Influenza widespread across USA. How's it going for DUers?

[uppityperson]

Time for my periodic influenza check in. Mods, this is not a lounge topic but is affecting many people across the USA (and elsewhere) so would like to see how GD posters are doing, local impact, etc.

So, GD posters, how are you doing? Have you noticed much for people being sick, out of work, etc? I've been home for the last couple wks with another health issue, so have missed a lot of exposure, but wondering how it is elsewhere.

Note: Influenza is NOT stomach flu, but the nasty virus that gives chills, fever, aching, tender skin, then gets you coughing for a couple weeks. It can get you set up for pneumonia, and can be serious. Listen for people doing that dry hack hack hack cough. They may say "oh, it's just bronchitis", but chances are good that it IS bronchitis as an aftermath of the flu.

Finally, here is a fun map I want to share. You can click on "previous week" at the bottom of it (at link) and go back wk by wk to watch it spread. Stay healthy, if you get sick PLEASE stay home for the infectious part. Wash your hands regularly, especially before touching your nose or eyes as you can infect yourself this way. And thank you for letting me know how it's going in your area.

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/usmap.htm

[niyad]

1. fortunately, I rarely become ill.

[elfin]

7. You must eat hot peppers like Hillary --- and I

have been drinking spicy bloody mary mix instead of orange juice for Breakfast for 4 years -- no flu, just two mild colds in that time, while friends were dropping like flies with serious flu-like maladies.

Chose it at the time to reduce carbs and to clear my sunuses --- much later associated it with general good health.

Will recommend it to my fave, Obama, to keep him healthy.

[mod mom]

14. I used marinated garlic. I have a 10 and 11 yo and they are consistently bringing

home germs but I found the marinated garlic has woked for me and it's DELICIOUS!

[niyad]

25. hot peppers (including habeneros) garlic, honey, vit C, and, I am a reiki.

[DJ13]

15. "fortunately, I rarely become ill."

Me either.

Must be my healthy diet of 8 Cokes and 2 packs of cigarrettes per day.
:evilgrin:

[Behind the Aegis]

26. Hey! That is my diet too!

Must be why we get the same results. :)

[mac2]

46. See you in the doctor's office when you are 60

trying to cure that Emphazema, hackers cough, and Diabeties type II.

[Auggie]

2. Got it on January 7th

[uppityperson]

11. I hope you are getting past the hacking part.

I have been wondering how schools are doing, sometimes a whole bunch of kids are out.

[Auggie]

29. It faded away week of the 21st. I work at home so it didn't spread.

Damn nasty bug

[LeftyMom]

3. cough cough cough gag hork cough

Sorry, I couldn't hear what you posted over the sound of my lungs trying to climb up my throat and escape.

[Common Sense Party]

4. Pneumonia here. It's no fun. nt

[uppityperson]

Indeed, I ended up with pneumonia last yr. Take it easy and take care of yourself.

Chicken soup or vegetable soup, depending on your diet. Lots of sleep, lots of water.

[orleans]

59. i had pneumonia three or four years in a row! FINALLY someone told me

there was a vaccine i could get. so i asked my doctor who had never bothered telling me about that.

got the vaccine--i've been good for the past couple years.

[uppityperson]

63. That's good. It can help against pneumococcal pneumonia.

Which is a common type.

[mac2]

24. People who are sick should stay home

A young girl at our Y coughed her germs all over the locker room. I had Bronical Pneumonia for over 18 days. I haven't had a cold for over two years. No flu shot would stop it.

Here in IL my Y teacher says, there are many very ill this month or so.

[bryant69]

5. This just in - seeing the word flu makes you more vulnerable to the disease flu

So what ever you do don't repeat the word flu. The consequences of repeating the word flu would be a disaster!

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Squatch]

6. Can't complain, though I did have a splitting headache this AM

but, I'm sure that can be attributed to the half-rack of beer I drank last night.

[dysfunctional press]

8. i'm not aware of anyone who has it or has had it this season.

and i ALWAYS get a flu shot, due to an autoimmune disorder.

[Hardrada]

9. I got plenty hot with a fevah and kept on wheezing

but I was given hearts so that made me feel a little bettah.

[juajen]

73. Me, too!

I swear, all my hearts finally got rid of this bronchitus. Thank you all heart givers.

[aquart]

112. They do have that effect.

[Yael]

10. Wow -- the map at that link is really eye opening

This bugger spread FAST

[uppityperson]

17. Yup, one of my theories is holiday travelers spread stuff all over.

Kids and workers then take whatever to their schools/workplaces and share them with each other, leading to fast spreading starting in Jan. It is interesting clicking back back back back.

