Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Just Get The Damn Flu Shot Next Year! NO EXCUSES!


So I haven't been blogging as much as usual lately, but for once there has been a good reason. I have been sick. Not "cough, cough, I have the sniffles" sick, laid out, dehydrated, fever and all kinds of awfl excretions from hell sick. It was bad enough that on Thursday I actually had to go to the ER for IV fluids and electrolytes because I could not keep anything good in me. It was about as sick as I have been in a long time! thankfully I am on the up & up now, but for like four days in there, it was really rather hairy.

And all that suffering brings me to my point. Get a flu shot and save yourself this bother. While not a catch all for ALL influenza virus, but it will seriously cut down on the chances you will go through the hell that I did. I was a dumbass and did not get a shot this year and paid dearly. So I am telling you now, I don't care about excuses (no that last flu shot did not make you sick, and no the government isn't trying to mind control you via flu shots) go out and get the damn vaccination already!! And if you do not, don't say I didn't warn you. . .

Yours in better health,

TomC

2 comments:

Princesse Ecossaise said...

Argh! Poor you, poor Carrie too! (at least you had your own personal nurse at home with you though...)

Glad you're doing well again!

Carrie said...

Ah, but unfortunately even the flu shot is not infallable. Even though each year a group of top experts try to predict which 3 or 4 strains of influenza will be the most prominent and include those in the flu shot for that year, there are hundreds of strains, and they cannot all be included. Unfortunately this year, they missed the target and the most widely seen strains were not included in the current flu vaccine. This is why there has been an unusually large amount of people testing positive to influenza this year. But don't fret... not all is lost. Many experts agree that even if the major strains presenting are not included in the flu shot, they may lessen the severity of any flu you may be exposed to due to your body's anitbodies reacting to a closely related virus.

Just remember, if you show symptoms of the flu, the only treatment is antivirals (if you catch it in the first 48 hours) and supportive care/symptom relief. Antibiotics will not help the flu!!!

Sorry kiddies... better luck next year!