Influenza season 2010-11 - who's caught it?

hbarcat · #1 03-31-2011, 12:51 PM

So, I'm finally over the "lay in bed and hallucinate for 3 days" stage of the virus and I can actually sit at my computer desk for more than a few minutes at a time without falling out of my chair.

Yes. I got the flu.

I noticed cold-like symptoms this past Sunday with a scratchy throat but by Monday afternoon I had the whole shebang: Congestion, sore throat, coughing, fever, lethargy and body aches.

Tuesday and Wednesday were the peak for the symptoms but at least now, on Thursday, the fever is finally over. I still haven't eaten anything solid since Sunday but I've managed to keep drinking lots of water and non-caffeine tea to avoid dehydration. The worst part for me has been the not being able to really sleep despite being in bed for days.

I think this must be what it feels like to go insane - auditory hallucinations that sound like someone is in the back of my head trying to direct me toward some kind of OCD behaviors. It's really bizarre and I can't explain it in any words that make more sense, rationally. It's almost like the "Nyquil nightmares" I had years ago when I last had to take that medication.

Checking the CDC website, the upper midwest is in full influenza outbreak right now. It says that around 40,000 people in the U.S. die from the flu every year, most victims are children and the elderly, or adults with already compromised health. Having just now experienced this as a healthy adult I can easily see how this virus can kill people who aren't at full strength.

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/

Anyone else unfortunate enough to get the flu this year? Or maybe your kids or other relatives?

Relic · #2 03-31-2011, 12:59 PM

My 5 YO son had it about a month ago and it was probably the most bizarre version of flu symptoms that I had ever seen. He would be absolutely fine during the day to the point where he would be up and around, playing, eating, acting perfectly normal, normal temp etc. Until nighttime came around, he would shoot up to a 102, 103 fever, be barfing, damn-near hallucinating then morning came, the fever would go away, he would be perfectly normal again..sometimes it skipped a day or two and came back. That had gone on for over two weeks (actaully 3 weeks). Two doctor's visits later it was discovered that it was just the flu. By that point we were starting to think it was something more serious as it was soo bizarre. I never seen the flu do that before.

guy n. cognito · #3 03-31-2011, 01:02 PM

Almost everyone I know had it. I had a flu shot, so my case was quite mild.

hbarcat · #4 03-31-2011, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Relic

My 5 YO son had it about a month ago and it was probably the most bizarre version of flu symptoms that I had ever seen. He would be absolutely fine during the day to the point where he would be up and around, playing, eating, acting perfectly normal, normal temp etc. Until nighttime came around, he would shoot up to a 102, 103 fever, be barfing, damn-near hallucinating then morning came, the fever would go away, he would be perfectly normal again..sometimes it skipped a day or two and came back. That had gone on for over two weeks (actaully 3 weeks). Two doctor's visits later it was discovered that it was just the flu. By that point we were starting to think it was something more serious as it was soo bizarre. I never seen the flu do that before.

That is strange.

From what I've read, the flu affects children differently than adults - the symptoms are more varied (adults almost never suffer from vomiting or diarrhea), their fevers tend to be more severe and the disease takes a lot longer to run its course.

Actually, I caught the flu from my 18 year old daughter but she had such a mild case of it that we thought it was just a bad cold. She was over it in less than 3 days and she didn't even have all the symptoms (no fever, no loss of appetite, no huge loss of energy).

Ah, to be a teen again.

hbarcat · #5 03-31-2011, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guy n. cognito

Almost everyone I know had it. I had a flu shot, so my case was quite mild.

Since you actually did get the flu anyway, I'd like to know how much the flu shot helped to lessen the severity of the symptoms. Was it worth doing?

MJ5150 · #6 03-31-2011, 01:51 PM

I don't get the flu. I eat boatloads of hot peppers.

-Mike

hbarcat · #7 03-31-2011, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJ5150

I don't get the flu. I eat boatloads of hot peppers.

-Mike

I suppose stomach cancer is better than the flu.

MJ5150 · #8 03-31-2011, 02:27 PM

Probably. I'll get that when I'm old and about to die anyway.

-Mike

Skitch it! · #9 03-31-2011, 05:23 PM

I've had something similar to flu but not exactly the same symptoms, one for 6 weeks over Xmas, and one that lasted 4 weeks that I finally shook off a couple of days ago. I've never come down with this stuff before, I've only ever had flu once but the end of last year and beginning of 2011 has been a bummer for opportunistic viruses for a few people I spoke to who came down with the same things, symptoms don't fit the usual patterns, offshoot's?

bassrique · #10 03-31-2011, 06:42 PM

Hot peppers give you cancer?

jp58 · #11 03-31-2011, 06:45 PM

I was sick for almost 10 days. I was sick from last Monday until Tuesday or yesterday. It was the worst ever.

hover · #12 03-31-2011, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassrique

Hot peppers give you cancer?

High on my "doubtful" list. I think he meant peptic ulcer. easily confused ?!!??!?

MJ5150 · #13 03-31-2011, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassrique

Hot peppers give you cancer?

I guess. News to me.

-Mike

Ziltoid · #14 03-31-2011, 07:20 PM

I once touched a hot pepper that gave me finger cancer but luckily I was able to extract the tumor with a nail clipper, and I ate it.

hbarcat · #15 03-31-2011, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassrique

Hot peppers give you cancer?

It was a joke.

That's why I put this

at the end of it.

hbarcat · #16 03-31-2011, 07:31 PM

My flu drugs are kicking in to the maximum right now.

I. Am. Zombie.

iamlowsound · #17 03-31-2011, 07:33 PM

I have never got the Flu before.

lowsound

**jmattbassplaya** · #18 03-31-2011, 07:46 PM

I think I had a mild case of it for a day or two earlier this year, but it might of been a cold.

bassrique · #19 03-31-2011, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hbarcat

It was a joke.

That's why I put this

at the end of it.

But you may have stumbled on to something. There's a lot of research from the past few years that points to inflammation as a strong contributor to cancer.

guy n. cognito · #20 03-31-2011, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hbarcat

Since you actually did get the flu anyway, I'd like to know how much the flu shot helped to lessen the severity of the symptoms. Was it worth doing?

Since I have small kids in the house, I had to quarantine myself for about 5 days, but I never really felt that bad. Quite honestly, I didn't believe the dr. when he said I had the flu and made him give me the test again. I had a temp of 103 for one night and then it hovered around 100 for a few days after that.