Oh No Husband Just Diagnosed with Influenza

[LOL!]

Good to read that you are on the road to recovery. You can thank your husband for "vaccinating" you a second time.

 

[Moemg]

OP here, There is a big difference between the flu and a cold. I was fine one hour, the next hour I felt awful and was running 102 temperature. I have never felt this bad with a cold. 80,000 people died of the flu last year. The flu is serious.

I was almost one of them . I got the flu last year and immediately went to the Doctor but I did not get better I got weaker and had problems breathing .I ended up in the hospital for five days and then supplemental oxygen for any exertion for almost five months . I had to go to Pulmonary rehab for four months to regain my strength .A neighbor the same age as me died of the flu last year so at any sign I will be at the Doctor's.

 

[pacergal]

Influenza is nothing to scoff at, it can be deadly, especially for kids, elderly, and immunocompromised.
Yearly vaccines and excellent hand hygiene can help prevent, but not always. Tamaflu can help decrease severity, but doesn't cure.
OP-- praying that you and DH get back to good health soon.

 

[Rianne]

I'm OCD about washing hands. I watched my Dr. wash his hands and learned, in between fingers, under finger nails, along the wrist area up the arm. The water washing away the germs does the trick. I bring paper towels to the public bathroom doors to open. I stay away from small children in public.

From NHS.UK
Flu viruses

"Flu viruses capable of being transferred to hands and causing an infection can survive on hard surfaces for 24 hours. Infectious flu viruses can survive on tissues for only 15 minutes.
Like cold viruses, infectious flu viruses survive for much shorter periods on the hands. After 5 minutes the amount of flu virus on hands falls to low levels.
Flu viruses can also survive as droplets in the air for several hours; low temperatures increase their survival in the air.
Parainfluenza virus, which causes croup in children, can survive for up to 10 hours on hard surfaces and up to 4 hours on soft surfaces."

 

[Hicks3456]

Wife brought flu home to me but did not know she had it. I woke up two Sundays ago and thought I had pneumonia. Went to hospital and they did a nasal Swab (something not fun) and found out I had Type A flu. I asked how I got it since I had flu shot. Over 100 variants of the flu - shot only protects you against 30. Tamiflu for 5 days - feeling better but still have remnants hanging on.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Hey Harllee, how's the DH doing?

 

[harllee]

Hey Harllee, how's the DH doing?

ExFlyBoy thanks for asking. Both DH and I are still pretty sick. DH is on day 8, I am on day 5. Both of us finished the Tamiflu, not sure it helped and it definitely caused upset stomach. DH is probably no long infectious but the doctor said I was probably infectious for a couple more days.

Both DH and I have been back to the doctor. DH's head is so congested he lost all sense of smell and taste, hearing had become muffled and he started getting dizzy. Doc diagnosed him with sinus infection brought on by the flu and started him on antibiotics. On 2nd day of antibiotics he is seeing some improvements, no more dizziness and can now taste and smell a little. Still waiting on hearing to be resolved.

I started having pain in the sternum area when breathing. So I also went to the doctor. They ruled out pneumonia and think it is a muscle inflammation from coughing.

This flu is just awful. I appreciate everyone's concerns. One silver lining is our great friends and neighbors who have been leaving meals and groceries on our porch. Our goal now is to be well enough to watch the big UNC-Duke basketball rivalry game tomorrow night on TV. Thank heavens this first game is at Duke (we don't have tickets for that one). We have season tickets to all the UNC home games so we have some time to get well enough to attend the 2nd UNC-Duke game. Go Tar Heels!!

 

[WWDog]

I use echinacea and goldenseal during the cold season. Helps prevent the flu and colds for me. If I feel a tickle in my throat I start zycam and usually don't end up with the flu or cold. Vitamin C also strengths the immune system. Check with you MD to make sure none of these interact with your meds.
Echinacea and Goldenseal

 

[DeborahB]

I think Tamiflu has to be started early in the flu. If you’re coughing and not sleeping, try Delsym OTC cough syrup. The grape tastes okay. It helps a lot.

 

[partition1]

I use Oscillococcinum for anything cold/flu-like. I was diagnosed with Chronic Lyme 2.5 yrs ago so am very much aware of homeopathic/natural remedies and the need to avoid a lot of big-pharma meds. DM me for details but the medical community is all about drugs that are more detrimental than beneficial.

i.e Cortisone is not my friend with Lyme

 

[segfault]

Look on the bright side... at first I misread the title as “DH diagnosed with dementia.” *

 

[harllee]

I think Tamiflu has to be started early in the flu. If you’re coughing and not sleeping, try Delsym OTC cough syrup. The grape tastes okay. It helps a lot.

DH and I both started the Tamiflu on the very first day we had flu symptoms, so it was started early enough, I just don't think it helped much. I have tried Delsym before and it caused my blood pressure to jump.

 

[Moemg]

Harllee , I hope you & your husband are on the mend

 

[harllee]

Update from the OP. After a week of the flu I feel like I am coming out at the end of the tunnel. Still some congestion (especially when lying down) and a nagging cough but I am getting back one my feet. I would say I had a mild case.

DH on the other hand is having a harder go of it. He just got back from the ear nose and throat doctor about the loss of smell, taste and hearing. Doc was not too concerned about the lack of smell and taste (that is starting to come back some) but doc was concerned about the hearing loss and put DH on prednisone as well as antibiotocs to help "kick start" his recovery and reverse the hearing loss. The doc said my husband had so much fluid in his ears. If these things do not work DH may be facing a procedure to drain the eardrum, which does not sound pleasant.