I got my flu shot months ago. But darn, picked up a variant I hadn't been protected for.
No body aches. Just coughing and stuff.
My family on the west coast have had it already.
How about you? Had it yet?
Hang in there! Plenty of fluids and eat your veggies and fruit ...
The Doc told us the vaccine is covering only about 30% of the strains but that the shots should still lessen the severity of the illness. Yeah, we were there because we were/are sick. It's bronchitis (lakngulf) but not the flu, if one can believe the in-office test they have for it.
I had fairly minor surgery in early November and the anesthesiologist said that the breathing tube might damage "my mouth." I don't know about the mouth, and I recovered well from the abdominal surgery, but had trouble swallowing for a couple of weeks. Then ... I caught a cold. Then ... DW caught my cold.
Bad cold but we were better by New Year's. Then ... same story. First me, then DW. Ya know. The over-the-counter meds for colds/flu often aren't for olde people! Twenty years ago I could take a decongestant and a Benadryl and feel almost normal. No longer! Neither of us are supposed to take those things. We have been dragging ourselves around the house for weeks this winter!
Everyone, be careful with your health.
Steve
The Doc told us the vaccine is covering only about 30% of the strains but that the shots should still lessen the severity of the illness. Yeah, we were there because we were/are sick. It's bronchitis (lakngulf) but not the flu, if one can believe the in-office test they have for it.
I had fairly minor surgery in early November and the anesthesiologist said that the breathing tube might damage "my mouth." I don't know about the mouth, and I recovered well from the abdominal surgery, but had trouble swallowing for a couple of weeks. Then ... I caught a cold. Then ... DW caught my cold.
Bad cold but we were better by New Year's. Then ... same story. First me, then DW. Ya know. The over-the-counter meds for colds/flu often aren't for olde people! Twenty years ago I could take a decongestant and a Benadryl and feel almost normal. No longer! Neither of us are supposed to take those things. We have been dragging ourselves around the house for weeks this winter!
Everyone, be careful with your health.
Steve
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applestar
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So sorry to hear you all are/have not been feeling poorly. Hopefully you have stuff to alleviate the symptoms and will be feeling much better soonest.
Knock on wood my family have not been hit with anything severe. So far no more than general fatigue, a couple of days late mornings in bed have been about it. (Except me of course, I’ve been running myself ragged, running low-grade fevers, but ... still within expected parameters)
Remedies — let’s see, I’m almost out of my big bottle of home-made elderberry syrup, but I still have this summer’s elderflower syrup left (not as effective as the antioxidant-rich berries, I think, but good for if anyone gets sore throat and generally making someone feel good)... for the grown ups, I still have elderberry liqueur as well as blackberry liqueur left
I could still make another batch of *black*berry syrup from the berries in the freezer.
I recently ran afoul of gum infection, and my dentist showed me a tooth and gum herbal tincture description. I went home and looked it up and came across a recipe on-line for which I had most of the ingredients and I could substitute for some things I didn’t. So of course 14 days later, I was decanting and straining my very own herbal tincture and blending with whole plant echinacea tincture and essential oil of myrrh per the recipe. It turns out a few drops of this tincture in water also makes a fantastic throat gargle and nasal wash. I use it when I get home from being at places like hospital and senior communities where I might have encountered extra germs. It seems to have been very effective so far. I also have my own home made herbal sanitizing hand spray that I use as soon as I get in the car after shopping.... And take my advice — very important to thoroughly wash hands and face, and gargle/nasal rinse as soon as you get home.
For more specific symptoms, I use homeopathic remedies since I can’t use anything not even OTC that causes fatigue or other strong side effects.
Be well everyone!
Knock on wood my family have not been hit with anything severe. So far no more than general fatigue, a couple of days late mornings in bed have been about it. (Except me of course, I’ve been running myself ragged, running low-grade fevers, but ... still within expected parameters)
Remedies — let’s see, I’m almost out of my big bottle of home-made elderberry syrup, but I still have this summer’s elderflower syrup left (not as effective as the antioxidant-rich berries, I think, but good for if anyone gets sore throat and generally making someone feel good)... for the grown ups, I still have elderberry liqueur as well as blackberry liqueur left
I could still make another batch of *black*berry syrup from the berries in the freezer.
