Flu!!

[Pedal Wench]

HELP!!!

I woke up today with an awful sore throat, and assume the sniffles aren't far behind. Normally, I would dose up on the usual Airborne, ColdEeze, EmergenC and huddle in bed.

However, I'm two weeks away from an event that I've been training like crazy for. This week is my hardest buildup, with two very long, hard rides this weekend. I'll have next weekend off before my race as I taper.

So, do I ride tomorrow? Suffer through and do the long rides this weekend, knowing I have two weeks to get better and recover? Or, just stay in bed.

[Jolt]

I've never had the flu. I've never had the chicken pox. But I have been hit by lightning.

Pardon the awful pun, but that is just shocking! All three of those statements but especially the last!

[KnottedYet]

A week ago I had a less-than-24-hour flu. Upchucked through the evening, but by morning, no symptoms of any kind...fever, ache, etc. Was just tired. It passed quickly.

That kinda sounds like food poisoning. Icky.

[Jolt]

That kinda sounds like food poisoning. Icky.

Yeah, that's not the flu (I know, everyone seems to call it that, but it's a completely different thing). It is, however, miserable!!

[sundial]

Pardon the awful pun, but that is just shocking! All three of those statements but especially the last!

Story of my life.

[Starfish]

Yeah, that's not the flu (I know, everyone seems to call it that, but it's a completely different thing). It is, however, miserable!!

Well, then people all over town who didn't eat any of the same things in the same places also had the same food poisoning in the same week.

[emily_in_nc]

Well, then people all over town who didn't eat any of the same things in the same places also had the same food poisoning in the same week.

What you had sounds like gastroenteritis (been there, done that, it sucks). Most people with influenza ("the flu") don't have nausea/vomiting, though they do get chills, fever, and body aches. True flu tends to knock folks out for 7-14 days, not 24-48 hours. Hope you're feeling better!

A snippet from Wikipedia's entry on Influenza (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza):

Influenza, commonly known as flu, is an infectious disease of birds and mammals caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae (the influenza viruses). In humans, common symptoms of influenza are fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, weakness and general discomfort.[1] In more serious cases, influenza causes pneumonia, which can be fatal, particularly in young children and the elderly. Sometimes confused with the common cold, influenza is a much more severe disease and is caused by a different type of virus.[2] Although nausea and vomiting can be produced, especially in children,[1] these symptoms are more characteristic of the unrelated gastroenteritis, which is sometimes called "stomach flu" or "24-hour flu."[3]

Emily

[mimitabby]

It could also be a dreaded rota virus, but man, when you are done with that one, you are a sorry puppy, but no, it's not the flu.

[Jolt]

It could also be a dreaded rota virus, but man, when you are done with that one, you are a sorry puppy, but no, it's not the flu.

Or possibly norovirus--those seem to be going around in some places, and cause the gastroenteritis symptoms you described.

[emily_in_nc]

Oh yes, how could I forget? DH came down with norovirus the last two days of our wonderful "Grand Circle" tour of six national parks in the southwest in '06. It comes on really suddenly. We were on a tough hike in Zion NP when he suddenly started having to lean over the precipice to be sick (checking for anyone below, of course!) I felt so sorry for him b/c there was nothing we could do but finish the out and back hike (even though he wanted to lie down on the trail!), then put him right to bed in the hotel. I was crossing fingers that I wouldn't catch it, but on the plane home, I started feeling a bit "off", and 30 minutes later was in the lav puking (sorry for the overshare). Not a fun place to be ill, a plane.

We would have never known what hit us, but we later read of a significant outbreak of noro in the Grand Canyon right around the time we were there, so we felt sure that that's what we both had, based on the symptoms. We were both close to fine 48 hours after the symptoms first hit, just a little weak.

Emily

[Wahine]

I had the norovirus and threw up for 8 hours straight. While I sat on the toilet because the other end was not so stable either. I then slept for about 13 hours straight and was fine except a little weak after that. I caught it when I was sitting with my grandma in the nursing home. It killed her.

[emily_in_nc]

I had the norovirus and threw up for 8 hours straight. While I sat on the toilet because the other end was not so stable either. I then slept for about 13 hours straight and was fine except a little weak after that. I caught it when I was sitting with my grandma in the nursing home. It killed her.

Oh Wahine, that is so sad. My sympathies! It's scary that what is a minor illness for us younger and healthier can kill an elderly person.

Emily

[Running Mommy]

Oh Wahine..... That just makes me so sad!
I'm betting you miss your Grandma as much as I miss mine...

But yeah, norovirus is HORRIBLE! And I tend to get it very easily. My husband said he's never seen anyone puke as much as I do... sigh...
Of course he has NEVER puked in the time that we have been together- 15 years! A stomach of steel I say!!

[uforgot]

It dragged me down for a good 10 days but I was able to get back to work after a 4 day weekend, but the nose kept running a bit and the crud, well, some of that is still there!!!

10 days? Promise? I'm on day eight. First time I can ever remember being sick. when my doctor asked why I didn't get a flu shot I told her "Why should I, I've never had the flu??!?! Nothing dramatic, I just can't seem to lose the fever and drag myself out of bed.

Then again I've never been hit by lightning.