The flu, the sickness...who's had it?

[CygnusGal]

Oh man. Husband had it first. . .New Year's Eve and Day. Never puked but he felt like garbage and was like a damn firehose.

 

This past Thursday I woke up feeling fine. Around 11 am I started feeling not-so-fine. I hung on at work until 4pm, then grabbed my laptop and bailed.

 

At about 9 that night, I threw up ALL of the coffee I'd had 12 hours prior. Ewwww. . .gastric stasis is just nasty but I felt way better afterwards. Worked from home the next day.

 

Protip: TV to not watch when you have the gastroplague: History Channel's Modern Marvels episode on cheese and the making of. Cheese, mold, whey, curds, ferment, etc. - this show is chock full of "trigger words" that will make you wish you had a trash can handy.

 

Also, the night I got sick, husband came home from coaching tennis and came to sit by my bedside. . .while eating his Lean Cuisine Salisbury Steak dinner! WTF, pal? Are you an imbecile; did you shit out all of your brains during those 2 days you had the squirts? Get that crap outta here!

 

I recovered pretty quickly though. But I had a flu shot in October.

That's too funny - the part about your husband's steak. Glad you recovered quickly.

 

I'm feeling a little off today. A bit of a headache and feeling like I ate something last night that didn't quite agree with me. Hopefully, it's all in my head. If it is me getting sick though, please hurry along and be done with it.

[metallithrax]

Never had the flu in my 44 years. Very rarely get colds or any other illness to be honest.

[Babycat]

Although I've had some colds over the years but never the flu, I do feel sorry for those who've been rather ill following the jabs...

Loads of coming everyone's way...

[Janie]

Eeek, I still haven't gotten a flu shot yet? Too late for me?

You can still get one; however, it does take about two weeks for the shot to kick in. I would stil go ahead and get one but also pick up some Tamiflu just in case.

[Tarkus406]

I don't believe I've ever had the REAL flu. Just mild variations of it where maybe I had the hershey squirts for a day or just felt gross for a few days. Haven't gotten it to where I spent hours vomiting. Come to think of it I haven't puked in almost 9 years.

 

I never get the flu shot because it seems like everybody I know gets the flu directly afterward.

 

Last night my throat started getting scratchy and this morning it's worse and my entire head feels like it's going to explode (sinuses). I'm hoping that's just allergies and promt delivery of Zyrtec will combat it quickly. Waiting until tonight to take the Zyrtec since it makes me REAL tired. So for now I'm just truckin along with my hot coffee and Ibuprofen. :)

 

Sorry to all of you who have had to suffer that horrible illness! Stay healthy my friends!

[Ancient Ways]

The vaccine this year is an excellent match for the virus that's going around so I'm very glad my whole family got the vaccine and have been well.

[vital signz]

Time for a refresher course on viruses.

 

The "flu" is a respiratory virus. It is acquired thru the air, or contact with an infected surface that someone has touched...like doorknobs, water fountains, railings, someones hand. The symptoms are severe and include fever, coryza (inflammation of the mucous membranes of the head) and conjunctivitis, but the main problem with influenza is viral pneumonia. Cough Cough Cough Cough Cough! Since the airway is assaulted with the virus, and the airway is so extensive in humans, there is an amazing amount of interferon generated by the body as a result of the viral infection. Along with that comes the flu-like symptoms people think of that includes intense fever, shaking chills, and muscle rigors. there may be nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but the main constellation of symptoms are the former mentioned things since the flu is a respiratory virus.

 

Influenza may be fatal in people with asthma, people who are immunosuppressed, or people who are severely run down and weak when the contract the illness.

 

Let me be clear about this. You cannot get the flu from a flu vaccine. It is IMPOSSIBLE. The shot consists of viral parts made in a lab, or heat destroyed virus, or live inactivated virus. It is impossible to get the above illness from the shot. Remember this. There is no reason other than being allergic to the flu vaccine, to not get the vaccine. You are placing yourself and your family at risk by not getting the shot. A risk not worth taking.

