I've been home sick with the flu for almost 3 weeks!
It started with a nagging harsh cough and diarrhea. Then there was shortness of breath, chills, sweating buckets, aches and pains all over and a general feeling of weakness and tiredness. The first week I was so sick that on the 3rd missed day from work I called for an appointment to see my doctor the next day (Thursday). When I went to the doctor I didn't even bother to brush my hair or teeth. I simply put on a sweater over my nightgown, put my sockless feet into my track shoes and called a taxi. By this time my chest was wheezy and I was coughing until I almost threw up. He gave me prescriptions for antibiotics and a nasal spray, and a letter for work for the rest of that week off. And he told me to double up on my asthma medications and to increase their frequency.
When the Tuesday (was a long weekend) came, I was still sick, in fact I was sicker. I would be sitting a few feet from my air conditioner and I was sweating buckets. I could hardly get out of bed and I was hardly eating or drinking anything. The doctor did a chest xray. I didn't have pneumonia and the wheezing while still there, had improved. I was still coughing up a lung and sweating buckets and freezing cold at the same time. I was off for another week.
I went back to work this past Monday. I barely made it through the day. People were saying I looked "pasty" and "run down", and I was so tired that I could barely keep my eyes open after 10 am. I wanted so much to go back to bed. I did manage to get through the day and when I got home I was in bed by 7 pm. I forced myself to stay up until then, though I could have fallen asleep as soon as I walked in the door.
On Tuesday I had a clinic in the afternoon which meant that I was up and down and in and out of rooms. I didn't think I was going to make it to the end of the afternoon. By that time I was so bagged that I could hardly walk.
After work I stopped at the bank and post office to pick up a parcel and went to Safeway to get my blood pressure medications. I picked up some salad stuff and some fresh fruit and took a taxi home.
By the time I got home I was so completely and utterly exhausted. I had 3 light bags with me and I opened the outside door of the building. The next thing I know I'm on my butt on the floor between the doors. I'm not sure if I tripped, fainted or just collapsed from exhaustion.
I tried for almost 5 minutes to get up and I just didn't have the strength to stand up. I wasn't hurt, just extremely weak. A couple people came into the building and saw me kneeling there and 2 of them helped me to my feet.
I managed to get to my apartment, but by the time I got there my legs were so wobbly I didn't think I could stand for another second.
I called in sick today, and spent the entire day in bed and slept much of the day. I woke up for 1/2 an hour to get something to eat and drink and then went back to sleep until almost 5:30 pm.
I've called in again for tomorrow because I feel very weak. My legs wobble when I walk to the bathroom.
Not sure what kind of flu bug I had, but I don't wish it on anyone. Even when I had been hospitalized with pneumonia and a collapsed lung, I didn't feel as sick as I have over the last few weeks. The flu/cold symptoms are starting to go away, but it's the extreme weakness and exhaustion that I can't seem to shake.
It started with a nagging harsh cough and diarrhea. Then there was shortness of breath, chills, sweating buckets, aches and pains all over and a general feeling of weakness and tiredness. The first week I was so sick that on the 3rd missed day from work I called for an appointment to see my doctor the next day (Thursday). When I went to the doctor I didn't even bother to brush my hair or teeth. I simply put on a sweater over my nightgown, put my sockless feet into my track shoes and called a taxi. By this time my chest was wheezy and I was coughing until I almost threw up. He gave me prescriptions for antibiotics and a nasal spray, and a letter for work for the rest of that week off. And he told me to double up on my asthma medications and to increase their frequency.
When the Tuesday (was a long weekend) came, I was still sick, in fact I was sicker. I would be sitting a few feet from my air conditioner and I was sweating buckets. I could hardly get out of bed and I was hardly eating or drinking anything. The doctor did a chest xray. I didn't have pneumonia and the wheezing while still there, had improved. I was still coughing up a lung and sweating buckets and freezing cold at the same time. I was off for another week.
I went back to work this past Monday. I barely made it through the day. People were saying I looked "pasty" and "run down", and I was so tired that I could barely keep my eyes open after 10 am. I wanted so much to go back to bed. I did manage to get through the day and when I got home I was in bed by 7 pm. I forced myself to stay up until then, though I could have fallen asleep as soon as I walked in the door.
On Tuesday I had a clinic in the afternoon which meant that I was up and down and in and out of rooms. I didn't think I was going to make it to the end of the afternoon. By that time I was so bagged that I could hardly walk.
After work I stopped at the bank and post office to pick up a parcel and went to Safeway to get my blood pressure medications. I picked up some salad stuff and some fresh fruit and took a taxi home.
By the time I got home I was so completely and utterly exhausted. I had 3 light bags with me and I opened the outside door of the building. The next thing I know I'm on my butt on the floor between the doors. I'm not sure if I tripped, fainted or just collapsed from exhaustion.
I tried for almost 5 minutes to get up and I just didn't have the strength to stand up. I wasn't hurt, just extremely weak. A couple people came into the building and saw me kneeling there and 2 of them helped me to my feet.
I managed to get to my apartment, but by the time I got there my legs were so wobbly I didn't think I could stand for another second.
I called in sick today, and spent the entire day in bed and slept much of the day. I woke up for 1/2 an hour to get something to eat and drink and then went back to sleep until almost 5:30 pm.
I've called in again for tomorrow because I feel very weak. My legs wobble when I walk to the bathroom.
Not sure what kind of flu bug I had, but I don't wish it on anyone. Even when I had been hospitalized with pneumonia and a collapsed lung, I didn't feel as sick as I have over the last few weeks. The flu/cold symptoms are starting to go away, but it's the extreme weakness and exhaustion that I can't seem to shake.
I hope you feel better soon! 
Feel better soon, sweet friend! :heart2:
