Mystery Bug

[mso489]

I've been a little under the weather. Luckily, since my wife is not currently mobile, working

our way through a second hip revision because of staph infections, it is important that I keep

going. I had my flu shot early, and she had hers. This bug involved a sore throat, a little

congestion, but mostly intermittent fatigue. Luckily, I can still run errands and do tasks, but

I do need to nap. We've also treated it with some hearty beef broth French onion soup and

hot lemonade spiked with Jameson Irish whiskey, both of which clearly help, and not just by

cheering me up. Don't mean to jinx the cure, but I do feel I've rounded the bend. This could

have been a mild case of the flu muted by the flu shot, or something picked up in our various

trips to the hospital clinic and other medical visits. Good health to all, and if you need to sleep

it off, just do. You'll save time in the long run, I believe. (No, I'm not sleeping off the Jamesons.

It's just a spike, not a double!)

 

[phil67]

I know of more people who have gotten sick or had fluish symptoms after getting the shot than people who actually get the flu who didn't get the shot.

I find that very difficult to believe. It is virtually impossible to catch the flu from the flu immunization vaccine.

 

[mso489]

newbie, one of the scientists at the National Institutes of Health who worked on flu and other vaccines for

years, when asked if she had had her flu shot responded by saying, "Never." A lot of people feel that way.

Statistically, if you compare the populations that get flu shots and those who don't the incidence of flu,

and hospitalizations and fatality from flu, is decidedly lower in those who get the shots. Flu is a real

threat to children and people over 65 (or so). Emotionally, I'm with the non-shot-takers, but I do it because

I think I know better. Skepticism about medical procedures is a good thing; it isn't all wonderful, you're

right about that. In a sense we all have to be our own physicians with the help of the people who have spent

their lives working in health professions -- but are mere mortals and not gods. So I respect your opinion but

with reservations do otherwise.

 

[johnnyreb]

Hope you and your wife are feeling better, MSO. I'm not big on virus vaccinations & inoculations either (never had a flu shot) but for anyone who had chickenpox I would strongly recommend getting the shingles vaccination! I came down with the shingles virus going from the center of my back, around my rib cage to my sternum (they say it usually goes from lateral line to lateral line.). I have never had anything more painful! Maybe if you had shingles on your legs or somewhere where there are fewer nerve endings and maybe a little more meat it wouldn't be quite as painful. But mine have been plenty painful, almost 6 wks now and the pain is starting to diminish some now. Even after the vaccination you can still get the shingles but it is usually a much milder case. I would recommend to anyone who had chickenpox as a kid to get the vaccination.

 

[warren]

Phil: newbie just doesn't know a lot of people. And those that he does know, just get sick a lot.
mso: I've found naps are good even if you are not under the weather. Keep fightin' and look after yourself.

 

[phil67]

I had the shingles once back sometime in the early 80's and I wouldn't wish that on my worse enemy! Had it very close to my eye and the doctor told me I was lucky I didn't go blind in that eye.
As for the pneumonia shot I had my first one a few weeks ago at my doctors when I also got the flu shot. At the age of 67 he strongly recommended that I get one so I figured what the hell. When the nurse was going to give me the pneumonia shot she asked me if I was right or left handed as she pointed out that it's best to get it in your dominant hand/arm. I had no idea what she meant as she didn't explain why, but I certainly found out the following evening. Damn... that son of a bitching injection started to hurt like the devil to the point that I was wincing in pain and could hardly sleep! I then did a Google search on it and found out that the pneumonia injection can indeed be very painful and that some people were in such pain that they went to the emergency ward. Thankfully it subsided the following day and thankfully its a shot that you only have to get once. I've had my fair share of injections, surgery, stitches, etc. in my life, but I never had an injection that caused that kind of pain! Whatever, I had mine and I'm done with it. :wink:

 

[phil67]

Phil: newbie just doesn't know a lot of people. And those that he does know, just get sick a lot.

:lol:

 

[mephistopheles]

Feel better, MSO. It's no fun being sick.

 

[pipebaum81]

Nothing but good health to you and your wife in 215, MSO
PS I may not get full blown flu but after a flu shot but I feel like crud for the folloiwng 72 hours. This has been the case for every one of the 13 years I have recieved it.

 

[Waning Embers]

Have had 2 flu shots in my life and got badly sick after both. Good health to all, but the majority of my shots are going to be from my liquor cabinet. :wink:

 

[phil67]

I'll drink to that.

 

[phred]

There is just something wrong with being injected with a small dose of the virus itself just so your body can begin to build a resistance to it.

Wrong? No, that's precisely how immunization works. It's also how allergy shots work. The beauty of science is that it works whether you understand it or not...
That said, I avoided flu shots for a long time precisely because my own flu symptoms were not much more severe than my reaction to the shots. I don't have kids, nor was I spending time around anyone with a suppressed immune system. Now that we're having my father-in-law over for dinner twice a week, I get the shot.
Good luck, MSO - I finally got rid of the crud I had last month that kept me from enjoying my pipes. Boy, that sucked... :D