[Donnachaidh]

27. school attendance policies keep the flu going round and round

We were trying to avoid it, but parents keep sending sick kids to school. And the rest of us get nailed. Had it once already, expect another bout before it's over. :puke:

[uppityperson]

30. It happens at work places also. "Oh, I'm not so sick and can't miss work"

So I'll come and infect everyone who might not have already been infected. I was doing some private duty nursing once and was told I should come to work even when I had the flu. I quit working there because of their unhealthy health policies.

[Donnachaidh]

38. yup - that really helps those who are susceptible to pneumonia

almost the day after they get the flu. My poor kid gets so guilty if he brings the bug home. He gets through it okay. And then I get knocked on my arse.

[backscatter712]

45. I know how it goes.

Several people at my workplace got it.

I ended up getting it, and even though I still felt semi-functional most of the time when I had it, I took three sick-days mostly to try not to spread it around when I was in the worst of it.

Unfortunately, I only have so many PTO days, so I did have to go back to work, and I probably did spread it there a bit. :(

[backscatter712]

76. One of my previous employers had the most Naziesque sick policies.

This was a call center I worked at, that was notorious for its churn-and-burn employee retention methods. Man it was a miserable place to work!

Every time you called in and were absent from work, it's an "occurrence". It doesn't matter if you're really sick or not. It doesn't matter if your can produce a doctor's note or not. If you get ten occurrences, you're fired.

As you can guess, everyone came to work if they were able to drag their asses out of bed at all. It was tradition to try to sneeze on the boss to teach him the error of his ways (as Scott Adams of Dilbert fame put it, it's one of the few legal ways to inflict physical bodily harm on other human beings...)

One poor girl actually showed up to work with meningitis. Actual eat-your-brain, can-kill-you meningitis! The supervisors had to fudge the attendance records to record that she did work the full day, then convince her to go to the hospital!

I just hope she gave it to the boss...

[rainbow4321]

85. And the "let's go to a tax preparer's office with the flu and/or strept" group

Relative of mine in Tulsa works for a tax preparer office and keeps getting people who come in looking/sounding like shit and tell her that they are sick with strept and others that come in saying they have the flu. Meanwhile she's having to touch their paperwork and they keep trying to use her pens, etc. She said the hospitals are filled to the max with flu that is then turning into pneumonia.

FYI for DUer's, a doc I work with has said that the strain going around is NOT the one this year's flu shot is effective against. Figures we finally don't hear about a flu shot shortage for a change only to find out NOW that it wasn't the right one!

[uppityperson]

87. "It's not the flu" It's only a cold/ bronchitis/ cough/ no vomit-diarrhea

Argh argh argh. Stay home. It's the flu.

[Hekate]

151. I hope your friend keeps a roll of hand-wipes to use on all the hard surfaces like pens and phones

I started wiping down my phone at work after my boss used it and gave me my first-ever strep throat. I was pretty ticked at him for coming to work sick -- and at the woman who brought it into the office in the first place, since she was one of those who boasted they never take a sick-day off.

Nothing you can do about the contaminated paperwork except remember to wash hands frequently and don't touch your face or eyes.

Hekate

[mac2]

28. The airlines allow germs to spread by not circulating fresh air

and asking those with colds to cover their mouths when they cough...wash your hands, etc. They should have HEPA filters if the air isn't circulated.

[uppityperson]

31. read somewhere (school? health dept?) was saying if you cough, cough into your shoulder or elbow.

or arm, not your hand since then whatever you touch you infect. Washing your hands and not touching your eyes or nose can go a good ways to avoiding protection, but you can still walk through teeny weeny droplets someone coughed into the air.

Getting sick after flying is very common, I always try to make sure to drink lots and take extra vitamins when I do.

[mac2]

44. Thanks

When my husband flies long distance he always gets a cold.

[drmeow]

122. Ironically

in this respect air quality got worse on planes after they banned smoking as the airlines stopped circulating the air as much/well. I understand it saves them money to do a less efficient job at clearing the air - at the cost of both their client's and their employee's health. BAH.

[ekwhite]

128. You mean they should have HEPA filters if the air is recirculated.

Airplanes use recirculated air with very little make-up air. HEPA filters would help with the cabin air but would require beefier air conditioning and increase fuel usage.

[seabeyond]

12. i had one bad cold, two kids and hubby nothing this season.

no nuthins, oh joy.... panhandle of texas.

[Kadie]

I am just getting over it.

Coughing a lot. Now hubby is getting it.

:-(

It has been miserable.

[aquart]

13. I got my shot.

But I've had colds on and off since Christmas because my heat keeps going on and off.

