Last night, we attended her company holiday party at a local Mexican food restaurant. As we were walking up to the restaurant, I groaned, because I could see inside the restaurant to where our party was going to be (the Party Room), and there most everyone was, standing around chatting. So, what's the big deal about that? My feet. Thanks to my two foot surgeries, my new and improved f&2!ng! neuroma in my right foot, tarsal tunnel in both feet and the osteoarthritis in my left foot, I simply cannot stand in one place very long. I have to sit. A lot.
Fortunately, my job allows me to sit quite frequently. So, I knew my feet were not going to be happy, and sure enough, after just a few minutes of visiting, they - my feet - began screaming me at and I had to sit down. The only one to sit. I tried to explain that I was not being socially aloof or anything, that it was my feet that caused me to sit, and they believe me, but it still sucks.
And so, oh wait, oh yeah, this post isn't about ME, it's about my wonderful wife.
The food was served buffet-style, with several warming trays full of rice and beans, fajita meat and sliced chicken, tortillas, shish-ka-bobs, and a fish dish. It all seemed fine at the time...
After one margarita, the wife was feeling no pain and spread her social butterfly wings, flitting about the room chatting up her co-workers. Meanwhile, I sat, practically in a corner. Poor pitiful me.
She was feeling quite frisky and fine when we got home and eventually hit the sack before 10:00pm.
About 4:00am, she awoke with severe stomach pain, stumbled to the bathroom and got sick (ok - vomited). Back to bed, fell asleep, awoke to more pain, more vomiting. This went on for a few hours. In no time, she was having the dry heaves. Nothing left in her stomach, but her stomach insists on violently convulsing just the same. You've probably been there. It's hell. And it's scary for a caregiver to watch. You're just powerless to do anything to relieve the pain and suffering.
She told me she had some violent chills, the type where your body just shivers out of control and you can't stop it. That's a symptom of the flu.
I called my job to explain my absence from work. It's rather hard for me to just go to work and leave her to her own devices. I just can't do it.
She told me she had a splitting headache, another flu symptom.
Her temperature measured 97.1. Hmmm...the H1N1 is hitting but without the fever.
So, at this point, we thought maybe she was getting the flu. Or, at best, a severe case of food poisoning. She could not hold down any liquids. Didn't want to even THINK about eating. Even a tiny sip of water would be violently rejected within minutes. No doubt she was getting dehydrated.
I called up our General Practitioner about her symptoms and they phoned me in a Rx of promethegan in suppository form, at least to stop the vomiting. It's a bit harder to throw those up. We gave her that medicine about 9:30am and she was able to go to sleep. She hasn't thrown up since that time. No more chills. No fever - it vacillates between 97 and 99, pretty normal.
One of the main missing symptoms is chest pain, so that was good. With the flu, it can feel like you've been hit in your chest by a bowling ball traveling at a high rate of speed.
When she woke around 11am, she tells me she is aching all over. This is new and not good. That's a major symptom of flu, so I call up the doc again and ask for a Tamiflu Rx. His assistant says that the doc will call me back soon, and he will probably want to see her. (Take her to the doc in this condition? If we must...)
Fortunately, she's sleeping pretty well, perhaps thanks to the Rx. I brought her a little soup and crackers for lunch, just to put something in her stomach, and she has kept it down.
Thank goodness the vomiting has stopped. She has had a mild case of asthma for awhile, and vomiting of any kind can kick that asthma into overdrive. The flu has been known to kill a lot of asthma patients. It was scary as hell to hear her vomiting and gasping for breath at the same time. Fortunately she hasn't hurled in a few hours now.
Eventually, about 2pm, the doc calls back and talks to her on the phone for several minutes. We love this doctor, even if he is "out of the network." By this time, no more aching. No fever. No chills. No headache. No chest pain. Just very tired, and a sore stomach, from the multiple vomits, most likely.
He's leaning towards either a stomach bug or food poisoning. No need to come in at this time, unless the symptoms get worse. We'll give her her next suppository soon, and we'll call the doc Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, I missed my company's holiday lunch and White Elephant gift exchange today. It would have been a little hard to be sociable and have a good time when I was worried about how my sweetie was doing, so I had to skip it. Sorry, friends.
Believe me, I tossed out all the leftovers we brought home from the restaurant last night.
This seems like a good time to list Flu vs Cold symptoms again. Woulda been handy to have a third column for food poisoning.
| Symptom | Cold | Flu |
|---|---|---|
| Fever | Fever is rare with a cold. | Fever is usually present with the flu in up to 80% of all flu cases. A temperature of 100°F or higher for 3 to 4 days is associated with the flu. |
| Coughing | A hacking, productive (mucus- producing) cough is often present with a cold. | A non-productive (non-mucus producing) cough is usually present with the flu (sometimes referred to as dry cough). |
| Aches | Slight body aches and pains can be part of a cold. | Severe aches and pains are common with the flu. |
| Stuffy Nose | Stuffy nose is commonly present with a cold and typically resolves spontaneously within a week. | Stuffy nose is not commonly present with the flu. |
| Chills | Chills are uncommon with a cold. | 60% of people who have the flu experience chills. |
| Tiredness | Tiredness is fairly mild with a cold. | Tiredness is moderate to severe with the flu. |
| Sneezing | Sneezing is commonly present with a cold. | Sneezing is not common with the flu. |
| Sudden Symptoms | Cold symptoms tend to develop over a few days. | The flu has a rapid onset within 3-6 hours. The flu hits hard and includes sudden symptoms like high fever, aches and pains. |
| Headache | A headache is fairly uncommon with a cold. | A headache is very common with the flu, present in 80% of flu cases. |
| Sore Throat | Sore throat is commonly present with a cold. | Sore throat is not commonly present with the flu. |
| Chest Discomfort | Chest discomfort is mild to moderate with a cold. | Chest discomfort is often severe with the flu. |
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