Happy New Year, friends. I apologize for being absent for the past two weeks. On the evening of the 23rd, I started feeling ill and over the next few days, it progressed from headache, body aches, fever, congestion and cough to a wicked sore throat. I tested negative for Covid at home, so I went to an urgent care for a strep test. I ended up testing positive for Influenza A, despite having the quadrivalent flu vaccine. I was sent home with a prescription for a cough suppressant, which didn't do much of anything.
A few days later, my husband and daughter came down with it and after talking to my older daughter, who is a nurse, they were able to get virtual appointments and prescriptions for Tamiflu (an antiviral medication) which did work. She was shocked that urgent care did not offer that to me, and I didn't know to ask, as I haven't had the flu since 2005.
Things kept going downhill for me, with a viral rash, loss of taste/smell, and pink eye, of all things. I was able to get a doctor appointment today and I was given two different antibiotics and an inhaler. He decided to treat it as walking pneumonia. I was just glad to be heard! I do not ever remember being this sick in my entire life. I never even get colds anymore, so this was unusual for me.
I'm laying in bed, but hoping to have some energy by the end of the week. I miss all of you and look forward to reading about your holidays. Mine was a wash!
Minor Rant: This has been 10 times worse than Covid. I’m tired of that being every medical office’s focus.
So sorry to hear about your illness, Bijoux, and that of your family as well.It's too bad that the urgent care place didn't prescribe that an effective medication vs. cough suppressant. Thanks for the update from your bed (you are dedicated) and hope you will be feeling better as this not the best way to spend your holiday season. As for your minor rant, I totally agree that it's all about covid when really it isn't always. Happy New Year to you, my blog friend.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Beatrice. Fortunately, my husband and daughter got well quickly from the anti-viral drug and no none else that I exposed seems to have caught it from me.
DeleteWow! I am so sorry that you are going through all of that. Tamiflu? I'm going to have to remember that. I think the big thing now is to give people ZPacks, not sure whether or not they work but everyone I've talked to says that's what they've been given. Hoping you get better soon so you can get going on your new Year! Hope it's a Happy New Year the rest of 2024!
ReplyDeleteThe Tamiflu worked wonders for my husband and daughter, so it's definitely something to keep in mind if you ever feel as though you are coming down with the flu.
DeleteGreat to see you back! And Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteWow, so sorry to hear about your health issue. You know, your symptoms sounded a lot like when I got sick with pneumonia back in 2015. Remember that? Thank God you didn't wait as long as I did and ended up in the hospital for two weeks. I too never felt so sick in my entire life. The doctor told me I had been walking around with the pneumonia for MONTHS.
Sending you TONS of positive energy for a speedy recovery, my friend!
(((((((((((((((((((((( YOU )))))))))))))))))))))))))))
I do remember you being hospitalized in 2015. Pneumonia is no joke. I just knew something was wrong when I didn't bounce back in 5 days or so. That is just not normal for me. I'm now paranoid that this happened because I'm getting older, but there's not much I can do besides what I'm already doing (eating right and exercising). Thanks for the positive vibes, Ron! XO (from a distance!!!! LOL!)
DeleteSo sorry to hear about your illness. Let's hope rest and medication help fast.
ReplyDeleteThank you. My cough is slowly disappearing. Now I just need to get rid of the head congestion.
DeleteOH BIJOUX!!!! How horrible. I am so sorry you were so sick, that sounds dreadful. What an ordeal, and all during the holidays too. To be honest, you have been such a pillar and a rock, and so incredibly busy over the past little while with your mom and her place, maybe your poor immune system just got run down. Here's hoping you feel better soon. Oh, and YES, I am SICK of Covid being everyone's focus. There are other things that are as bad or worse, as you have experienced.
ReplyDeleteI do think the stress has worn me down, because It's not like me to get sick, and even more unlikely that it would take me so long to recover. When I had Covid in 2021, I was only sick for 3-4 days and then was completely back to normal. Thank you for your support, as always!
DeleteI'm so sorry to hear you and your family were sick over the holidays. That is never fun but sick during the holidays is the worst. I'm tired of everything being covid as well. You know in November I took TBG to the ED for shortness of breath and fatigue. As soon as the covid test came back positive they were done with him. I don't know whether he did have covid or not but they missed the cardiomyopathy. Took us two weeks before anyone would test his heart. Frustrating is putting it mildly. I hope you're on the mend soon. Big hugs!!
ReplyDeleteThat is so upsetting to hear about TBG having his symptoms ignored, just because he tested positive for Covid. Dumb! The Urgent Care and the physician's office that I went to made such a big deal when I checked in about Covid. I told them both that I had tested negative at home, but they still seemed skeptical, as though they had never heard that flu symptoms were similar. It was bizarre.
DeleteHonestly, it's been such a mild winter across the board, but I feel like more and more people are getting hit hard with illnesses lately. It's so odd! They have been making Covid a primary focus when illness presents itself, it does seem like they forgot that we do still have other viruses out there and how to treat them. I'm sorry you had to suffer with just some stinkin cough meds. What a joke. I hope you're on the mend now though. Happy New Year my friend!
ReplyDeleteThe weird thing for me is that prior to becoming ill, I had only been to grocery stores and didn't know anyone who was sick. My husband even said he only hear about one family with Covid from work; no influenza. It's weird that I picked it up at a grocery store, esp. since I'm militant about hand sanitizer. Oh well! My cough is disappearing and now I'm just dealing with head congestion.
DeleteAs much as I travel for work and deal with the general public, I'm shocked we haven't caught anything yet. I freaking cringe big time when people start coughing near me or my products, especially when they aren't coughing into their elbow. I never paid attention until covid, but people are soooo nasty. Someone probably coughed before you walked down the aisle and you sucked in their germs. Glad you're on the mend!