[halobeam]

103. The most serious of strains of the flu was not included in this years flu shot.

I find that to be very disturbing. I wonder which strain is most prevalent. We've been passing virus's back and forth here for six weeks. Two to five days feeling better, then a relapse occurs in one of us. When they test for the flu (blood work I believe) they test for three strains. My son didn't have any of them.

My youngest son has been absent from school, a total of three weeks out of the past six weeks. I told the school (regarding their absentee policy) that if he get too close to the total amount of absences allowed, and they don't excuse the absence, I will send him into class with it, and contact every parent in that class, so that the school will have to answer to these parents as to why their children will be exposed to an illness. Let the responsibility of this spreading fall where the fault lies. In the schools lap. They don't like me very much, needless to say, but I don't really give a damn right back at them.

[aquart]

111. The last time I got the flu I was sick for three months.

I now take the shot the split second its available.

[mac2]

126. If we declare the winner before the votes are counted

we lose. Demand all the votes be counted or re-counted this election. Nancy hold your horses and don't give it away again.

[aquart]

136. It's probably best that only you know what you're talking about.

[mac2]

138. You don't remember the 2004 Presidential "selection"?

[Skittles]

131. I did too but

argh
http://www.efluxmedia.com/news_CDC_As_Viruses_Mutate_Flu_Vaccine_Becomes_Inefficient_14088.html

[MsKandice01]

16. My whole family just got over it...

First my husband, then my son, then me. It was awful.

[LiberalEsto]

18. Nothing yet (knock on wood)

but my turn will probably come.

[JackintheGreen]

19. Lingered for weeks, finally shhok it @ 2 weeks ago

The fam's been influenza free, so far. No such luck for the stomach flu

[Zookeeper]

20. We took turns being sick with a cold or flu in January....

I used Zicam nasal swabs as soon as I felt it coming on, which usually stops colds immediately, but this one hung on for a week.

I did have a flu shot.

[Warpy]

21. Had a weird bug in October

woke up with severe body aches and a temp of 102.6. Dosed it with Tylenol, sweat like a pig for a couple of hours, and went back to sleep until the Tylenol wore off and I hurt again. Lather, rinse repeat. It lasted about 48 hours. There was no other sign of infection.

Got the flu shot in November. People around me are grey and hacking, but I've managed to avoid it so far.

[leftofthedial]

22. pass the puffs

[lazyriver]

23. I'm in Maine and 3/4 of the people I know have recently

had it or currently have it. It caught up to me on Tuesday night but I seem to be through the worst of it. I go to great lengths to limit exposure (avoid public places as much as possible, especially restaurants/bars, wash hands often, trained myself to not touch eyes or nose, etc)but when you work for a short-sighted employer who doesn't offer sick days and makes his employees feel very uncomfortable when they stay home sick, you can't avoid exposure forever. It started with our least healthy employee (62 years old, smoker, fast food junkie). He came in to work one day feverish, sweating and complaining of aches and pains. Despite my insistence he be sent home, the owner of the company scoffed at me and he continued to work right through the hacking cough phase. Within a week, three more people had it and all but one still came into work almost every day they were sick. Now, almost three weeks later, all 13 employees have had it. I was the last to fall.

[mainegreen]

50. My little son just caught it.

It's suddenly EVERYWHERE here in Portland.

Damn.

[lazyriver]

57. Fluids, electrolytes, and tons of sleep. I also found putting

a heating pad between my shoulder blades made me feel so much better. Lots of body aches with this one. I hope your son gets better soon.

[MountainLaurel]

96. That explains it

I work in a public library here, and all of us have been on the verge of getting sick or have gotten something for two months now. I'm about to spray myself with Purell.

[Roland99]

102. I know of a few people in the Louisville area down with it...takes days to get over.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

32. i was out sick all of last week.

[Le Taz Hot]

33. I've got it

and it SUCKS! I got the flu shot in September, but evidently it didn't include this particular strain. Local hospitals are overrun. In fact, I'm pretty sure that's where I got this one -- by waiting in a hospital emergency room for my Great Uncle who had just taken a tumble. Every kind of creeping crawling crud walked in there in that 8 hours.

[grasswire]

39. I noticed at the Kaiser Permanente clinic...

...that at the entrance to the waiting room they had paper masks and hand sanitizer available for anyone wanting to use it. I thought that was terrific. Lotsa sick people there.

[uppityperson]

42. I used to scoff at wipes on grocery carts but use them now during flu season.

[Libby2]

66. That's a great idea!

[BadgerKid]

34. I imported mine form California

and brought it back to the midwest. Yay me. :eyes:

But I kicked it in 4-5 days. :)

[mac2]

52. We older people didn't fight it so quickly

[PCIntern]

35. some virus particles

like nolovirus, can cause their hosts to remain communicable for up to 2 WEEKS after the symptoms diminish/disappear.

any wonder why it spreads...