I recently ran afoul of gum infection, and my dentist showed me a tooth and gum herbal tincture description. I went home and looked it up and came across a recipe on-line for which I had most of the ingredients and I could substitute for some things I didn’t. So of course 14 days later, I was decanting and straining my very own herbal tincture and blending with whole plant echinacea tincture and essential oil of myrrh per the recipe. It turns out a few drops of this tincture in water also makes a fantastic throat gargle and nasal wash. I use it when I get home from being at places like hospital and senior communities where I might have encountered extra germs. It seems to have been very effective so far. I also have my own home made herbal sanitizing hand spray that I use as soon as I get in the car after shopping.... And take my advice — very important to thoroughly wash hands and face, and gargle/nasal rinse as soon as you get home.
For more specific symptoms, I use homeopathic remedies since I can’t use anything not even OTC that causes fatigue or other strong side effects.
Be well everyone!
Fighting it right now. A couple weeks ago I came down with a sinus issue, which is nothing new for me, but it hung around far longer than normal. I got to feeling better and we had several social engagements the wife and I were committed to and it seemed every one of them had more than a few people looking like death chewing on a cracker.
It wasn't long before several more folks came down with the flu and after a visit to urgent care 2 days ago it was confirmed I have Type A Flu and a round of meds in being taken to help with it. Sinus congestion, wicked coughing with chest congestion, horrible headaches, but thankfully, no loss of appetite or nausea I usually associate with the flu. So there is a bit of a silver lining. Getting better with the meds and I should be back to normal in a few more days.
Then to stay away from the infected horde that are walking the streets.
It wasn't long before several more folks came down with the flu and after a visit to urgent care 2 days ago it was confirmed I have Type A Flu and a round of meds in being taken to help with it. Sinus congestion, wicked coughing with chest congestion, horrible headaches, but thankfully, no loss of appetite or nausea I usually associate with the flu. So there is a bit of a silver lining. Getting better with the meds and I should be back to normal in a few more days.
Then to stay away from the infected horde that are walking the streets.
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ElizabethB
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ButterflyLady29
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We had it back in September. Fever and congestion for over a week. Coughing up gunk for a month after. Ginger and elderberry didn't seem to help. Chicken broth helped for an hour then back to wheezing and hacking. Tea with honey helped the sore throats, for a few minutes. I see how this one can be so dangerous. It hangs on forever and really drains your system. If you get hit with something else it can go downhill really fast.
Fortunately we all recovered from it. Spent several days in bed or confined to the house just to keep from spreading the disease.
Fortunately we all recovered from it. Spent several days in bed or confined to the house just to keep from spreading the disease.
Take care. Unfortunately flu viruses mutate often and come in multiple strains. I got my flu shot too but my doctor said it is not 100% guaranteed since it is only against one strain. Only 10-40% of the people inoculated may be protected. Having had the flu shot though should still help a healthy immune system fight of the virus faster. It helps to stay away from crowds and sick people too.
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applestar
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Yeah — well, @Butterflylady, you had your flu shot the “natural” way. Hopefully in the future, you and your family will be less likely to get the flu or if you do, will get through lightly. My family had the full blown flu with all the nasty symptoms over 15 years ago, and none of us, including my youngest (who had not even been born yet back then) get very severe anything as far as average flu and cold goes... even yet. (knock on wood)
this years flu is nasty. heard it's 4 separate strains.. strain "A" and strain "B", which are the ones that come around every year or so and are no big deal, H1N1, better known as Spanish flu, the one that went pandemic and killed millions in 1918, and H3N4, hong kong flu, which is just a bad dude.
I'm pounding orange juice, hand washing, and brushing teeth and using mouthwash like crazy. resent studies show that a clean, disinfected mouth may reduce the chanced of respiratory infections, which seems to be associated with this years flu. anyway, it can't hurt. also taking fenugreek to help boost the immune system. again, might not help, but sure can't hurt.
for sore throat, try onion tea. chop a half onion, hard boil in 2-3 cups of water, cool and drink
for chest congestion, thyme tea. use thyme out of the spice rack to make hot tea and drink. it brings up the conjestion.
I'm pounding orange juice, hand washing, and brushing teeth and using mouthwash like crazy. resent studies show that a clean, disinfected mouth may reduce the chanced of respiratory infections, which seems to be associated with this years flu. anyway, it can't hurt. also taking fenugreek to help boost the immune system. again, might not help, but sure can't hurt.
for sore throat, try onion tea. chop a half onion, hard boil in 2-3 cups of water, cool and drink
for chest congestion, thyme tea. use thyme out of the spice rack to make hot tea and drink. it brings up the conjestion.