flu - when I was 6, 19, and 26 (from taking care of a bastard ex-bf who had the flu).

 

[Enerchi]

Pardon my ignorance! Mea culpa

What I really found curious is that one of my co-workers who cried "flu" didn't go in for a flu test, called his doctor to explain his symptoms, and was prescribed antibiotics?? I thought antibiotis were solely for bacterial infections, and flu is viral.
I personally choose not to get the flu shot because I can count on my hands the few times I've gotten the flu - when I was 6, 19, and 26 (from taking care of a bastard ex-bf who had the flu).

You are right!

 

[justginger]

Pardon my ignorance! Mea culpa

What I really found curious is that one of my co-workers who cried "flu" didn't go in for a flu test, called his doctor to explain his symptoms, and was prescribed antibiotics?? I thought antibiotis were solely for bacterial infections, and flu is viral.

I personally choose not to get the flu shot because I can count on my hands the few times I've gotten the flu - when I was 6, 19, and 26 (from taking care of a bastard ex-bf who had the flu).

Doctors notoriously overprescribe ABs because that's what people want. They don't want to spend money to see a medical professional and walk away with nothing more than advice to sleep and drink lots of water. Cranky, pushy patients have a lot to answer for in the area of AB resistance!

However, they are more liberal with the use of Tamiflu these days, which is an antiviral medication that helps slow the spread of influenza between cells in the body. Maybe that's what he was prescribed?

 

[PintoBean]

He was prescribed Augmentin (sp?).

 

[derbygal]

Hope you are on the mend! Hubby had the flu shot this year and still caught the flu. He did seem to get over it quicker than most, though.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Have you been to a clinic to get the flu test to rule it out, just in case?

So many of my co-workers got the flu shot and still came down with the flu. The plus side was that they got over the flu in a shorter period of time. I hope you feel better soon!

IMO,a flu shot is bunch of BS.the only guarantee is that you'll catch the flu... i have never gotten a flu shot in my life and i haven't caught the flu in 25 yrs...

This is a classic argument fallacy regarding cause and effect. And a very dangerous medical inaccuracy to perpetuate.

well,i'm still waiting for the flu to hit me... while some of my friends whom had gotten their flu shots are suffering in bed.... i told them not to take a flu shot.

JG,you are right about dangerous medical inaccuracy.the flu shot does not prevent a person from catching the flu..

 

[Kaleigh]

So sorry, hoping you and your DH feel better soon. I heard this strain is super painful so big hugs....

 

[justginger]

He was prescribed Augmentin (sp?).

 

[Enerchi]

rubyshoes!! are you on the mend yet??

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Have you been to a clinic to get the flu test to rule it out, just in case?

So many of my co-workers got the flu shot and still came down with the flu. The plus side was that they got over the flu in a shorter period of time. I hope you feel better soon!

IMO,a flu shot is bunch of BS.the only guarantee is that you'll catch the flu... i have never gotten a flu shot in my life and i haven't caught the flu in 25 yrs...

DF - I never get the flu shot either. I'm not sure I trust what is in it. FWIW, I'm sick right now, but this is the first time in years! Seems there is something new out there (or from what I've read, that is the case) and the shot may not have helped.

Either way, I am still eating so I'm not THAT sick. Just sneezing and coughing. I found lots of caffeine has kept my sinus from feeling achey.