[lunatica]

36. Here in California

I got sick for the first time in a decade. Coughed up half a lung, along with the rest of my family, but now it's going away slowly. After the first week the coughing sounded just as bad, but the illness wasn't too bad. It sounds much worse with the hoarse raspy voice and the coughing than it feels.

[mac2]

47. My in-laws in Palm Desert, CA have it too.

Seems that good sun would help.

I had it here in the MW and it took weeks to get rid of the congestion. The sickness\weakness was only bad for the first week.

[Kadie]

62. Sounds like what I have.

At this point I sound much worse than I actually feel, but a few days ago - whoosh - could hardly get out of bed. I am in the central valley and have been hearing of so many people with the same thing.

Take care lunatica.

:hi:

[Le Taz Hot]

114. Hi neighbor!

I'm in Fresno. :hi:

[mac2]

129. Careful not to get Bronchial Pneumonia

with all the congestion and fluid in your lungs. After a week or more I finally got some anti-biotics since I had that awful congestion and fever.

[backscatter712]

37. I had my flu shot, then I caught a likely flu.

Last October, I got my flu shot. Of course, the shot only gives a chance of being immune to the current flavors of flu virus...

A couple weeks ago, I had a bad cold/flu, with fever, chills, sniffles, cough. Thinking back, it probably was an actual influenza. It cost me three sick days from work.

A couple days later, the damn bug ate my vocal cords and I had a week-long case of laryngitis, with the cough continuing. I was talking like Darth Vader for a few days. Yeah, it turned into a nasty case of post-cold/flu bronchitis.

The cough continued until I went to the doctor last Thursday, and he prescribed for me some of the good hydrocodone cough syrup and a Zithromax antibiotic Z-pac.

The antibiotics seem to have made most of this damn bug go away. My voice is back. I still have a slight cough, which I'm attributing to my bronchial tubes still being irritated.

[mac2]

48. That's exactly what everyone has

cough, cough, hack...etc.

[uppityperson]

58. Sounds like influenza. Hoping you are back to health soon.

Many people associate "flu" with gastrointestinal thing (vomiting, diarrhea) but it sounds like you got the flu and hope you are better soon.

Sometimes the aftermath of flu can get really nasty.

[backscatter712]

70. It's mostly gone away at this point.

The antibiotics seemed to have taken care of the post-flu bronchitis. I still have a tickle in my throat and a slight cough, but I anticipate that'll go away pretty quickly.

[mac2]

130. Sounds like two or more different sicknesses

Flu with aches and pains...throwing up. Flu cold and fever. Bronchial problems with lots of coughing, etc.

[halobeam]

104. I heard on WJ this morning that the serious strain of flu this year wasn't included in the flu shot.

[Medusa]

110. It covers just 40% of the flu strains going around this year

or in otherwise, it does NOT cover 60% of what's going on. The CDC made bad guesses this year.

[ThomWV]

40. I Got It Last Week. It Was The Worst Case I've Had In 20 Years

I can normally shake off a bout of flu in 3or 4 days. It took me 7 days to get past this one and during that time I was sicker than I have been in 20 years. Really, it was a bad one. I didn't have enough strength to get up and walk 20 feet. I could not eat for 6 days. Every molecule of my body hurt, I had pain in my hair.

[canoeist52]

41. about that flu shot.....

Just talked with a local MA healthcare worker. She said the flu vaccine was useless. wrong virus

[uppityperson]

43. They missed the most common strain this yr but got a couple lesser ones.

[mac2]

49. I knew it

[uppityperson]

67. News article...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080215/ap_on_he_me/flu_season_2

The flu season is getting worse, and U.S. health officials say it's partly because the flu vaccine doesn't protect against most of the spreading flu bugs.

The flu shot is a good match for only about 40 percent of this year's flu viruses, officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. That's worse than last week's report when the CDC said the vaccine was protective against roughly half the circulating strains. In good years, the vaccine can fend off 70 to 90 percent.

Infections from an unexpected strain have been booming, and now are the main agent behind most of the nation's lab-confirmed flu cases, said Dr. Joe Bresee, the CDC's chief of influenza epidemiology.

(clip)
H3N2 strains are treatable by Tamiflu and other antiviral drugs, but the other, H1N1 Type A strains are more resistant. Of all flu samples tested this year, 4.6 percent have been resistant to antiviral medications. That's up from less than 1 percent last year. "This represents a real increase in resistance," Bresee said.

