I'm not good this morning... I've had a sore throat for three days now and I'm hacking up organs I know I'm going to need some day. My ribs hurt all the way around to my back. I drank some Dayquil and it seems to be helping with the cough... although now I have head-tingles... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif ... and I have to work from 9-4 today... I don't think I'm going to make it... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/sick.gif
Had the Flu yet?
- Thread starter DieselDave
- Start date
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James S
Flashlight Enthusiast
Oh Sasha, that doesn't sound good! You might just have the real thing there!
The only good thing about going to work with the flu is giving it to your boss /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
feel better!
The only good thing about going to work with the flu is giving it to your boss /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
feel better!
eluminator
Flashlight Enthusiast
Oh no. I'm foolishly using Internet Explorer. Will I get the virus too?
k4jdn
Newly Enlightened
Yep...... I thought jellyfish only live in the ocean....... now they're in my throat /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/sick.gif
PlayboyJoeShmoe
Flashaholic
I don't get sick. Oh sure, I get phlemy coughs and such.
But I VERY rarely get 'put down'.
I kinda agree with Silviron about people....
But I VERY rarely get 'put down'.
I kinda agree with Silviron about people....
James S
Flashlight Enthusiast
I rarely get sick as well, I've gotten several colds in the last year since my daughter started going to school /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif But that is to be expected.
Never the less, I got my flu shot today! Since I was waxing so poetic about it above I decided I better not hold out too long myself. There is still enough time to have a 2 week build up of my immunity before all hell breaks loose with the flu around here. They were running out of the stuff though, last box of doses!
That was about 2 hours ago, some barely noticeable soreness in the muscle in that arm so far. I'll be sure to document here if i have any complications, or if I get the flu anyway /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Never the less, I got my flu shot today! Since I was waxing so poetic about it above I decided I better not hold out too long myself. There is still enough time to have a 2 week build up of my immunity before all hell breaks loose with the flu around here. They were running out of the stuff though, last box of doses!
That was about 2 hours ago, some barely noticeable soreness in the muscle in that arm so far. I'll be sure to document here if i have any complications, or if I get the flu anyway /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Nope.
And one thing that I'm definitely not going to do is run down to the hospital and wait around inside, where lots of sick people already have been, around a lot of sick people, around a lot of tainted surfaces/chairs/door handles/etc.
I think that a lot of this year's outbreak has to do with lots of healthy people exposing themselves to infectious environments to get a flu shot, then bringing infection back with them to spread in other areas. They'd be better off staying at home!
And one thing that I'm definitely not going to do is run down to the hospital and wait around inside, where lots of sick people already have been, around a lot of sick people, around a lot of tainted surfaces/chairs/door handles/etc.
I think that a lot of this year's outbreak has to do with lots of healthy people exposing themselves to infectious environments to get a flu shot, then bringing infection back with them to spread in other areas. They'd be better off staying at home!
PhotonWrangler
Flashaholic
Got my flu shot just in time before they ran out. It takes 2-4 weeks for immunity to build up, so all I have to do is not catch it until then...
Wingerr
Flashlight Enthusiast
Was there a time in the past when the entire population wasn't dependent on annual injections to survive? Or is this a more recent phenomenon?
I've never been one to go in for a regular dose of medicine, and though I seldom have any problems getting sick at all, never mind annually, it makes me wonder if I may be building myself up for something dire-
I've never been one to go in for a regular dose of medicine, and though I seldom have any problems getting sick at all, never mind annually, it makes me wonder if I may be building myself up for something dire-
PhotonWrangler
Flashaholic
[ QUOTE ]
Wingerr said:
I've never been one to go in for a regular dose of medicine, and though I seldom have any problems getting sick at all, never mind annually, it makes me wonder if I may be building myself up for something dire-
[/ QUOTE ]
I'm not a medical person, but I don't think that it's the same as overdoing it with antibiotics. Overuse of antibiotics can promote the development of treatment-resistant bacteria. Because a flu shot is actually a dead virus and not an antibiotic, the body sees it as if you've actually caught a virus - just an unusually mild one. I think that this kind of periodic challenge to the immune system isn't necessarily a bad thing, and it keeps one from getting deathly sick. It can also prevent the spread of the virus to other, non-immunized people who might otherwise become very ill or even die.
Wingerr said:
I've never been one to go in for a regular dose of medicine, and though I seldom have any problems getting sick at all, never mind annually, it makes me wonder if I may be building myself up for something dire-
[/ QUOTE ]
I'm not a medical person, but I don't think that it's the same as overdoing it with antibiotics. Overuse of antibiotics can promote the development of treatment-resistant bacteria. Because a flu shot is actually a dead virus and not an antibiotic, the body sees it as if you've actually caught a virus - just an unusually mild one. I think that this kind of periodic challenge to the immune system isn't necessarily a bad thing, and it keeps one from getting deathly sick. It can also prevent the spread of the virus to other, non-immunized people who might otherwise become very ill or even die.
