Who else is sick?

Nurses General Nursing

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Started with a sore throat, progressed to nasal congestion and drip cough, aches in every joint and muscle, GI discomfort, progressed to wet cough with heavyness and occ. chest pain, aches continue, now it has been 3 weeks and this flu/cold is not going away. Everyone in my family has it. Sat next to some people in a 2 day class on Thurs & Fri this past week, everyone who talked to me or sat at my table came in on day 2 c/o sore throat and sniffles. Now It's already been three weeks and I still seem to be contagious. There is no way I and everyone else who has this can take off work or miss school for up to a month while this virus kicks our butts. I've missed 3 days of work so far because of it. Funny thing about this is that there is little to no fever! How are our bodies supposed to fight this if we never get a temp or with the occasional low grade?I did get my flu shot, guess it didn't cover this strain. My kids have been on 2 different ab but it didn't help. Many also suffering from otitis media as a complication. Hearing stories of progression to pnuemonia, even that a husband of a acquantance died from his lungs filling up in the middle of the night. All our hospitals are full and many on diversion. There beds are full of pnuemonia patients. The very young and frail elderly are dying from this virulent virus. What is even stranger is that there have been sporadic days where I'm feeling better and have almost no congestion or s/s. Then by the next day, It's back. This virus is smart! It seems like my body is trying hard to fight it but everytime I start to win, it must mutate and we start all over again. Will it ever go away??? Is this going on all over the US?

I do not remember a flu season quite like this! This virus is virulent and damaging. What are you seeing out there?

Specializes in Psychiatric, hospice.

My family has been the same way. I have been sick with this for about 2 months. It started out like the flu. I thought I was getting better, but then I felt like I was getting a cold. The cough started, now everytime I cough my lungs feel like they are going to explode!!! This cough will not leave. The body aches go in waves. My husband also has it, and both of my girls are just about recovered(for now). I'm glad that I am not the only one out there that is going through this misery...:)

Whoooo - this is scary, isn't it? It's definitely pandemic. I work with a doc fellow from Finland, and she went home this weekend, telling me that her husband has been sick for over 3 weeks. The kids got sick, he cared for them, they got better, he got sick and hasn't gotten better. She's pretty worried for him.

You guys sound like you have the pneumonia I had last Dec. The pain was incredible, and just lasted and lasted. I still have the occ. "twinge" on the right.

Everybody stay calm, take as much time off as you can/need. Sometimes you do just have to admit that you're sick and lie down and get over it.

I hope you get over it soon, all of you!

Love

Dennie

Well, add me to your list...me and my two sons have had this over the past month and just keep going through the cycle of getting sick, feeling better, and then getting sick again. I finally took antibiotics but I do not think they did any good. The boys' docs don't want them on antibiotics. Very scary stuff with all of the violent coughing and chest congestion. Especially since my little one has GuillainBarre, which they think can be triggered from viruses or antibiotics! We are just hanging in there and hoping the warm weather will bring some good health restoration with it! Good luck to you all :)

Mine sounds similar.Started 2 weeks ago. Sore, scratchy throat, sinus headaches, earrache, sneezing, sniffles, then cough that just won't stop and now I constantly have to clear my throat and HACK! Thought it was gone, then tuesday night felt achey all over, mild nausea, and felt feverish, but NO fever! Feel okay today except for this interminable cough. Hospitals are full to capacity here.

Originally posted by Healingtouch

...a 23 year old girl who was in excellent health. Noxious, mysterious lung infection came upon her very quickly--now with a bronchial-pulmonary fistula...Doctors still haven't completely figured out what happened to her...39-year old male who was in relatively good health (hx of asthma). Came down with a virulent pneuomia which completely whited out his left lung in a matter of HOURS. Very sick...

I don't know what state you are in but have they ruled out Hanta virus? It is not restricted to hot dry climates.

Kids-r-fun -

Now *That's* *REALLY* scary. It's how my pneumonia hit me. I was fine on a Wednesday at 1400. By 1800 I had a major fever, SOB, cough, chills, aches., etc., etc., ... completely sick. Scary - my first thought (of course, I am paranoid) was anthrax, because it hit so fast.

Love

Dennie

:kiss I hope that makes all of you feel better.......really!! When your the 'caregiver'.....it really sucks when you need special attention.

Anyway, not as bad here, but I was just wondering. One of you stated that you thought this could be terrorist related and some say no.....someone from another country was sick and therefore it 'couldn't be related to Sept. 11'.......

Then........another one was at Universal Studios....'with alot of foreigners who were ill'.......Hello??????

Never rule out that 'something funny' is going on here and could possible be 9/11 related. I'm not trying to scare anyone, but these wackos don't care. American's getting sick, really sick, CAN effect other countries.......people come here to visit AND have been here since 9/11. Look at all the Olympic athletes who 'could possibly' take 'something' back to their countries......thus spreading a germ 'first class' the way idiots would want. Just make sure you spend 'quality' time getting better, seek prof. help by seeing your MD and always be suspecious. Our world here in the USA has changed.......

Good luck to all of you and I truly hope your feeling better!!;)

GreytNurse -

You have a point. A very scary one, but you're right - it's something we shouldn't discount out of hand.

Love

Dennie

I wouldn't doubt that this flu is causing and going to cause greater loss of USA and world productivity thus possibly affecting the economy. Weather it's 911 related or not. Guess we'll all wait and see. And pray it goes away soon!

Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

I have been disgusting healthy all winter after having had pneumonia in September, and needing to go to the ER for a breathing treatment (I just thought it was a cold aggravating my asthma, but sats were down below 95, and they did a CXR-->pneumonia). Anyway, got my flu shot and a 2nd pneumonia shot (last one about 10 yrs ago) like a good girl.

Did great until about 2wks ago, got a cold, asthma kicked up again so it's hanging on, finally getting better. I was supposed to take my son skiing, but doc said not above 7000ft, you're not, so bummed. :

Reading about all of you poor things, I don't have much to complain about--

GET WELL...ALL OF YOU!!!

o come on, when this would be something from terrorists, I don't believe we would be alive right now!

Things like this happen, every few years, and of course they're not getting better, because of the ever growing list of resistant bugs.

Husband was checked on Anthrax though, because it was found in the mailroom of his work, about two months ago.

But he (and his collegues were ok), post was in a special pouch and the bugs didn't had a chance to come out. Thank God for that!

I felt better after being in the mountains though, the real good, fresh, not too cold air at 1500 meters was great!

that was while skiing, although I did not ski a lot, was too exhausted, but it was just great to be able to breath air and not gasses and polution!!

Take care of yourselfs, Renee

I'm here in the Pacific Northwest-and we definitely have something similar going around here...I came down w/Strep throat over night-then got the flu 3 days later.....All to be followed by sinusitis...So, 2 antiobiotics( and 8 weeks) later, I am fine. However now the rest of my family is fighting....It literally takes weeks to get over..

Tricia

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