I have the flu. No. I never did manage to get my flu shot last fall - and it finally caught up with me. I've been dodging my flu shot for the past several years. I did get a shot during each pregnancy, but other than that I don't recall getting one, but I'm pretty sure I must have. The last time I had the flu was November 1993. I remember it well. I made my housemates Carolyn and Michelle suffer right along with me as I dominated the couch in the living room for a week. It was pretty awful. The first day I was back on my feet also coincided with Thanksgiving, and my boyfriend hauled me over to his house to meet his parents for the first time. Stellar.
This time around I was not even thinking 'flu'. I thought maybe it was walking pneumonia or something. On Saturday it was a bad cough, and the next morning I wanted to lay down and die. Yep. That sounds like the flu...
Tamiflu is a wonderful thing. I don't know if it is working to it's full potential, but since this is day four (if you don't count the coughing day), the fact that I am up on my feet, taking care of my kids, and blogging in coherent sentences must count for something. Yesterday was a great day too. I did six loads of laundry, dishes, and cleaned up a bit from the chaos that ensued while I was sequestered to my bed. For the best results, you are supposed to begin Tamiflu within the first 24 hours of onset of symptoms. (40 at the most) When we came home from Urgent Care Sunday night, Dean made me some broth and dry toast, just so I could have a little something in my stomach when I took it - it can make you nauseous. I found the pill on the floor late the next morning. I don't know how that happened, but I never managed to take that first dose. oops. I was pretty out of it, though, so I am not surprised. I had taken the second dose that morning before I found it, so I think I managed to just squeak inside that 40 hour window. I do think the Tamiflu is messing with my sense of taste though. Everything tastes 'off' to me. Apples, juice, bananas, bread, salty/sweet... even my toothpaste!
I'm also taking an antibiotic for Bronchitis. There is evidence of some 'pooling' in my lower lungs that may have lead to pneumonia - but with the meds it ought to clear out. The bronchi were full of schtuff... Luckily, during the first two days, when my flu symptoms were at their worse, the coughing was at a bare minimum. I was in agony with joint pain and a splitting headache, and I think the coughing would have done me in. It hurt to open my eyes or listen to loud noises, and the hot flashes followed by shivering was annoying as hell. I am still getting hot flashes and a little nauseous, so I have to position myself near open windows. Luckily, the weather is just gorgeous out, and I can crack the windows and not freeze everybody out.
I am so, so very thankful that the meds are working. Otherwise, I would have been in a lot of trouble. Dean and Jordan left yesterday morning for a three-day long scout campout. He hemmed and hawed about whether or not he should go or not. He has a cough too, and Jordan was complaining of feeling tired and achey. Nothing would suck more than to trek two miles on snowshoe to a yurt, and then come down with the flu. Even though they have had their flu shot, the fact that they got them last October does not bode well for them. I'm getting it very late in the season and they are at risk - most especially Dean, for obvious reasons. Dean was also anxious to leave me to fend for myself with the little ones. My mom has stepped in and has helped me out a tremendous amount. She brought over some soup, cleaned up the kitchen and made dinner and fed the kids on Monday night, and helped me out Tuesday morning, after Dean left to get the kids lunch and take Rylan to karate. I felt better and better as Tuesday (yesterday) went on, and bit by bit I got more done. Right now I have the urge to wash every last little thing on extra hot to zap any lingering germs. I am so tired of this well/sick/well/sick/well/sick cycle. We had a great fall season and then we all fell apart.
I am not thankful, though, for all that we have missed because of this.
* A horse show in Denver called the Mane Event
* Girl Scout Sunday (Rylan would have earned a patch) I may just take her this coming Sunday and call it good - but it's not the same.
* Our homeschool group's Science Fair, on Sunday afternoon. We were already behind, and there was no way I could have made up for lost time to get them ready in time, and Dean was unable to help - he had too much to do for work and to prepare for the scout trip.
* 100th Anniversary of Girl Scouts, on Monday. We couldn't get out to do anything, and it even made my head spin to try and focus on my phone to try and enter a post about it on Facebook.
I am a little bitter about being sick. I try to be careful about germs, and as a rule, we stay home if we are sick (if it can be helped - sometimes we are on the road and have no idea of what's coming...). I have my suspicions about where this might of come from, and I'm not happy. It has made me even more leery of door handles, gas pumps, grocery carts and faucet handles. I welcome the casual cold, here and there - we need to give our immune systems a little workout from time to time, but this spring has been ridiculous.
Is it just me, or is the computer screen starting to sway? Okay - I think that is my cue to get a little something in my tummy and go lie down for a bit. I certainly hope this entry made sense - I swear I reread it at least a couple of times.
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