 

The GI virus you are describing above Sheldon is not the flu. It is probably norovirus, rotovirus, sapovirus or astrovirus. There are no vaccinations for this. You may have intense cramping and diarrhea, extreme nausea and vomiting, bad fever, chills, and rigors, but it is relatively short lived (bad for 12-24 hours, and another 12-24 hours may be associated with that run-over-by-a truck type of feeling. This won't kill you but you may wish you were dead! It is contagious by:

• eating food or drinking liquids that are contaminated with virus,
  
• touching surfaces or objects contaminated with virus then putting your fingers in your mouth, or
  
• having close contact with someone who is infected with virus (for example, caring for or sharing food or eating utensils with someone with virus illness).
  

GI virus can spread quickly in closed places like daycare centers, nursing homes, schools, and cruise ships. Most virus outbreaks happen from November to April in the United States.

 

Hand washing, sanitizing, Lysol, cleaning with alcohol or bleach cleaners are critical regularly with respect to both of these viruses. The "flu" virus is spread via respiratory fashion and is much more difficult to control than GI viruses which usually require direct contact. People spread the flu by breathing on people, or coughing into ones hand and touching anything. GI viruses have to come from mouth or stool to ones hand and onto food or ice or drink or surfaces that would be touched by people who then put their fingers in their mouths. Public restrooms are a big problem with GI viruses as are those that handle others' laundry. The virus may be shed in the stool days after a person feels well. So remember to keep hand sanitizer with you at all times from November to April. Chances are someone touched a door somewhere within a day or two after they got over vomiting and diarrhea.

 

 

Be healthy!

Edited January 7, 2013 by vital signz

[J2112YYZ]

I usually get a cold or two a year but rarely ever get sick with anything else.

 

I RULE!!! :7up:

[Mara]

I usually get a cold or two a year but rarely ever get sick with anything else.

 

I RULE!!! :7up:

 

You do realized you've probably just jinxed yourself by writing that, correct?

[Janie]

I usually get a cold or two a year but rarely ever get sick with anything else.

 

I RULE!!! :7up:

Same was true for me. 'Was' being the key word.

 

And then I had kids.

 

It's amazing. Whatever they catch, I catch.

[Janie]

You cannot get the flu from a flu vaccine. It is IMPOSSIBLE.

 

Hand washing, sanitizing, Lysol, cleaning with alcohol or bleach cleaners are critical regularly with respect to both of these viruses.

I always find it funny that people won't get a shot because they think there going to develop the actual flu. As I said in my first post here, I did feel "flu-like" symptoms after having the shot this year but nowhere near what the actual virus feels like.

 

I'm so sick of being sick though, that I'm stepping up my cleaning game. My house smells like a swimming pool. Especially the bathrooms.

[sullysue]

I got the flu shot, as I do every year. I haven't had the flu in forever!

 

But, there are tons of people here at work who are all leaky, sneezy and grody. I'm more worried this year, because the flu is already very wide-spread in my area. I've wiped down everything in my vacinity with disinfecting wipes. And, if anyone who is so much as clearing their throat comes near me, they get it with my can of Lysol. For the love of God, stay at home if you're sick! It's not good for ANYONE for you to be at work if you aren't over the flu. You need to be in bed, recovering. FAR away from me.

[Janie]

For the love of God, stay at home if you're sick! It's not good for ANYONE for you to be at work if you aren't over the flu. You need to be in bed, recovering. FAR away from me.

Sweet Mary, YES! Stay home if you are sick. This was a huge pet peeve of mine when I was in the work force (which I plan on re-entering soon, thankyouverymuch.) A lot of parents still send their kids to school when they are sick too. I realize kids are sick a lot but keep them at home if they have a fever, at least.

[sullysue]

For the love of God, stay at home if you're sick! It's not good for ANYONE for you to be at work if you aren't over the flu. You need to be in bed, recovering. FAR away from me.

Sweet Mary, YES! Stay home if you are sick. This was a huge pet peeve of mine when I was in the work force (which I plan on re-entering soon, thankyouverymuch.) A lot of parents still send their kids to school when they are sick too. I realize kids are sick a lot but keep them at home if they have a fever, at least.

 

I agree. If your kid has a fever, they're not only undeniably sick but they probably feel like serious doo-doo. Keep those poor little ones at home. I know a lot of parents might not be able to afford the time off from work, but that's the kind of stuff you have to work out when you have kids. I remember growing up, my parents' philosophy was if all of your extremeties were still in tact and your eyeballs weren't popping out, you were good to go no matter what. I tend to be more sympathetic towards my kids because of that.