[backscatter712]

74. Thanks for nothing, pharmcos!

I actually went out and got the shot and still got the flu!

[pitohui]

143. and you won't get your $25 back either!

any other industry they sell you a defective product at least you get your money back but not with health care since it's so unimportant, i mean, it isn't like we're injecting stuff into our BODIES or anything like that

i never get a flu shot and haven't had the flu in many many years

i think a lot of the "flu watch" news crap is to pump up scare stories and hysteria so people will buy these speculative shots that may, or may not, protect against the flu that actually emerges in a given year

[BanzaiBonnie]

51. Someone puked right behind us in a theater

last week.


It was icky.


But I'm not getting the flu. I've had that experience and no more thank you very much.

[mac2]

53. Was the movie that bad?

[eleny]

54. It almost looks like it started entrenching here in Colorado

But I don't know anyone who is ill or has had it. Knocking on wood, for sure!

We also got our flu shots.
............... ...............

[robcon]

55. I haven't heard of anyone with the flu yet

Northern suburbs of NYC.

[NanBo]

56. had it

got it Dec 29th. Got on tamilflu immediately and that helped hold it down to under a week. But it was bad. No flu shot this year. Located in WI.

[knitter4democracy]

60. The kids came down with it a week ago, and then I got it.

Since then, I've had a bad cough--so bad that I broke a rib or at least tore the scar tissue around the rib they cut for my kidney surgery a year and a half ago.

The flu's been really bad in our area, and even people with flu shots have been coming down with it. Worse, adenovirus has been just plain awful, putting many in the hospital with pneumonia. Hubby's been very busy this winter in the office and in the hospital.

[lunatica]

71. I bruised my ribs for a few days

Because of the coughing. They hurt like hell, and it was that part that drove me to get medicine that suppressed the coughing. I feel sorry for anyone who breaks their ribs! Take care±!

[knitter4democracy]

92. Thanks. The pain's pretty bad.

It's as bad as after the surgery, which is as bad as I've ever had (worse than natural labor, even). Bruised ribs hurt like heck, though.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

61. I live in the UK.

And I was just informed that I'm an MRSA carrier. Whoopee! I'm poison to the elderly and those with compromised immune systems! Influenza? Ha! I have the SuperBug!

[uppityperson]

64. eeeeeeeee. Does that mean you have to take stuff or just moniter/be monitered?

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

68. It means if I go to the hospital...

...they have to take extra special care to wash their hands after dealing with me. That's about it.

[demmiblue]

65. I got it at the beginning of January

The worst part was the fever... it got so high that I started feeling disoriented.

[Phillycat]

69. Very interesting map...

why does Florida seem so much less likely to be affected than, say, Alaska?

[backscatter712]

72. The weather's nicer in Florida,

so people go outside more - viruses tend to spread more when people are cooped up indoors.

[mac2]

82. And lack Vitamin D

[TheFriendlyAnarchist]

75. I got a really bad respiritory bug. Had a 103 fever and was damn near delirious

(dizziness, stumbling, weird eyesight, swollen eyes, terrible cough) nasty ass shit that lasted about 5 days.

[rainman99]

77. Had it here in Texas but had some leftover Tamiflu.

Ok, it was a couple of years old but it saved me.

[mac2]

81. Rumsfeld made a fortune on Tamiflu while in the government

He spread the fear of bird flu while being on the drug board.

He (Tamiflu) and Cheney (Halliburton) both made fortunes on government programs.

[Annces]

78. I have heard of a lot of cases of it recently

I think it is coming out late for some reason.

[MedleyMisty]

79. Half of the office was out for most of the week

Luckily I'm only there for a couple of hours a day.

Heh - there's lots of hand sanitizers and spray thingies around the office now and the weekly memo said "Please wash hands after handling."

And I wasn't in the office for it, but apparently the owner treated the people who were there to lunch from one of the nearby local restaurants as a sort of compensation for being so shorthanded - when I left the pizza place was winning the vote.

It's so nice working for a small local company.

[Lars39]

80. There's a whole lot of TN counties that have closed schools recently

to try to break the flu cycle. One of my kids has pneumonia resulting from a virus that absolutely mimicked the flu. :(

[BlackVelvet04]

83. I've been sick for 10 days and

am still weak as a kitten. The lung congestion was so bad I had to get an inhaler. I've coughed until my whole body aches. This flu bug SUCKS.

My husband is just getting over it after 2 weeks. He brought it home from work.

[haele]

84. For two days, everything ached so bad I thought my eyeballs would break -

Now I'm just tired with a nasty head cold. No real fever with this bout, just a couple hours worth, but I stayed home one day and slept it out.
But that head cold now, ugh.

Haele

[mmonk]

86. I'm fine but it keeps hitting my hockey team.

[Horse with no Name]

88. And the flu shot isn't that effective this year

:(
I've had this terrible mess for weeks.

[MiniMe]

89. About 10 years ago I got the flu, and my friend went to the pharmacy to see

what they had to help me out. She came back with a homeopathic medicine that works better than everything else I have ever tried for the flu. It is called oscillococcinum. It comes in a box of 3 little tubes, and you let the contents on the tube disolve under your tongue. At the time, I couldn't keep anything down at all, but since you aren't swallowing anything, it gets into your system. It really worked for me, hope it helps something else here. You can get it at most pharmacys.

Hope everybody feels better soon.

[SarahB]

90. My husband's had two bouts.

He's very healthy- no chronic problems, gets over a cold fast, but it's hit him really hard this year. I got a flu shot and fortunately it's worked. It hasn't hit the kids thankfully.

[blondeatlast]

91. I always have a flu shot since I'm insulin-dependent--but I've had 99-100 temps

for the past two weeks and just have to wait it out.

I am improving a bit at last. From lovely north Phoenix, AZ... :hi:

[KatyaR]

93. Most of the hospitals in Oklahoma City are on divert right now

because of the flu. We have two types going, both respiratory and gut, plus lots of bronchitis and pneumonia. Apparently there are a lot of people who are having both types at the same time. Our ambulance service has been breaking records for the most transports per day. I have a coworker whose daughter was hospitalized with pneumonia about a week ago-she had to be admitted to a hospital 20 miles away in Norman because there weren't any local beds available.

So far (knock on wood), I haven't been sick. As I've gotten older, my resistance must have gotten better, because I'm rarely ill except for a few stomach issues every so often. But everyone else I know has had one or the other.

The weather here hasn't helped--we have 70 or 80-degree days, and the next day it's 20 with wind chills in the single digits and rain/sleet/snow. Less than 48 hours later, and we're back in the 40s or 50s. We're in the middle of that cycle right now--it was 70 degrees on Thursday, and now we're having rain/sleet with snow forecasted for tonight and tomorrow, with a high of 48 for Sunday.

We're all looking forward to Spring.

[lovuian]

94. Frontliner here in Texas and Influenza A here hitting the

children here steady all winter long

luckily I had my shot and protected me but still got another nasty bug out there put me in the ER for overnight
Yes one of the Worsts here in Tex

[wildeyed]

95. So sick......

One of my kids brought it home, then two days later I got it so bad that my husband had to take a few days off work to take care of the kids. Now my son's come down with it and my daughter had a relapse and had to get antibiotics for bronchitis. We all had the flu shot this year, too :(

[backscatter712]

98. Gotta love it.

Get the shot, then get immunized the hard way...

[wildeyed]

100. I know!

I didn't read the headlines about the flu shot not covering most of the strains this year, until *after* everyone started sweating and hacking up a lung. I was not careful at all about washing hands or disinfecting surfaces in my home after my daughter turned up sick because I assumed it was only a cold and we had the serious bases cover with the flu shot...... I guess the lesson is to remain vigilant, even if you think you have it covered :(

[halobeam]

105. Don't blame yourself. I've walked around w/ a Lysol wipe in my hand for six weeks now.

I made everyone wash their hands while entering the house. I've followed the kids around the house, wiping the phone, the mouse, they keypads, the doorknobs, the light switches, etc...etc...etc...

Still all of us here have been passing back and forth illness.. relapses have occured in all two of us (out of the four) so far, for the past six weeks.

Sometimes, you just can't beat it.

[wildeyed]

107. It's hard to avoid exposure when you are caring for someone, especially

small children. They always sneeze in your face when you least expect it.

[halobeam]

109. isn't that the truth!

Or when they sneeze in the kitchen.. omg... that drives me nuts!

[tekisui]

97. I'm sick in NC. I must have caught it here at DU.

:P

All you sick folks from all across the country.

[Tektonik]

99. I have not gotten the flu in forever

I ALWAYS get a lingering cold (I'll keep the sniffles for weeks on end and once in a while I may get a sinus infection). I've had the flu before, and it was not fun, but I have not had what I would consider the flu in ages.

[fortyfeetunder]

101. No flu but a nasty cold

A few years back I got two flu attacks within three weeks...and that was the only year I did not have a flu shot (due to a vaccine shortage). Hence, I get the flu shot every year.

However starting the day after New Years, I've been terribly congested. It's receded but came back.

I think it's stress related since I've had a stressful and sad 2008, losing several friends and relatives.

