Times of Illness...ugh.

[kj3880]

Have any of the rest of you contracted this swine flu? Ugh. Truly horrible. I had to take ten days off of work, couldn't go to the convention, or any meetings. The doc said it was very contagious. Others in my house got it, too. I am on my second box of azithromycin now, and hopefully will start to feel normal soon. It started with a tickle in the throat and slight fever, then developed into a full-body ache with other nasty symptoms. I'm just glad I can't give it to any of you over the 'net.

Have any of the rest of you noticed that in recovery it seems like you get sick more often? Is it just that we didn't notice it when high? Or maybe I somehow damaged my immune system or something. I'm going to look into soem holistic options when I feel well enough to get out to a health store. Maybe vitamins or teas?

Going without meetings for 10 days has been very lonely and sad.

Love,
KJ

[Sugah]

I'm sorry your sick, KJ. I just got off the phone with my daughter - she's got it, too (though she's not been to the doctor yet, she's got classic H1N1 symptoms). I wasn't planning to go back home until Friday night, but if she isn't feeling any better by tomorrow, I'm cutting my week short. Hubby is taking very good care of her, but...well, it's the Mama thing.

I think I'm sick less now than I used to be. I've got some health conditions, but if we're talking "germs" sick -- I've had bronchitis only once in the last seven years (used to get it every winter), and if I get one cold of short duration (3-4 days) in a year, it's a lot. But, I attribute that to diet (no meat=no 2nd-hand antibiotics & steroids), supplements (B complex, calcium, E), and the fact that I can only push myself so far and so long before I have to rest. It's been more than ten years since I've had the flu.

I do hope you get to feeling better soon, and if you can't be at a meeting, that you feel up to chatting on the phone. What about an online meeting? Or you could lure some ladies in to visit if you dangle some pretty face masks in front of them

Peace & Love,
Sugah

[Missybuns]

I have missed 3 days of work for being sick in almost 4 years.

I have a neighbor about 5 houses down who is a Sheriff who got it on a call to a household full of people who had it.

My doctor says using that hand sanitzer works better than hand washing. Use it a lot.
Our General Manager sent home her assistant for coughing all over the place earlier today and said she needs to see a doctor. I spent the first two hours of my shift cleaning and sanitizing the hotel front desk area.

Kj that is a bummer you couldn't go to the convention.

get well soon,
Missy

[Lily]

I just read tonight that if you gargle w/ salt water twice a day you can keep it at bay cuz is lingers in your throat for 3 days. Oh and blow your nose too.

Sorry you got it KJ. Many schools in our area closed down w/ it. We have not gotten it yet and I pray we don't!

The good news is, you won't get it again!

[christin1225]

Originally Posted by kj3880

Going without meetings for 10 days has been very lonely and sad.

I wondered where you were, KJ. I'm so sorry that you were so sick. I wish that I had the presence of mind to send you a PM or a visitor's note to check on you. Wow! I never thought about having to go without meetings if I contract swine flu. I went to one meeting in twelve days while on vacation. It took a real toll on me when I came back. I was a real spazz. I'm glad to hear that you're feeling better.


Hugs,
Christin

[meditation]

we've got it here. Hubby is taking tamifu now, I think I had it as it seemed to last forever. My daughter's doctor said some people don't exhibit fever with this.
I do know that a year ago when I just got clean I seemed to catch everything due to my immune system. I think drugs take down the entire body and maybe it's a mental thing too. Recovery is hard and anything that is hard can cause stress and affect the body.

I do wonder while flu season is going on that AA and NA don't have some common sense going on. You know, all that hugging and hand holding should be put on hold during this season. It really bothers me on a good day when I see people coughing at meetings and then they want me to hold their hand at the end. I wish meetings were not so touchy.

[Gmoney]

Sorry to hear ya caught that bug, KJ. But I'm glad you're feeling better.

I've had my share of illnesses/ailments since I've been clean (plantar faciitis, blepharitis, iriitis, bronchitis, arthritis...you name the "itis"), but I can't say I get sick more than when I was using. Actually, I think I've been sick less and most of the stuff I've dealt with since getting clean seems to be more related to getting older.

I don't recall getting the flu or having a cold in many years (knock on wood!! ), and I never get a flu shot. I guess I'm lucky, but I do have a tendency to wash my hands a lot. Take care of yourself and you'll be back to going to meetings in no time flat.

G

[LowBottom]

I don't get sick often now but I do remember when I first got clean all of a sudden I started feelings cramps that I never had before and sore throat that I never recall during being loaded and getting colds that make you not want to get up and go anyway because when you using nothing is stopping you and I dont remember ANYTHING making me stay home in bed rather than run the streets.

I think being clean you begin to feel things you never felt using.

Sorry about you catching the swine flu. I hope it gets better that is scary stuff

[kj3880]

Yes, thanks for your concern, it really is nice when people are caring. I am slowly recupperating, thanks to God and the antibiotics they gave me. It turned out that the swine flu was complicated by a secondary strep infection that set in on top of the flu. The antibiotics were for that, and they did seem to work.

I'm up and around, made it to my home group. I didn't want to miss that because nobody else comes to open up and make coffee. I'm also the secretary. The meeting is well-attended, but the other home group members are not reliable about doing their jobs. I don't mind at all about doing this service, as it is only one night a week, but I worry about if I go away or get too ill to open the door.

One week I got called in to work as an emergency, so I called the set-up person to ask him to chair the meeting and ensure that it was open on time. He said he would, but didn't get there until 15 minutes after it was supposed to start. A bunch of people from a rehab had come, and they started the meeting without any help in the parking lot until he opened the doors. I wish I could get at least two other people to be reliable in this meeting. I guess for now, I'll have to just do the best I can. Many of the members in this home group have double-digit clean time, but they don't seem to remember how important it is to have those doors open on time.

Love,
KJ

[daydream]

About a week ago I was watching a report on television where they were using some sort of special light to test whether hand-washing or hand-sanitizer was more effective. They two groups of people. One group washed their hands with antibacterial soap and warm water. The other used gobs of hand sanitizer. The held the light over their hands and the handwashing group, by far, had the best results. In fact, it showed that germs on the palms of the hands had been rubbed all around and onto the top of the hands in those who used sanitizer alone.

[2ala2]

Glad you're doing and feeling better KJ
You're fortunate to have the quality of health care you do in the US (I mean medical advancement and not coverage. I'm following your new health bill dilema, lol).

We're bracing for H1N1 here in Egypt. God only knows how an underdeveloped 3rd world country like ours will cope.