I coined the term for this nasty little sickness when I was deep in its miseries, probably as the result of a fever flash. The best way I can describe it is, it's 'sorta' like the flu, with body aches and extreme tiredness, and 'sorta' like a cold with runny nose, sore throat and cough, and 'sorta' like an intestinal bug with nausea and diarrhea. It's been going through my family and workplace faster than a rumor, and I myself am finally emerging from it after feeling like something the dog dug up for I don't know how long. A week? Ten days? All I know is, I almost never get sick, and given the mildness of the individual symptoms, I shouldn't have been as ill as I was.
So now I'm wondering just what the heck we all have had. Every single person I know who's been affected by it got their flu shot this past fall, and most of us take vitamins and are generally healthy overall; but this thing slaps you flat and leaves you weak, exhausted, coughing, and feeling like you'd have to get better to die.
Anyone else experience the "sortavirus" yet? Inquiring minds want to know, and of course, if anybody has a clue as to what it actually is, I'm listening!:sstrs:
Sure have.... me, my son, and my husband had it bad the week before christmas and about all the nurses and cnas on my unit have had it on and off for the last months or so...
Specializes in SICU, EMS, Home Health, School Nursing.
Its going around here too! My mom had it and all of her coworkers at one of the local schools have passed it around. All of my coworkers at the hospital are passing it around too. Its everyone including those who have and who have not had the flu shot. I have not had it yet (knock on wood) but with everyone else around me coming down with it, its probably just a matter of time
Well, I thought I was finally beating it down. But, I woke up this morning worse then ever. Coughing up green crap, can't breath, throat sore again. Ya'll don't get too close to my post, I might be contagious.
Around here it seems to be mostly lower respiratory "crud." Anyway, I woke up this morning and found my voice almost completely gone. Was fine yesterday. I work in an office with mostly elderly patients -- finally had to get someone else to call them out of the waiting room for me because they just could not hear me. The phone was the biggest nightmare; there are probably a dozen pharmacists cursing me for my croaked-out refill messages.
Still have a barking cough, laryngitis, and low-grade fever. And no PTO to cover a potential sick day since I just missed a week in December dealing with a family situation.
And yes, I got a flu shot. Which I hate ... I only get it because they can't hold it against me if I do come down with something, and I do every stinkin' winter.
It is no doubt the pre-flu. The little creeps send out scouts just before flu season to assertain exactly what we've been innoculated against, and who has received a flu shot. The only known cure is chocolate.
Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
I like your "cure"!!:fnypst:
Yeah, this illness is weird, all right............it's like the 'bug' mutates or something. Just when you think it's safe to crawl out of bed and try to get back to your life, WHAMMMMO!! some new symptom slaps you silly. This time it's a runny nose, tickly throat, and nagging tight cough that never brings up anything, but sets off my asthma something fierce. I feel OK---so far, anyway---but I know I'm not done with this little beastie bug yet, and it's going on three weeks since I last felt completely well.
At least I'm healthy enough to be at work, which is highly fortunate because the whole dang opera seems to fall apart when I'm not there for any length of time. Not that I'm under the illusion of indispensability or anything, but when the cat's away.........well, y'all know the rest!
What this rotten infection is doing to my residents is something else entirely though---we lost one yesterday, had nine or ten of 'em on alert charting over the weekend for various symptoms, and today I sent one to the ER who I fear is septic---she'd been mildly ill for a week or so, then after lunch she suddenly spiked a temp, her BP bottomed out, we couldn't keep her sats above 88% even with her O2 cranked up all the way, and she looked (and felt) like death barely warmed over. Even as hot as she was to the touch, her feet were totally blue, as were her lips and nail beds..........she was still talking to me, but it sure didn't look very good, and there was no question even in the EMTs' minds that she needed to be transported to the hospital.
Which is a rather humbling reminder about the fragility of life, and how petty all my little physical complaints really are.
Dec 22nd I became very weak, nasal congestion, body aches, coughing, chest congestion, felt miserable. By Christmas I had a 104 temperature and was so weak I could not get myself out of bed, literally.
December 26th I went to a doctor who told me I had the flu. Great!
I continued to be sick and extremely weak.
Jan 2nd I went to my doctor and had a CXR and was told I have right upper lobe pneumonia.
Jan 4th my left ear started hurting. I went to the ENT. I was told the flu virus had attacked the auditory nerve and that I had nerve deafness which may or may not be permanent.
Today I am dizzy because even though I think my hearing has returned, my left ear is so plugged with fluid it's driving me crazy. I went back to work Monday after being out for 2 weeks and it was a miserable day due to the dizziness.
I go back to the ENT today and will ask him to puhleeaasee do something about this danged ear.
I don't know exactly what I've been going through but I would definately say it is some "sortavirus" for sure!
I'm so sorry others are having to go through this as well.
I have been 'sortasick' since the day after Christmas! Not sick enough to call in, but too sick to function properly at work.
My symptoms change every day, they've ran the gamut from nasal congestion, post-nasal drip, cough, sore throat, headache, low grade temp, losing my voice, nausea, etc. I never know which one is going to show up which day! I thought I had made a turn for the better two days ago, and hadn't taken any OTC meds since Saturday.
WRONG! I woke up this morning with sore throat, bad sinus drainage, an annoying tickle in my throat, and a blinding headache again.
Everyone I know at work is fighting either this or the stomach bug.
PatricksRNMommy
89 Posts
Sure have.... me, my son, and my husband had it bad the week before christmas and about all the nurses and cnas on my unit have had it on and off for the last months or so...