Currently treating with home care (habanero sauce works wonders!) and trying to get a good night's sleep.

[wildeyed]

106. Could be you have developed bronchitis,

or maybe s sinus infection. Have you been to the doctor recently? If not, you might want to swing by the urgent care. If it is a infection (bacterial, not viral) they can give you an antibiotic and you will feel better fast.

[backscatter712]

139. I get bronchitis all the time.

Every time I get a bad cold/flu, it migrates down my throat into my bronchial tubes and I spend the next couple months coughing and hacking.

In some cases the coughing is so bad it feels like I broke a rib.

[peacefreak]

108. It started a week ago today for me.

Same drill, fever/chills, no appetite. I went to the doctor's this morning & came away with 2 Rx's for sinus infection & that nasty booming cough. I just took the cough medicine & am looking forward to passing out for a few hours. I'm getting tired of this shit.

[MiniMe]

113. Try oscillococcinum if you get the flu

It is a homeopathic remedy, and it has worked for me. It is available OTC at most pharmacies. I had a bad bout of the flu a few years ago and the pharmacist recommended it. I couldn't keep anything down, but it worked for me for the fever, aches, and stomach problems.

[midnight armadillo]

115. It took down my whole family

It cost us $400 in co-pays when all was said and done...

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

116. Oh so sick..

Kids brought it home, MomOf2LittleAngels had it Friday and I have it now... I do sick really well but this flu has me on my but in a ton of pain..

[ordinaryaveragegirl]

117. Just getting over it here.

It's swept through my house and my workplace in the last 3-4 weeks. I still have a bit of achiness and coughing, but am feeling much better than I was a week ago.

[question everything]

118. Spouse got it at work and can barely talk

I am seriously considering sleeping in the spare bedroom tonight.

[Rex]

119. Got hit with it like a Mac truck.

I never get ill from viruses (this is the first time in over a decade) and it knocked me to my knees. I had a 103 fever for days. Just now starting to see my temp come down.

Horrible stuff. :(

[Demagitator]

120. No illness...

In the past I would get sick; but the doctors never knew why. Then I eventually went to an allergy doctor, and she did tons of testing, and sure enough it turned out that I am allergic to practically everything in the world.

So, I started on getting my sick building fixed up, by going after the landlord, and taking a good multivitamin, and eating a vegetarian like diet, and I have never felt better.

I think its Global warming as well -- that makes my allergies worse - with all those heat variations... screwing up my immune system.

[NMMNG]

121. So far, so good

No cases in my household. :thumbsup:

[shanti]

123. it's rolling here in norcal!

my son has it now, his bb teammate(s) {2 of them} had it the last two weeks. i pray that i don't get it now, cause i had a pretty nasty case around xmas!

[drmeow]

124. Haven't gotten it yet

and don't know anyone who has (although found out one person I know was sick - don't know if it was the flu). But now I'm getting worried. One thing may have saved me - I'm actually pretty isolated at work. Very small office - it is not uncommon for me to be the only person there most of the day sometimes - and I have my own private small office that no one else uses. Plus ... I have no life :) so don't get out much to get infected.

[mwdem]

125. Got my flu shot 2 months ago. As a cancer survivor, I take no chances.

My immune system sucks right now, but I'm building it up. Just got back from vacation in Kauai, and feel no symptoms a week later after travel. Let's hope it sticks.

[backscatter712]

140. Don't count on the flu shot.

As several other DUers have mentioned in this thread, this years shot missed a rather nasty, virulent strain that's been making the rounds just about everywhere.

I had the shot too this year, then I got the flu. Thankfully, I'm otherwise healthy, so a few days rest, and a trip to the doctor for antibiotics to take care of the post-flu bronchitis, and I'm better.

Wash your hands, use lots of Purel, stay away from anyone that looks sick.

[mwdem]

146. Thanks for the advice.

I wash my hands all the time, and use gallons of Purel!

[ekwhite]

127. Doing well. Got my flu shot this year.

But I'm worried now that I hear that they missed a strain this year. It is difficult to predict a year in advance what strains will be hitting us. CDC misses one every once in a while.

[ruiner4u]

132. Coworkers and I have noticed something...

"colds" and "flus" are getting longer and weirder.. meaning schools and such closing...

[Demagitator]

134. Thats what I got in the past...

Wicked colds, that would last and last. I never took the flu meds they gave me. I went to and an allergy doctor, and she was -- shocked -- about all the things I was allergic to. So now a very good multivitamin, and no alcohol, coffee, and a vegetarian diet works best for me to prevent the sickness.

