I am not a particularly sickly individual. I certainly don't treat my body with a great deal of respect and often do things I shouldn't…things that no doubt have an adverse effect on my well-being (like drinking copious amounts of whiskey and eating whatever the hell I want). I'm good for a sinus infection once a year and possibly a spring cold, but I'm not someone who often gets sick.
On a Friday in late February I came home from work feeling generally crappy. By bedtime I knew I was getting a cold, and I resolved to endure it over the weekend (what choice did I have?), drink plenty of fluids, etc. etc. etc. I treated this cold with over-the-counter remedies (Dayquil and Nyquil, Robitussin cough medicine, and ibuprofen for the aches and pains) . By Monday I felt worse but resolved to stick it out.
A word about my symptoms: I had a persistent cough, aches and pains, and chills and sweats. I was going through 2-3 shirts a night, as I would wake up suddenly soaked in sweat and needed to change. When I did, I was delirious and had no idea where I was or how to navigate my own house. I had no appetite.
What I did not have was any congestion in my nose or a sore throat. If I had a sore throat, I would have sought medical attention sooner, since above all things I hate having a sore throat and whine like a crabby baby when I do.
Instead I waited until the following Wednesday to go see my doctor. I knew nothing I was doing was working, so I didn't have a cold. I had a viral or bacterial infection that would not heal without prescription medication. Also, I had developed a new, distressing symptom: I had shooting nerve pains on my face and scalp with no discernable cause. It made it impossible to achieve any level of comfort no matter how or where I positioned myself.
Upon consulting with my doctor ($30 copay for a walk-in), he took one look at me and stated, "You, sir, are the walking personification of the flu." He informed me I was super-contagious and should not even think about going to work or anywhere else any other human might be. He prescribed Tamiflu for 5 days, something else I can't recall and a stronger cough syrup. He told me to go home and drink fluids and take the pills and try to rest. So after I went to the pharmacy ($115.00 copay for my medication), I did.
Within 3 days the fever stopped. By the end of the five days I didn't have the shooting pains in my face and scalp anymore. I was cured.
On the sixth night after the doctor's visit, I woke up suddenly in agony. It felt as if someone was trying to access the right side of my chest by means of a crowbar through my ribcage. I was confused (I was asleep seconds before) and in excruciating pain. I thought I was dying, and the more I moved the worse it got. Finally things subsided enough that I could lay down, but sleep was impossible. In the morning, I coughed up blood and thought…gee, this probably isn't good.
I had no other symptoms besides the pain in my chest every time I took a deep breath and the blood in my sputum. But back to the doctor's I went.
This time, I met with a nurse practitioner who felt that the blood was likely due to irritation from coughing with the flu for a week and a half. But she sent me for a chest CAT scan anyway ($600.00 copay for the two tests…gotta love the beginning of the year) just to be sure. An hour later, as I was eating a late breakfast, I received a phone call. "Mr. Piper", the nurse practitioner said, "you have acute bilateral pneumonia."
I was working. I was driving. In short, aside from the pain in my chest, I was functioning normally.
"I see," I said. "Well, that's…odd."
"Yes, it is," she said. "It's common to develop an infection after the flu, but you have a very severe case of this. The CAT scan shows it clearly. If you're having fevers and shortness of breath or if you are still coughing blood then you need to go to the hospital."
"I'm not having any fever. I haven't had a fever in a week. I'm not having any of those symptoms besides what I told you."
"I was surprised by this, too," she said. "You are not presenting as a person with this diagnosis typically would. However you need to take this very seriously, because rarely have I seen a case this bad outside of a hospital."
She prescribed Levaquin for 10 days (another $30 USD copay). I took it without incident and within 3 days the pain in my chest pretty much disappeared. In the meantime I got a very strongly worded letter from my doctor, informing me that this type of pneumonia was nothing to take lightly and that if I had any symptoms like fever and nausea and shortness of breath I should go to the emergency room immediately. If I continued to cough blood I needed to go to the hospital. And he wanted to see me a week after I completed the Levaquin for a follow-up. I also got a phone call from the nurse practitioner essentially saying the same thing. I reassured her I was not experiencing any fevers or shortness of breath and that I would seek medical help if needed.
Fast forward to yesterday. I went for my follow-up visit (another $30 USD copay). My doctor listened to my lungs and said all is well. He wants an X-Ray to be sure, but it's too soon. So he's putting it off until my physical in a month. Fingers crossed, all is well.
So, here, in a nutshell, is my review of the flu.
It sucks.
A few years ago, I returned from a trip to Jamaica feeling terrible. I had a hard time catching my breath and I was dizzy. I went to my doctor and saw the same nurse practitioner as I did above. Upon walking into my doctor's office, I blacked out, my blood pressure crashed, and I was taken via ambulance to the nearest hospital, where it was discovered that I had Legionella Pneumonia (Legionnaire's disease). I was in the hospital for 3 days. According to my hospital physician, it was a good thing I came in when I did. A few days more and he would have been having a very different conversation with my family. (Incidentally, 3 years ago that nurse practitioner, whose name is Cheryl, literally saved my life. I'm happy I got the chance to thank her yesterday, as when I saw her last week I wasn't really thinking straight.)
I've never had the flu in my life until now. I have never felt as sick as I did last week. Believe me when I say that I felt a hell of a lot better with Legionella than I did with the flu.
In addition to the coughing blood, fever, delirium and shooting nerve pains, this illness cost me close to $1,000.00 USD over two and a half weeks. And that's WITH health insurance.
I never get the flu vaccine because I never got the flu, and because it's supposedly only about 30% effective. Well guess what? The gamer in me would have happily rolled d100 and hoped for a 30 or less to avoid feeling one-third as bad as I felt. This was no fun.
In conclusion, I cannot in good conscience recommend the flu to anyone. Avoid it if possible.