DeleteYeah, it’s a miracle you’ve remained healthy. It’s the loud sneezing that freaks me out the most. I just imagine the spray 🙄😳
DeleteIck! That's awful! Hurry up and get well!
ReplyDeleteOur kids and grandkids have been cycling through various assorted upper respiratory ailments. Our pregnant daughter-in-law came down with RSV, which got her some hospital time. We've also had some GI stuff which has brought us into an intimate relationship with our toilet. It does seem like this fall/early winter has been significantly sicker than usual. . .
Be well, my friend. . .
It is so scary to be pregnant and get so ill. I hope your DIL is fine now. Yeah, my grandkids are always sick, thanks to kindergarten and preschool. But I don't think I got this from them because I hadn't seen them for a week beforehand.
DeleteI'm truly sorry, friend. I had the same dreadful flu as you, but in 2018. I was miserable. I hope you feel better soon. 😘
ReplyDeleteThank you. The flu is no joke!
DeleteI'm so sorry to hear how sick you've been. Neighbors of ours had RSV and it took them awhile to get well. And then friends came down with it. It was rough for them, one ended up at the ER and her mother was in the hospital with it, too. A couple in our family have had upper respiratory infections that are dragging out.
ReplyDeleteI hope the rest and meds will have you feeling better very soon! Will be thinking of you! (hug)
Thanks, Mary. Is there a test for RSV? For some reason, I only think of it as a childhood disease, but I guess adults get it, too!
DeleteOh, Bijoux, I am so sorry! What a terrible experience! So many of my friends were sick during the holidays. I hope you and your family all get well soon. Take care!
ReplyDeleteI'm on the mend, Rob. Thanks for your well wishes.
DeleteWow, that sounds terrible. Glad you finally got some more effective treatment. The flu is no joke. People die of the flu -- before we had vaccines for it, millions of people used to die of it.
ReplyDeleteA lot of people seem to have gotten flu or covid over the holidays. Holidays mean a lot of mingling with strangers and taking plane flights. It's a worse risk for exposure.
My grandfather almost died from the Spanish Flu while he was in the army. It does seem like everyone gets Covid after a flight, but what can you do?
DeleteI'm sorry you've been so sick. The pink eye can happen when you're really congested. I got it that way several years ago when I had a bunch of respiratory stuff going on. They explained it, but I don't remember all of the details, just that it was related to being so congested and the respiratory infection. I hope all of the new meds help and that you're feeling better soon.
ReplyDeleteI'm starting to feel better now. Thanks for always stopping by, Danielle!
DeleteSorry to hear about your illness. I hope it clears up quickly. Viral rash, loss of taste/smell, and pink eye are all possible covid symptoms, so I'm surprised your covid test was negative. Anyway, good to see you back, I did wonder why you were missing in action!
ReplyDeleteI tested postive for Influenza A, so it clearly wasn't Covid. I thought I'd better post because I know I worry when other Bloggers are MIA for any length of time!
DeleteThe flu is horrible! I remember having it in January of 2020; it took me down hard. Praying you are on the mend and can gain your energy again in a hot minute. What a shitty Christmas for you all!! You need a redi, Yes, the tamiflu is supposed to be very helpful if you can get it quickly. XOXO
ReplyDeleteIt really was a bad Christmas for me. Disappointing to not be able to even enjoy the food. I'm on the mend now and looking forward to drinking wine again.
DeleteWhoa! Soooooo sucky!!!! So Sorry, Bijoux! Loss of taste and smell and being worse than Covid, yet it's not Covid? I didn't realize any other illness could do that. Clearly, you're being put through the ringer. Did you get some Tamaflu for you? Sounds like you need and deserve it! ~Betsy
ReplyDeleteI've lost taste/smell before, just from having a cold, so maybe I'm suspectible to it. No, the urgent care did not give me Tamiflu and it was too late when I went to the doctor this week. He said it probably turned bacterial (I didn't even know that could happen), so he put me on antibiotics.
DeleteIt "probably" turned bacterial. Jeez. I hope he's right and you're getting the proper treatment!!! And I hope by now you're feeling better than you did when you wrote this post. Interesting about the losing taste and smell. I've never had that. It sounds like it would be a very strange experience.
DeleteHe said if the meds didn’t work, he’d order a chest X-ray. I’m feeling better now, so I’m glad I avoided that. I’ve had too much radiation over the last 5 years or so.
DeleteOh gosh. Frightening about you and radiation. So glad you're feeling better!
DeleteYucky! I am so sorry to hear this, Bijoux! I hope you are feeling better and back to normal soon. Take care of yourself.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much.
DeleteI am not sure but ı think Covid19 still continue to all over the world. Hope you are better now dear friend. Greetings.
ReplyDeleteYes, people are still getting Covid, but I had Influenza A, which has been much worse for me.
DeleteI'm sorry to read this and I'm sorry this is how your holiday time went and I'm sorry that you're still not feeling chipper, as they used to say. Hoping that by next week all the aches and pains are behind you and you find yourself bouncing into 2024 in high spirits.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ally. It’s been a bummer, but I know there are a lot worse things.
Delete
ReplyDeleteOh man, I'm sorry you've been so sick, Bijoux! I have heard of so many different things going around and we have had several people where I work go out to the hospital because of sickness! I'm glad you're doing better now and hope you continue to feel better every day! Happy New Year!
It was a rough way to end the year and start the new one, but I’m much better now.
DeleteSorry you've been sick. That's never fun.
ReplyDeleteIt was awful, but I’m on an upward trend now.
DeleteI'm so sorry, Bijoux! I'm know I'm late to this post, but I hope you and your family have fully recovered!
ReplyDeleteFor the most part!
Delete