[ruiner4u]

135. back to basics,...

its amazing what some viamins will do

[Skittles]

133. last time I was ill was 09/11/01 - purely coincidental

:o

[and-justice-for-all]

137. It's uncommon for me to become ill.....

mind you, I have had my not so peachy days. Cold Soars sometimes make feel shitty, but I never miss work for illness related reasons.

I dont remember the last time I had Influenza/Flu and I never get a flu shot either. I do take vitamines every day: C, E, B12 Complex and I always eat my greens.

[EstimatedProphet]

141. I just got over a bout

[pitohui]

142. iether's a very mild "flu" or it isn't going around here

we've all had a bug, but it was a 24 hour thing, nothing i would consider the flu, just something that makes you sniffle real bad one day

the map says it's "widespread" in our state but i'm just not seeing it

maybe our circle is just lucky :shrug:

[NaturalHigh]

144. A lot of my family and friends have been sick...

but I haven't gotten it yet.

[PassingFair]

145. Detroit area reporting,.....

Spread through here last month.

Went through my sales office like wildfire,
with about 15 of 60 reps out in the first
week. Office staff went down next, with
a second round of reps and some managers.

My symptoms were high (103) degree fever,
chills, aches, pains, cough and bronchitis.
For about 4 or 5 days! My daughter came down
with it too. My husband had only a minor cold.

LOTS of customers out, and my daughter's school
mates, all told, a SCREWED-UP January in school
AND sales!

[Blue_In_AK]

147. My husband was down with a little something

for a couple days last week, but I don't think it was the flu, just a stomach bug. I never get sick.

[mac2]

148. WGR late night hosts were talking about the emergency rooms

being very busy and over whelmed. The hospitals themselves said, they'd never seen anything like it. It was all ages and various problems not just Flu, etc.

I don't know about other people's doctors but mine only works three days a week if you want to go to their office. People go to the emergency room when they could be seeing a doctor in his office (if she/he were there to see patients).

To make it cheaper and more convenient maybe we should have walk in medical centers that aren't for an emergency but just to see a doctor when you need one....at all hours. The big circle back to the visiting doctor at home no longer exists but medical centers in plazas, etc. might fly better for all concerned.

My area doesn't even have a Diabetic Specialist. You have to see the same group of three doctors who are Endocrinologists. I don't like any of them. The population of Diabetics is very large for some reason today. It is not a rural area either but in the burbs of a big city.

Anyone want to admit our health system is a mess and a disaster? We need to train more nurses, doctors, and specialists. Why can't we do that?

[taught_me_patience]

149. My fiance is a doctor.

here in CA. She says its pretty widespread. Several people a week come to the office with the flu. Good thing she is vaccinated and hasn't gotten it. I'm not vaccinated and am pretty worried. I should have gotten vaccinated, but was out sick, ironically, the day that the office was giving them out for free.

[Hoof Hearted]

153. I'm vaccinated, and symptomatic.

keep up as many precautions as possible.

[Hekate]

150. I caught a nasty respiratory bug in December that needed antibiotics & something to clear my lungs

I ended up in bed, which I never do. Fever, chills, and general malaise. I listened to my lungs squeak -- and this was eerie -- heard them stop squeaking, as if something had finally seized up. Mr H hauled me off to the doctor, who didn't like what he was hearing at all.

My doc didn't actually call it the flu, but between catching that and having the flu shot in the fall, I really hope I am now immune to this season's strain of flu here in Santa Barbara. My daughter runs a pre-school and says a lot of people are being laid low.

We had visitors from overseas while I was still coughing dramatically -- I said, "Honest I'm not contagious, I'm on drugs." My husband's cousin's wife speaks almost no English, but before she left she insisted on making me a Polish home remedy for the cough, which I hereby share with you.

Raw Onion Cough Syrup

Coarsely chop a raw onion. In a glass container, layer the onion pieces with sugar. Cover tightly and let stand on the counter for two hours. The sugar will dissolve and draw out the juice from the onion. Strain out the onion and throw it away, reserving the syrup. Take a big spoonful of this syrup every hour or so as needed.

It works quite well. As a side effect, you become jet-propelled. :D

Hekate

[Hekate]

154. Anyone else want to post home remedies? My Polish Raw Onion Cough Syrup is above.

Also--
When Mr. H gets sick I make him chicken broth with sliced onion and cayenne pepper. Helps clear the sinuses for sure.

I believe in antibiotics and flu shots, btw, but these home remedies can really help.

Hekate

[Hoof Hearted]

152. We're kinda fucked here.

I feel like a character from "The Stand"

Here you have me after a bout with the dry cough, followed by the the gasping, "Gee, did I send the life insurance check last month?" wheeeezes.






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