Who else is sick?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

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 Geriatrics, LTC.

Well that sounds just miserable! I haven't seen anything like that so far. Just a one day "stomach" flu at home and a mild few day one at the facility I work at.

You're describing my last 2 weeks perfectly. Starts with sore throat, progresses to resp/sinus type symptoms. And yes, chest pain, that scared me! Then it went into GI type flu. I never actually threw up, but I wish I had. The 4 days I endured incapacitating waves of nausea, accompanied by dizziness, palpitations, cold sweats, etc. Then I'll be fine for a day or so, and BAM! it's back. Started Friday with the sore throat & extreme joint/muscle pain. Actually broke out the Vicodin Friday night. Slept from 6:30pm fri night, until 9am sat morning. COMPLETELY AFEBRILE!

I thought perhaps all of the people in my house just kept reinfecting each other, but I never really feel good between, so maybe the virus is "tricking" us.

I'm feeling good today, I hope you are as well. I'm glad to hear I'm not alone in whatever this is!

Heather

Same thing here in Austria, a long, long way from where you are, so I don't think it has to do somehting with terrorisme.

Yes, our own one: don't staying at home and bed long enough, because you have to go work, because you have to go to school, because you have to earn your money etc. etc.

I have been sick on and on since before christmas!!!

strep throat for 3 weeks treated with 2 different ab and now I am coughing and sneezing since 2 weeks again. GI problems too, one day worse, one day better.

Hubby: same thing without the strep throat, he's been home last week for 3 days because he had fever and I thought pneumonia, but it is "only" a spastic bronchitis LOL (first time he's been on sick leave since 15 years!!)

We both had our flu-shots, but appearantly, this is something else.

Take it easy, Renee

We got knocked over a few weeks back.

16 y/o daughter couldn't even keep water down for a week! She had vomiting and diarrhea constantly. Ended up she lost 20 lbs.

I had it for about 4 days and lost 13...

The other kids and hubby were pretty fortunate, they didn't get whatever it was. Thank goodness!

Praise God it's over though!

Julie:)

Hope you feel better soon!

Oh yeah Heather, I did forget to mention the dizzyness, cold and hot flashes, even my skin feels hot but no fever, and palpatations. I also forgot to mention the ulcer the Dr found on the back of my daughters throat that wouldn't go away and the episode I had with coughing up blood out of my bronchia after a hard cough spell that almost drowned me. I thought I was a goner for about 15 minutes. Now I'm careful not too cough too hard. I really don't think it is r/t terrorism either. Julie, it doesn't sound like you had what I'm talking about here but, I have seen that too in the clinic at school. I hope we all get better soon too! I left the laundry all week to be folded, knowing it would hurt to do it, I just did it and it did hurt! I've had it with this sickeyness.

To Renee, It's interesting that you've had it longer than us. We did go to Universal Studios for a week at the beginning of Jan. I now remember that there were a lot of people from Europe there and many of them were sneezing and coughing. I remember thinking that I was glad we were not sick on our vacation. One of my daughters got this shortly after and has had it since. The poor baby, she's 4, has been suffering for 6 weeks!

Specializes in ER, PACU, OR.

we have had a lot of + influenza cultures in the last 20 days here. it's kinda weird, because in the past it usually its in late october until early december. i think during the month of january, most of us thought we made it by the flu season.......not!

i think everybody has had something this year. i know i have for about 10 days now, and it makes my asthma bad. while prednisone usually makes me feel almost 100% in no time, it makes me very moody and bitey! so i have avoided it so far. i have stuck to the zithromax/humabid la so far. the uri stuff is the worst. i would take three days of flu, and be fine afterwards over this anyday!

me :)

Specializes in surgical, neuro, education.

You have just described my last three months!!! I have been sick with respiratory infection after resp. infection. I have severe asthma and had to go on prednisone--but even that did not do trick. I swear it further destroyed any immunity that I had. I was up to 120mg at one point. I weaned off 2 weeks ago--and now I have another respiratory infection. I have also felt sick to my stomach and have no appetite. Another symptom is the hot flashes. I attributed them to prednisone--but I still have them but not as frequently. I had flu shot. I have had low grade temp throughout the three months. Been on zithromax x3, now on Avelox first 5 days now on for 10 day course. Am becoming so frustrated because I have not been able to work because of my asthma--I am supposed to be doing clinical at a health care clinic and my doc is afraid to let me return until I am 100% so I don't contract another infection.

I am heading south for a week to see if the warmer weather helps, but it really hasn't been that cold here this winter. Very frustrating

Cheryl:confused:

DO you think those SUPERbugs are here... the ones that usual abx don't cure?

Originally posted by night owl

DO you think those SUPERbugs are here... the ones that usual abx don't cure?

I think its inFLUenza.

Fortunately it hasn't hit the Pacific NW to bad yet this year so ya'll stay away!

-nancy

Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.

Have had three puzzling cases in the ICU's in our hospital, all involving respiratory. One, 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 and on TWO ventilators, fighting for her life. Doctors still haven't completely figured out what happened to her. My pt three nights ago was a 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, with ARDS, paralyzed, on a vent, several drips going.

+ Add a Comment