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DanChamberlain
Senior MemberPosts: 3,395 Senior Member
Influenza is a Killer!
DanChamberlain
Senior MemberPosts: 3,395 Senior Member
Sunday was the beginning of a nightmare for me. I had a virus doing its best to kill me. As a healthcare worker, I have to get the flu shot every year. I got mine in November. But Sunday, Influenza "A" found a way to invade my defenses (I probably caught it from a patient).
As we age, we lose some of the defenses that we need to fight off some of these viruses, but this "A" is no joke! It's related to the avian flu and this thing can kill you! I started with hot fevers 103 + that would come on like gang busters in about 30 minutes and last for 6 or 7 hours despite massive doses of anti-pyretics. These fevers came on every 12 hours and each one left me more depleted and weakened. Couple this with a build up of mucous in the lungs and head that caused wracking coughing, hacking and gagging.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday this just kept reoccurring with the last fever ending about 8pm last night. I expected another fever during the night, but it never came. Now, today, I'm actually feeling almost normal, with the exception of being weak as a kitten and sweating buckets with every little effort. I believe I've beaten it.
If we ever have another flu like the one that hit us in 1918, we will see just how vulnerable we are to little bugs. If I had been elderly, with a compromised immune system and living alone, I might have laid down and never gotten up. The 1918 flu killed strapping big guys in just a couple of days. They'd lay down to bed and never get up again.
This one really sucks.
As we age, we lose some of the defenses that we need to fight off some of these viruses, but this "A" is no joke! It's related to the avian flu and this thing can kill you! I started with hot fevers 103 + that would come on like gang busters in about 30 minutes and last for 6 or 7 hours despite massive doses of anti-pyretics. These fevers came on every 12 hours and each one left me more depleted and weakened. Couple this with a build up of mucous in the lungs and head that caused wracking coughing, hacking and gagging.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday this just kept reoccurring with the last fever ending about 8pm last night. I expected another fever during the night, but it never came. Now, today, I'm actually feeling almost normal, with the exception of being weak as a kitten and sweating buckets with every little effort. I believe I've beaten it.
If we ever have another flu like the one that hit us in 1918, we will see just how vulnerable we are to little bugs. If I had been elderly, with a compromised immune system and living alone, I might have laid down and never gotten up. The 1918 flu killed strapping big guys in just a couple of days. They'd lay down to bed and never get up again.
This one really sucks.
It's a source of great pride for me, that when my name is googled, one finds book titles and not mug shots. Daniel C. Chamberlain
Replies
Jerry
NRA Endowment Member
First time I've had the flu in about twenty years. That time was a lot worse than this one, though. I didn't clog up the doctor's office this time around; just stayed home and dealt with it.
― Douglas Adams
as compared to your episode.
Yeah, it's the hospital's fault...They've GOT to stop letting all those sick people in there!
I know what I'm doing, it just doesn't look like it.
Influenza changes every year, Vaccination doesn't work, quit wasting you time and money, let your body deal with it and learn how to combat the symptoms in the most efficient way.
I have always said "I wouldn't mind the med calls if weren't for the patients."
Be very careful not to over exert yourself for a bit Dan, this stuff can rebound and the recurrence of it is resistant to drugs the second time around. Glad you're doing beter, but take it easy for a bit.
I was never as sick in my entire life.
I've made the decision never again to introduce into my body a virus like that.
I'll take my chances.