Wingerr
Flashlight Enthusiast
Makes sense- I was thinking about it like you said, antibiotics; which is a different situation.
Still, I wonder why we no longer expect the body's natural immunity and resistance to be able to handle things any more, without artificial medical assistance. I could see being needed for a portion of the population, being recommended for the elderly and tots, but there seems to be a blanket requirement for these shots now. Does it mean that the entire population will soon no longer be able to survive without regular shots? It just seems odd to me-
Still, I wonder why we no longer expect the body's natural immunity and resistance to be able to handle things any more, without artificial medical assistance. I could see being needed for a portion of the population, being recommended for the elderly and tots, but there seems to be a blanket requirement for these shots now. Does it mean that the entire population will soon no longer be able to survive without regular shots? It just seems odd to me-
[ QUOTE ]
Wingerr said:
Was there a time in the past when the entire population wasn't dependent on annual injections to survive? Or is this a more recent phenomenon?
I've never been one to go in for a regular dose of medicine, and though I seldom have any problems getting sick at all, never mind annually, it makes me wonder if I may be building myself up for something dire-
[/ QUOTE ]
The flu is not a minor health issue. The U.S. national average is 36,000 deaths a year from it; this year is expected to exceed that. It's not the "flu" that someone calls into work about, and then shows up in two or three days because they're getting better. Even if you're otherwise healthy and there's no unexpected complications, it's going to put you in the rack for a while. Since it's so highly contagious, a flu shot not only offers protection to you, but also to those you might infect. Certain types of people have been profiled as likely not being able to survive a bout of the flu, among them the very young, those with weakened immunity systems, and those with other health problems that might be aggravated by the damaging effects of the flu.
Get a shot, not just for yourself, but for those you love, your friends, neighbors, and everyone else. If you get the flu, it's likely that you'll pass it on to someone else, who'll pass it on to someone else, and on and on.
Wingerr said:
Was there a time in the past when the entire population wasn't dependent on annual injections to survive? Or is this a more recent phenomenon?
I've never been one to go in for a regular dose of medicine, and though I seldom have any problems getting sick at all, never mind annually, it makes me wonder if I may be building myself up for something dire-
[/ QUOTE ]
The flu is not a minor health issue. The U.S. national average is 36,000 deaths a year from it; this year is expected to exceed that. It's not the "flu" that someone calls into work about, and then shows up in two or three days because they're getting better. Even if you're otherwise healthy and there's no unexpected complications, it's going to put you in the rack for a while. Since it's so highly contagious, a flu shot not only offers protection to you, but also to those you might infect. Certain types of people have been profiled as likely not being able to survive a bout of the flu, among them the very young, those with weakened immunity systems, and those with other health problems that might be aggravated by the damaging effects of the flu.
Get a shot, not just for yourself, but for those you love, your friends, neighbors, and everyone else. If you get the flu, it's likely that you'll pass it on to someone else, who'll pass it on to someone else, and on and on.
Wingerr
Flashlight Enthusiast
So is it the environment that's getting deadlier with every passing year? If it's not a case of people being hardier in the years gone by-
Would it be like an analogy where everyone needs to buy bigger cars to protect themselves against everyone else with bigger cars, then?
I recall reading studies about children raised on farms being much less prone to allergies than others being raised in a more sterile environment, maybe this is a similar situation, though I don't know which is better, being frequently exposed to the weakened strains or less frequently exposed to the full strength ones, in that regard.
Interesting how they can predict the number of flu cases beforehand; what factors do they consider to make those estimates, anyway?
Would it be like an analogy where everyone needs to buy bigger cars to protect themselves against everyone else with bigger cars, then?
I recall reading studies about children raised on farms being much less prone to allergies than others being raised in a more sterile environment, maybe this is a similar situation, though I don't know which is better, being frequently exposed to the weakened strains or less frequently exposed to the full strength ones, in that regard.
Interesting how they can predict the number of flu cases beforehand; what factors do they consider to make those estimates, anyway?
Wingerr... I think it goes a step further. I think that the reason all of these new strains keep popping up and mutating is because of the virus itself is becoming immune to the antibodies. We ourselves are facillitating the mutation of this virus. I've gotten a flu shot once... and got the flu. I've never gotten a shot again and I've never had the flu again. I don't have it now... I just have a cold which is something I get once a year so I'm a big baby when I get it.
Wingerr
Flashlight Enthusiast
Well, that's what I was wondering; if we're not setting up everyone to be dependent on these drugs; if the net effect is that we rely on it so heavily that it becomes a necessity to survive. I may just be placing too much faith in the body's natural abilities to mount defenses against these virii.
