Not sure that this goes here or better in the medical forums, but as a fulltimer I wanted to warn the other lifestylers of a medical problem.
About 5 to 6 weeks ago I came down with a severe cold, or so I thought, lots of coughing, lots of sputim, couldn't seem to clear my airway. I didn't seek out medical treatment. It took over 3 weeks to clear, and I began to feel well, and went about my regular pace and habits. Well it came back this past Saturday night with a vengence, same symptoms, but more serious. I called the campground manager and her husband took me to the local ER, I was quickly admitted and started on aggressive therpy for pnenumonia brought on by the flu. In spite of the fact that I had last fall the pnemunoia shot and flu also. It was explained to me that the flu imunization of last fall was for type B flu, and what hit is type A. If any of you have any of these symptoms, get some professional treatment. george

Thanks for the heads up.

While emergency room docs don't like hypochondriacs, they would rather see early while treatment is a fairly simple matter, not later when it becomes much more complicated.

This flu thing is getting pretty bad here in the Phoenix, AZ area and some emergency rooms are reporting hour plus wait times to be seen. They suggest seeing your doctor or an urgent care center to get checked out and if warranted a shot of Tamiflu (?) to reduce the severity of the bug.

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/108256

I've got it right now and it's kicking my butt! Lots of folks here in Casa Grande, AZ seem to have it.

Hi know most of these posts are in AZ but the flu is here in Flordia too. I wanted to pass this along. Publix markets is offering FREE antibiotics to anyone who needs them so if you are in FL and your doc is going to give you prescriptions for antibiotics don't forget Publix. We had to get 3 for DH last month and it saved a bundle. I don't know if Wal*Marts $4.00 prescriptions include antibiotics but it would be worth a check expecially in AZ where there are no Publix. Get well soon!!! Hugs, Di

The high school where grandson goes in Union, SC had 400 out 1 day along with 30 teachers out.

We caught something during christmas from another grandson and we are just now getting over it. We believe it was whooping cough. Yes, we had both had the vaccination but it was 50 yrs ago. I did a study on it and it seems that there is alot more whooping cough out there than doctors want to recognize.

Anyway, it takes weeks to get over. The Chinese call it the 100-day flu. there is a website that you can go on and listen to the sound of the cough and compare your symtoms.

It does go into pneumonia for some.

I think doctors WAY over-prescribe antibiotics. It has caused many superbugs. And it doesn't help anyone but the drug companies. A high % has no effect on the illness at all.

quote:

I think doctors WAY over-prescribe antibiotics. It has caused many superbugs. And it doesn't help anyone but the drug companies. A high % has no effect on the illness at all.

I completely agree with that statement! Whatever happened to chicken soup, drink lots of liquids and bed rest?

quote:

I think doctors WAY over-prescribe antibiotics

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Doctors know that antibiotics have *no* effect on viruses, but often prescribe them anyway because the patient insists and/or the doctor doesn't want to/take the time to culture the infection to find out if it's viral or bacterial. (Or, the patient's insurance won't pay for the culture!)

Here's one source (of many!) for information on this topic:

http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/community/faqs.htm

George, hope you are feeling better. Usually a virus has to run it's course. There is some kind of bug here in AZ. I have a cough for the past 2 months I can't shake, but it is a dry hacking cough. May be the dust. John

wow!!!!! God speed. I had the flu this year and it took me almost two months to recover.

There are so many types of viruses that can evolve into Pneumonia. Six year old GD got it last year while we were in GA. So everytime she gets a cough, she gets an inhaler.

One of the Superintendents died last year from complications from Pneumonia at the age of 62. He went home to FL to take care of his sick wife. While there at a Dr visit for his wife, the Dr. said his cough sounded horrible and need to go to hospital for chest Xrays. They checked him in, but caught it too late.

I came down with a really bad case of the flu about 2 1/2 months ago and couldn't eat or hardly drink anything for over a week.

A few days later I went to the Dr after becoming sick again only to find out that I had a bad case of Pneumonia again which makes 5 years in a row that I've come down with Pneumonia but by far this is the worst year yet.

I'm just now starting to feel half way decent.

My wife has also been fighting colds and the flu all winter long but fortunately she hasn't been diagnosed as having Pneumonia "yet".

Our Dr says once you've had a bad case of Pneumonia your likely to come down with it again and again.

When I get to feeling a bit lonely sometimes, I just have to think about not being sick in almost seven years. On this remote N. Arizona ranch I have no neighbors, go to town once a week for about two minutes to pick up mail and shop at Walmart once a month for food. If I see or hear one cough, I hold my breath and go to another part of the store. Works for me.
Carl

It's interesting that you say what you do, Carl.

I'm a bit of a hermit myself and don't often get the things that go around. And the ones that I do get seem to come from either the kids or the grandkids coming to visit and coughing, sneezing and in the case of the grandkid, slobbering all over us.

FWIW...

Brian

I just re-read my post to be sure I wasn't advocating antibiotics. What I said was if you doctor was going to prescribe antibiotics then why not get them for free or for $4.00. In our case anitbiotics was the way to go and we did. Like I said I just didn't want anyone to misconstrue my post. When we were in Casa Grande last year I came down with a cold and doctored for over 2 weeks before going to the doctor. It had settled into severe Bronchitis and in that case too antibiotics was the only way to go. Diana