This bug that's going around

[FuzzyPanther]

I started to get this new thing on Sunday, but it wasn't "that bad".

Monday I felt pretty awful, called in sick (rare for me). Upper respiratory, runny nose, clogged head, sore throat, clogged ears, hershey squirts.

Tuesday, I woke up hurting really bad, (called in again!) something a bit worse than Monday, but all of the above, and tacked on some serious coughing and what I suspect to be bronchitis, because my lungs literally f'ing hurt bad when I cough. Nose is running like one of those African tribe guys who compete in Marathons. I'm a big baby, so wife=mom when I'm sick, told her to get me a Dr's appt, but I felt so bad I didn't want to leave the house, called her back, told her to cancel that because I wasn't going anywhere.

Wednesday (today), improvement all the way around. Still got everything, but all to a much milder, more manageable degree. I feel good enough that I might try to work out a little today (definitely no running though, my lungs f'ing still hurt pretty bad). Luckily I'm off work today and Thursday, but I've got to be back by Friday and work the whole weekend (Merry Christmas to me...) I would think this was the flu, but every time I've ever had the flu in the past, it was accompanied by pretty severe body aches, and just a general feeling of being tired all the time, and I haven't had that. This thing is a beast though, and anyone who has any type of compromised immune system might be running a serious risk by catching this thing.

[blackcatgrowl]

I've got the sinus version of this crap. Started on the 11th with really bad drainage that a Zyrtec D wouldn't clear up. Went to the Dr. on the 13th because it felt like someone kicked me in both arm-pits as my lymph nodes were swollen as hell, and I was starting to get a sore throat and couldn't stay out of the bathroom.

The stupid PA at the practice said "oh, it's a virus", and gave me a prescription decongestant to take. She said if it didn't clear up in a week to call back.

Well, it didn't, and by this past Monday, I was coughing up chunks of dark brown and red mucus when I woke up. I'm into day 2 of some amoxicillin, but the drainage is still really bad. Feels like someone stabbed me in the throat.

Interesting part of all this, is that both of my kids have had it, and they tested positive for strep, while I didn't. I suspect its all the same crap though.