Let’s talk about flu
I’m going to be honest with you the idea of flu leaves me quaking at the knees, I’m not talking your every year sniffle, but full blown, body aching, cannot move flu. You see part of why I have the illness I have now, is due in part to that pesky virus.
Over the years I have been unlucky to have had two very bad bouts of flu, the first was in 2000/2001. I was in school and for most of that year I swung between having flu and tonsillitis. I already had mental health problems, but the inability to get up and out of bed, exacerbated those existing issues and buy the time summer had rolled around and I had finally got my tonsils removed, I was well into the depths of self-harming and the downward spiral that would see me hospitalised for many suicide attempts and while I cannot blame it in its entirety for that, it is thought it was the start of my chronic fatigue syndrome.
The second bout came in 2009 and was swine flu, how I picked it up I don’t know, but it came just days before I should have gone on holiday to Malta, a trip I have always wished had happened and at the time, I thought not going, was the worst thing ever. However 5 years later, I can only wish that I just missed a holiday, as in some ways I feel like it stole my life. At first the doctors thought it was just my CFS playing up, as a virus can alter the body’s ability to produce energy, much like CFS does as one of its symptoms.
However a year later they sent me to a specialist, who diagnosed fibromyalgia, which has left me unable to do so much of what I once did, in constant pain and even unable to do small tasks such as walking up stairs or for very far on a flat surface, or even sometimes string a sentence together.
These days there is quite a lot you can do to lessen your chance of catching the flu, that includes having the ‘flu jab’ an injection made free to anyone over 65 or who falls into certain categories, or can be obtained for as little as £12.99 from your local pharmacy. This year also sees children 2 – 4 being offered a special flu jab of their own, one which uses a nasal spray, instead of a needle.
Find out more about flu in this video featuring TV’s Dr Ranj:
I hope you stay safe from flu this year and please do try and protect yourself from this nasty virus as best you can.
Flu season ahead picture from shutterstock
sounds like you have had a tough time. i also have a long term illness and get anxious every winter in case i pick up the bug!
flu is nasty so get a flu injection even if you have to pay
Touch wood, I’ve been quite lucky, but I did have bronchitis around 2 years ago, after moving departments in work.
It frightens me as well. Not just for myself ,but my children and my grandparents who are in their eighties. Thank god for the flu jab.Thanks for the reminders and info.
It is a scary illness, I think we sometimes use ‘flu’ to describe a bad cold and that really lessons the impact of what it really means.
I remember having swine flu and it was the worst thing I ever had, I was so unwell. I do catch the flu quite a lot as I have a really bad immune system, I’ve never had the flu jab though and I’m quite lucky as Tapanga never gets ill *touch wood* xx
It was awful wasn’t it – I never moan about a little cold anymore (ok maybe I do sometimes) but I wouldn’t wish that feeling on anyone, I took up residence on my parents sofa for most of the time I had it (thankfully they had both had the swine flu jab so were safe from my germs lol) x
I have had the worst flu for a week now and it sucks!
I am not a fan of the flu jab myself so I have avoided it but my dad swears by it
X
I think if you can do without it then as with most jabs thats good – I certainly swear by it and would pay if I wasn’t able to get it from the doctors.
This is really a great topic to talk abt ..