[Mara]

For the love of God, stay at home if you're sick! It's not good for ANYONE for you to be at work if you aren't over the flu. You need to be in bed, recovering. FAR away from me.

Sweet Mary, YES! Stay home if you are sick. This was a huge pet peeve of mine when I was in the work force (which I plan on re-entering soon, thankyouverymuch.) A lot of parents still send their kids to school when they are sick too. I realize kids are sick a lot but keep them at home if they have a fever, at least.

 

I agree. If your kid has a fever, they're not only undeniably sick but they probably feel like serious doo-doo. Keep those poor little ones at home. I know a lot of parents might not be able to afford the time off from work, but that's the kind of stuff you have to work out when you have kids. I remember growing up, my parents' philosophy was if all of your extremeties were still in tact and your eyeballs weren't popping out, you were good to go no matter what. I tend to be more sympathetic towards my kids because of that.

 

And please do not bring your sick children to the office to infect your colleagues! "Oh, he won't bother anyone; he'll just lie quietly in that corner." Meanwhile the kid, who really wants to be at home in bed instead of lying on the rough carpeted floor under harsh fluorescent lighting, is hacking up a lung.

 

I am not without sympathy - I feel for people who worry about losing a day's pay to stay home with the ill child. Sometimes the options really suck. I work for a great company who allows people a fair amount of leeway - the girl working next to me is a single mother of a 4 month old, and she does often leave in the middle of the day for appointments and has missed time for the usual baby illnesses. But no one gives her grief about it, because she works like a dog and finds ways to get her work done correctly and on time.

[Tarkus406]

For the love of God, stay at home if you're sick! It's not good for ANYONE for you to be at work if you aren't over the flu. You need to be in bed, recovering. FAR away from me.

Sweet Mary, YES! Stay home if you are sick. This was a huge pet peeve of mine when I was in the work force (which I plan on re-entering soon, thankyouverymuch.) A lot of parents still send their kids to school when they are sick too. I realize kids are sick a lot but keep them at home if they have a fever, at least.

 

I agree. If your kid has a fever, they're not only undeniably sick but they probably feel like serious doo-doo. Keep those poor little ones at home. I know a lot of parents might not be able to afford the time off from work, but that's the kind of stuff you have to work out when you have kids. I remember growing up, my parents' philosophy was if all of your extremeties were still in tact and your eyeballs weren't popping out, you were good to go no matter what. I tend to be more sympathetic towards my kids because of that.

 

And please do not bring your sick children to the office to infect your colleagues! "Oh, he won't bother anyone; he'll just lie quietly in that corner." Meanwhile the kid, who really wants to be at home in bed instead of lying on the rough carpeted floor under harsh fluorescent lighting, is hacking up a lung.

 

I am not without sympathy - I feel for people who worry about losing a day's pay to stay home with the ill child. Sometimes the options really suck. I work for a great company who allows people a fair amount of leeway - the girl working next to me is a single mother of a 4 month old, and she does often leave in the middle of the day for appointments and has missed time for the usual baby illnesses. But no one gives her grief about it, because she works like a dog and finds ways to get her work done correctly and on time.

This should be against the law! It doesn't help the child get any better!

[shail]

getting my flu shot tomorrow. don't want the nasty. had a stomach bug in october so guess i got that one out of the way. boston is getting hit hard with the flu bug.

[Janie]

On NBC Nightly news last night they had a spot about how some hospitals have to set up make shift tents outside the hospital because so many people are coming in from flu complications.

 

This is indeed a bad flu bug.

[nobodys hero]

The kiddo came home with a runny nose and watery eyes and a warm forehead. First day back at school too. I'm hoping it's allergies as they have been really bad in my house for the past two weeks. I asked my Doctor yesterday and she said they are hearing about people being wiped out by the flu, but they are not seeing it in the office.

[CygnusGal]

On NBC Nightly news last night they had a spot about how some hospitals have to set up make shift tents outside the hospital because so many people are coming in from flu complications.

 

This is indeed a bad flu bug.

Yes, Boston made the CBS news last night. Everyone I know has a sniffle of one sort or another. I thought I was getting sick the other day but no further symptoms have presented themselves. I think I just ate something that didn't agree with me.

 

Stay healthy everyone! Lots of hand washing and get good sleep!

 

I'd give everyone a hug, but what with the communicable disease and all.... :)