People aren't getting the shots just to avoid being inconvenienced by getting ill, but it's now a grave matter of survival, apparently-
If it's because people are more susceptible nowadays than before, is it a de-evolution of sorts, fostered by modern medicine? Maybe a use it or lose it kind of situation... if the body doesn't get fully tested, without being supplied cheat sheets of sorts, maybe it loses the ability to respond autonomously-
Wonder if I'll make sense to myself tomorrow morning; it's a bit late, even by my night owl standards... if it gets any later, it'll be early. (What time does really late become really early?) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
People aren't getting the shots just to avoid being inconvenienced by getting ill, but it's now a grave matter of survival, apparently-
If it's because people are more susceptible nowadays than before, is it a de-evolution of sorts, fostered by modern medicine? Maybe a use it or lose it kind of situation... if the body doesn't get fully tested, without being supplied cheat sheets of sorts, maybe it loses the ability to respond autonomously-
Wonder if I'll make sense to myself tomorrow morning; it's a bit late, even by my night owl standards... if it gets any later, it'll be early. (What time does really late become really early?) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Minjin
Flashlight Enthusiast
I've never had the flu in my life. I always say that my own 'super cold' (alergies during parts of the year) keeps the other sickness's away.
I'm not a health freak either. I stay away from vitamins and medicines and prefer my body to fix things on its own. No flu shots for me unless I'm required to (like I was in the Navy). I guess some people just have better immune systems than others. I've only been bed ridden twice in my life. Chickenpox and a seriously bad sinus infection where my face swelled up and I had stuff oozing from my eyes. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Mark
I'm not a health freak either. I stay away from vitamins and medicines and prefer my body to fix things on its own. No flu shots for me unless I'm required to (like I was in the Navy). I guess some people just have better immune systems than others. I've only been bed ridden twice in my life. Chickenpox and a seriously bad sinus infection where my face swelled up and I had stuff oozing from my eyes. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Mark
Tomas
Banned
I agree with you on this one, Sasha. I've had a flu shot ONCE and it's effect was to break my 12 year perfect attendance at my job in 1982. I've not had a flu shot since, and not had the flu since to my knowledge. Thing is each year is a crap shoot: Is this the year?
As to today's people being weaker (less resistant) or today's flu bugs being stronger, I don't think so. Check history:
[ QUOTE ]
The influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 killed more people than World War I, at somewhere between 20 and 40 million people worldwide. It has been cited as the most devastating epidemic in recorded world history. More people died of influenza in a single year than in four-years of the Black Death Bubonic Plague from 1347 to 1351. Known as "Spanish Flu" or "La Grippe" the influenza of 1918-1919 was a global disaster.
[/ QUOTE ]
Some 675,000 people died of the flu in the United States in 1918-19. Estimates for 2003-04, with a MUCH larger population, is 40,000 ...
Obviously better health care in many ways.
I did strongly consider getting a flu shot this year because of my current physical condition, but the HMO that handles my health care under Medicare ran out of doses in November ...
As to today's people being weaker (less resistant) or today's flu bugs being stronger, I don't think so. Check history:
[ QUOTE ]
The influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 killed more people than World War I, at somewhere between 20 and 40 million people worldwide. It has been cited as the most devastating epidemic in recorded world history. More people died of influenza in a single year than in four-years of the Black Death Bubonic Plague from 1347 to 1351. Known as "Spanish Flu" or "La Grippe" the influenza of 1918-1919 was a global disaster.
[/ QUOTE ]
Some 675,000 people died of the flu in the United States in 1918-19. Estimates for 2003-04, with a MUCH larger population, is 40,000 ...
Obviously better health care in many ways.
I did strongly consider getting a flu shot this year because of my current physical condition, but the HMO that handles my health care under Medicare ran out of doses in November ...
Wingerr
Flashlight Enthusiast
675,000? Whew- how many people were IN the US in 1918? Is that like, look at the guy next to you- is he dead? No? Then you're it-
I'm all for medicine when it's needed; but I'm another one that shies away from it unless I really HAVE to have it. Last time was Motrin, to quell the really bad toothache from a botched dental visit.
I just question this seeming dependency on drugs for living..
I'm all for medicine when it's needed; but I'm another one that shies away from it unless I really HAVE to have it. Last time was Motrin, to quell the really bad toothache from a botched dental visit.
I just question this seeming dependency on drugs for living..
Tomas
Banned
Not quite that bad, Wingerr. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
US population 1920: 105,710,620 - US population 2000: 281,421,900
That means that 0.64 percent of the US population died from the flu in 1918 and they expect 0.014 percent this season ... That's one in every 157 people in 1918 and one in every 7036 now. Much better odds - something has improved.
Another way to look at it is if CPF existed in 1918, about 36 CPFers would be dead from the flu this season, but with current odds, it is unlikely we will lose anyone (well, maybe one ...).
US population 1920: 105,710,620 - US population 2000: 281,421,900
That means that 0.64 percent of the US population died from the flu in 1918 and they expect 0.014 percent this season ... That's one in every 157 people in 1918 and one in every 7036 now. Much better odds - something has improved.
Another way to look at it is if CPF existed in 1918, about 36 CPFers would be dead from the flu this season, but with current odds, it is unlikely we will lose anyone (well, maybe one ...).
