sholio | *wheeze, hack*

So, it's taken me a few days to figure this out, but I'm pretty sure that I've got influenza. My symptoms are absolutely textbook flu symptoms; it just took me awhile to figure it out because I always thought it would feel a lot worse than a cold, and I haven't actually felt bad at all. I haven't had any congestion or sore throat or other typical cold symptoms, just a dry hacking cough, a high fever, and sheer, utter exhaustion. When they say fatigue is a flu symptom, man, they are NOT KIDDING. It took me two days to even be able to sit up without getting so dizzy that I had to lie down again. My sole accomplishment on Sunday was reading a book: I would read a little bit (lying flat), then have to close my eyes for a while because I was too tired to keep reading.

And yet, despite the debilitating-ness of it, what puzzles me is that most of the colds I've had were much more unpleasant than this. I do ache a lot, but that's not such a problem as long as I don't move much (which I don't really feel like doing anyway), and it's not nearly as bad as, say, overdoing it at the gym. That all-over awful feeling that I always get on the first couple days of a cold ... I never had that. I haven't really felt bad at all, aside from being achey and exhausted (the worst thing so far is actually my stomach muscles getting sore from coughing, which, OW). Mostly I just want to sleep a lot. Today some of my weirder symptoms seem to have mostly gone away (I've been very photosensitive -- bright light hurts -- and my skin has been supersensitive and sore, kind of like having a mild sunburn) and I have enough energy to move around a bit. And I have an appetite again. I wasn't really nauseous, just sort of disinterested in food. It's nice to be able to eat more than three bites at a time.

And yet? Not so bad, in the grand scheme of things. I get to lay around a lot without actually feeling awful. The worst thing about colds, for me, is that I usually feel too bad to sleep for the first couple of days, and with this, all I want to do is sleep. Though admittedly, I'm glad to feel my energy levels slowly improving. I'm guessing that chronic fatigue syndrome probably feels rather similar to what I've been experiencing the last few days, and if so? Wow. *doffs hat* You guys have my profound and heartfelt sympathy.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I've only had flu twice, the last time there was one point that I genuinely thought that I going to die. I remember lying on the bed and the only thing that I was capable of was gasping as I marinated in my own fever-sweat.

So you have my sympathy.

Oh man, that sounds horrible. D: All in all, I'm pretty sure I'm getting off easy -- I'm at a good age for having the flu without serious complications, and I'm guessing this is a pretty mild case of it. Of course, I may not still be so optimistic if I'm still coughing this much in a week ...

*hugs* Poor you. So glad you're feeling better now - and at least it wasn't too bad an ordeal! Hope you continue to improve, and quickly!

Thank you! :)

Hey, that's such a familiar description -- when I had the flu in London, I could only lie in bed and slumber fretfully, and also make cold wraps to bring the damn 40°C of temperature down where aspirin and such had failed.

But pain-wise, it really wasn't so bad. Huh.

I never really bothered trying to bring the fever down; I think it topped out at about 39.5C or something like that, and it was actually more uncomfortable to get chilled because then I'd get cold chills and would end up buried under the covers shivering. At least if I was hot, I could just sprawl and drift in and out of sleep.

I've had much more pain and discomfort from colds. There was a great deal of low-level discomfort, but it was spread throughout my whole body and relatively easy to ignore.

Oh my gosh, that sounds wretched! I REALLY hope I don't get it, now!

I'M SORRY! If you don't have it so far, though, I think you're 100% safe. The incubation period for flu is about like a cold - a couple of days. I have no clue where I got it from. Maybe picked up secondhand from one of Orion's students ... I dunno.

Honestly, though? If I had to choose between this and most of the colds I've had lately, I'll take this any day.

I'm glad it's not so terrible for you! When I've had flu, I need to sleep but I hurt too much and can't quite sleep. It's utter misery. That's why I get a flu shot every year when I can. (I held off last year until they were sure they had enough vaccine for the area.)

Take care of yourself! If you wear yourself out too much, it can come back. I won't even envy you seeing Being Human before I do!

Oh, ugh ... that "I must sleep and yet I am so miserable that I cannot" thing is what always happens to me with colds, so I was just sort of reveling in the novelty of being sick and being able to sleep through it, which is totally not the usual thing with me! But I can sympathize.

I will probably be getting myself a flu shot next year ...

Hope you get well soon. :)

Thank you! :) I'm feeling much better now.

That's good to hear. :)

I had swine flu last year and that was the worst flu type thing i ever had. My other half felt ill and the next day i had gone down with it. I had the lot; sweats, fever, difficulty breathing, muscle aches....yuck! And i was so tired. Spent five days lying flat on my back. And they take so long to get over....

Hope you feel better soon :-)

Thank you! I'm feeling a lot better, though my energy level is still really low.

Plenty of fluids, lots of sack time, and lots of Sheppard.........
:-)

Thanks! :)

wheeze, hack

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject