The Flu and older individuals, also asking for prayers.


JohnsonJones
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I've been very sick the past week and a half with the flu.  Today I'm a little better but still fighting it.  While I've been down and out, I've had fellow workers who seem to have recovered a LOT quicker than I did.

I was wondering what I did differently.  I've heard that when you get old your body has a harder time fighting the flu off than others do.  I also read up on this and found that some think that those who had the flu shot (and I got the flu shot, they advise anyone my age to get it) actually got the flu  worse this year.  Some think that it heightens your defense to some strands, but hyposensitizes you to the flu in some other ways.  Thus, those who got the flu shot this year have the flu worse than those who did not.

Anyone have enough medical knowledge to know if this is true, if this is false, or what may be going on? 

I know those who are younger than I seem to have recovered already.  I had another fellow around a few decades my junior (he is in his 40s) who got it the same time I did and he has recovered already.  I am struggling just to survive it seems from day to day.  It seems I may also have an onset of pneumonia due to the flu at this juncture.

I am wondering if it may just be due to my age though.  This is a BAD flu strain.  If you have anybody over the age of 65 at home, do everything you can to keep them from getting the flu this year.  Also, if possible, I could use all the prayers anyone can send my way.

Hope you all are healthy.

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@JohnsonJones, I can only speculate but I would say your age is probably a contributor to your flu symptoms. The flu shot never covers all the strains, so there's a chance a person can still get the flu but I would expect that the symptoms would be more mild. I've been getting flu shots for many years now and they have worked for me.

My advice would be to make sure you wash your hands with soap multiple times a day and drink A LOT of liquids. It's a shame you can't drink tea; I tend to up my tea drinking when I'm sick and I find it helps. If you suspect a respiratory infection definitely get it looked at.

Good luck and wishing you a speedy recovery.

ETA: Just a thought but I have found in the past that the flu tends to make food taste and smell different; so I suggest getting a saline nasal spray and using it multiple times a day. Not sure if it will help but it shouldn't hurt.

M.

Edited by Maureen
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6 hours ago, JohnsonJones said:

I've been very sick the past week and a half with the flu.  Today I'm a little better but still fighting it.  While I've been down and out, I've had fellow workers who seem to have recovered a LOT quicker than I did.

I was wondering what I did differently.  I've heard that when you get old your body has a harder time fighting the flu off than others do.  I also read up on this and found that some think that those who had the flu shot (and I got the flu shot, they advise anyone my age to get it) actually got the flu  worse this year.  Some think that it heightens your defense to some strands, but hyposensitizes you to the flu in some other ways.  Thus, those who got the flu shot this year have the flu worse than those who did not.

Anyone have enough medical knowledge to know if this is true, if this is false, or what may be going on? 

I know those who are younger than I seem to have recovered already.  I had another fellow around a few decades my junior (he is in his 40s) who got it the same time I did and he has recovered already.  I am struggling just to survive it seems from day to day.  It seems I may also have an onset of pneumonia due to the flu at this juncture.

I am wondering if it may just be due to my age though.  This is a BAD flu strain.  If you have anybody over the age of 65 at home, do everything you can to keep them from getting the flu this year.  Also, if possible, I could use all the prayers anyone can send my way.

Hope you all are healthy.

Sounds like you may have a case of walking pneumonia.  I had a case of that when I was in my 20s, and it was just like what you describe - being sick with the flu for days and days and not getting better.  Have you been to the doctor?  If not, in this case I would recommend going.

 

Edited by DoctorLemon
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6 hours ago, JohnsonJones said:

I've been very sick the past week and a half with the flu.  Today I'm a little better but still fighting it.  While I've been down and out, I've had fellow workers who seem to have recovered a LOT quicker than I did.

I was wondering what I did differently.  I've heard that when you get old your body has a harder time fighting the flu off than others do.  I also read up on this and found that some think that those who had the flu shot (and I got the flu shot, they advise anyone my age to get it) actually got the flu  worse this year.  Some think that it heightens your defense to some strands, but hyposensitizes you to the flu in some other ways.  Thus, those who got the flu shot this year have the flu worse than those who did not.

Anyone have enough medical knowledge to know if this is true, if this is false, or what may be going on? 

I know those who are younger than I seem to have recovered already.  I had another fellow around a few decades my junior (he is in his 40s) who got it the same time I did and he has recovered already.  I am struggling just to survive it seems from day to day.  It seems I may also have an onset of pneumonia due to the flu at this juncture.

I am wondering if it may just be due to my age though.  This is a BAD flu strain.  If you have anybody over the age of 65 at home, do everything you can to keep them from getting the flu this year.  Also, if possible, I could use all the prayers anyone can send my way.

Hope you all are healthy.

@JohnsonJones - prayers coming your way.

If you want something nobody can understand (or need something to put you to sleep :) )

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3582124/

If you want something to tell you things you mostly already know

https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/immune-disorders/biology-of-the-immune-system/effects-of-aging-on-the-immune-system

i've had some people close to me experience autoimmune diseases.  The most common reason i've heard is 'we don't know' and the most common way of treating them is 'try and shut the whole thing off'.  i don't think the medical community has a really good handle on the intensely complex interactions that we call our immune system.

But please drink plenty of fluids and get good rest.  And give yourself a healthy amount of time to continue your rest even after you feel better.  Pneumonia has a way of coming back if you try and get back into things before your body has gotten it completely under control.

Please take care.

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You have my prayers and sympathies @JohnsonJones.  My dad (who I suspect is around your age, as he just retired this summer) experienced the flu a couple of years ago.  His job required a lot of physical labor, so he was unable to do much resting and this probably contributed to his taking 6-8 weeks to fully recover and get back to 100%.

As someone who gets their medical knowledge from hanging out with nurses, I recommend fluids and rest.  Literally flush the sickness right out of you.  Vitamin C and garlic are good for the immune system and it's pretty easy to increase your uptake.  Also, follow any orders that come from a licensed medical professional.

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15 hours ago, JohnsonJones said:

I've been very sick the past week and a half with the flu.  Today I'm a little better but still fighting it.  While I've been down and out, I've had fellow workers who seem to have recovered a LOT quicker than I did.

I was wondering what I did differently.  I've heard that when you get old your body has a harder time fighting the flu off than others do.  I also read up on this and found that some think that those who had the flu shot (and I got the flu shot, they advise anyone my age to get it) actually got the flu  worse this year.  Some think that it heightens your defense to some strands, but hyposensitizes you to the flu in some other ways.  Thus, those who got the flu shot this year have the flu worse than those who did not.

Anyone have enough medical knowledge to know if this is true, if this is false, or what may be going on? 

I know those who are younger than I seem to have recovered already.  I had another fellow around a few decades my junior (he is in his 40s) who got it the same time I did and he has recovered already.  I am struggling just to survive it seems from day to day.  It seems I may also have an onset of pneumonia due to the flu at this juncture.

I am wondering if it may just be due to my age though.  This is a BAD flu strain.  If you have anybody over the age of 65 at home, do everything you can to keep them from getting the flu this year.  Also, if possible, I could use all the prayers anyone can send my way.

Hope you all are healthy.

In the meantime, you said you have a house full of video games?  I would sit back, relax, and live it up while you have a good excuse.  May I recommend The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild?  @zil

Edited by DoctorLemon
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On 3/18/2018 at 8:10 AM, JohnsonJones said:

I've been very sick the past week and a half with the flu.  Today I'm a little better but still fighting it.  While I've been down and out, I've had fellow workers who seem to have recovered a LOT quicker than I did.

I was wondering what I did differently.  I've heard that when you get old your body has a harder time fighting the flu off than others do. 

Sorry to hear about your health challenges.

Okay, here's my experience with this year's flu.  From what my pediatrician told me (or rather, from what I understood the pediatrician said - which is not guaranteed the same as what my pediatrician told me), the flu that is going around is a strain different than the flu shots.  Normally, the people in charge of making flu shots analyze and predict what strain of flu is most likely to hit and they prepare the flu shots to fight against it.  And that's why, this year, people who got the flu shots still got the flu.

So anyway, in my house, we don't do flu shots.  I'm a holistic kinda gal and flu shots are not in our health arsenal.  Rather, we strengthen immune systems through nutrition and lifestyle so it is at its best fighting chance of fighting anything - including whatever stain of flu comes around.  Some years we don't get the flu, some years we do.  But usually, if we get the flu, it lasts for 3 days and we're back to normal.   My youngest kid was born with so many allergies and so for the first 8 years of his life, he was getting the flu every single year.  One year, it was so bad he ended up in the hospital .  But ever since he turned 12, he got over a lot of his allergies except for dust and pollen and he's been a lot more resilient to the flu. 

So, this year, so many kids went down with the flu in my kids' schools but they were fine.  Then, in February, my 16-year-old son had the annual Sonata competition (2 days straight of piano competition that is very important if you want to get a shot at college scholarships) and he competed.  It also just so happened that he added 2 more students (he teaches piano to earn money) and he had a heavy load of schoolwork.  He was not getting much sleep and he was stressing out.  The Sunday before the Sonata marathon he got the flu.  The marathon is on a Tuesday so we thought he'll be over the flu by then.  Well, Tuesday comes and he was still running high fevers but he refused to sit the marathon out.  The organizers agreed to seat him backstage and not let him mingle with the other competitors and he lysol wiped the piano after his performance.  He ran a fever the next day and he continued to compete and won first place trophy.  He stayed home sick the rest of the week.  By Wednesday of next week, I sent him to the ER because he was still running a fever.  They did some inspecting and he still has the flu and so they gave him antibiotics.  He finally went back to school the Monday after that.  So he battled the thing for 2 weeks.  We think that Sonata Marathon just overwhelmed his body so much that it couldn't fight the flu.

Meanwhile, my other son with the allergies - being so close in contact with his brother - caught the flu.  3 days later, he's back in school.

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On ‎3‎/‎18‎/‎2018 at 6:10 AM, JohnsonJones said:

I've been very sick the past week and a half with the flu.  Today I'm a little better but still fighting it.  While I've been down and out, I've had fellow workers who seem to have recovered a LOT quicker than I did.

I was wondering what I did differently.  I've heard that when you get old your body has a harder time fighting the flu off than others do.  I also read up on this and found that some think that those who had the flu shot (and I got the flu shot, they advise anyone my age to get it) actually got the flu  worse this year.  Some think that it heightens your defense to some strands, but hyposensitizes you to the flu in some other ways.  Thus, those who got the flu shot this year have the flu worse than those who did not.

Anyone have enough medical knowledge to know if this is true, if this is false, or what may be going on? 

I know those who are younger than I seem to have recovered already.  I had another fellow around a few decades my junior (he is in his 40s) who got it the same time I did and he has recovered already.  I am struggling just to survive it seems from day to day.  It seems I may also have an onset of pneumonia due to the flu at this juncture.

I am wondering if it may just be due to my age though.  This is a BAD flu strain.  If you have anybody over the age of 65 at home, do everything you can to keep them from getting the flu this year.  Also, if possible, I could use all the prayers anyone can send my way.

Hope you all are healthy.

 

I am not a fan of flu shots.  For the last 4 years the only time I have gotten sick was one time when I got a flu shot (doctor talked me into it) and I am quite sure it was the flu shot that made me ill – I think.  It lasted about 3 days.  BTW I am in my 70’s.   (I have been injured and laid up for a few months – car got in my way cycling and I had eye surgery last year – macular hole)

I am a big advocate of eating healthy (especially high protein – lots of fish during the winter) and I also believe in active outside workouts.  In the winter I ski - when there is no snow for skiing; I cycle.    I also drink lots of water and I seldom drink ice water (I do not drink any soda – once in a while a protein drink or fruity and other fun stuff smoothie).

My wife gets a flu shot every year and is usually sick for around a week about the same time each year but I am not sure if it is a cold or allergies.   She is also physically active.  BTW we also travel a lot - spending time on airplanes with lots obviously sick and coughing.   It also seems that when we visit grandkids – half the time at least one of them is sick with something. 

I do not know why some get sick when others don’t.  It seems that both the wife and I have siblings that are more likely to get sick.  I do not think it is genetics.  If I were to guess – I would say it is a combination of diet and exercise that keeps me from getting sick.

 

The Traveler

Edited by Traveler
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I'm on the upswing from my own bout with severe cold/flu. It wasn't too far off from the old saying, "The first two days you're afraid you're gonna die, then the next to you're afraid you won't." On the matter of flu shots, I've heard that having the flu shot actually lessened the severity and reduced the down time by as much as 50%. If that's true, I'm beyond thankful. Still got a couple of days before full-recovery, but I would hate to imagine that my misery was double-intensity and twice as long.  YIKES!

Sadly, It wasn't until day 4 that I could even rest well, much less play video games.  :::sigh:::

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest MormonGator
14 minutes ago, JohnsonJones said:

I'm on the uphill finally.  This one really beat  me up.  Thanks for all the prayers on my behalf.  I still have a nasty cough but definitely doing better than previously.

 

Thanks for checking in with us bud. Was getting a bit worried about you. 

Edited by MormonGator
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20 hours ago, JohnsonJones said:

I'm on the uphill finally.  This one really beat  me up.  Thanks for all the prayers on my behalf.  I still have a nasty cough but definitely doing better than previously.

 

If you can find a respiratory physiotherapist they could teach you about Active Cycle of Breathing. It's a breathing exercise technique that helps expel sputum from lungs. If you're not familiar with the terminology in the technique a physiotherapist would be helpful.

https://www.physio-pedia.com/Active_cycle_of_breathing_technique

M.

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