Flu Watch

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Just when I'm congratulating myself on missing all the little illnesses floating around, wouldn't you know, I come down sick.

H1N1? I've no idea. Supposedly it's too early for the seasonal bug and if one suffers from the flu now, it's the swine flu. Okay, fine, whatever.

In retrospect, I've been fighting something for a couple weeks. Thursday I was really feeling the beginnings of it, but I chalked it up to the change in the weather.

Friday, I left work before noon: I'm pretty in touch with my body, and I knew something was coming for me. I felt well enough to go ahead and make dinner - as I posted. After dinner, kids in bed, we watched the first half of Casino Royale, with my hips on fire. With osteoarthritis advanced enough to show on x-ray, I expect some aching pretty much all the time, but not knifing pain.

Saturday morning, Michelle took my temperature. I don't run fevers, as a rule. My normal temp runs at about 98° even. Even with a system full of ibuprofen to help with body aches, I registered in at 100°. I imagine my untreated temperature would have been at least 102°.  When I'm feverish, I hallucinate every time I close my eyes and try to relax. Not pink elephants, but Gray Noise, garbage, like the screens in The Matrix played at high speed on an antique black and white TV with bad reception. I hurt, could hardly move, took three hot baths seeking relief. There was very little sleep last night.

Now, Sunday, Day 3: I've been up and mostly functional for several hours. It's been fever, coughing, sore throat, vertigo, body aches, extreme fatigue, some nausea. I haven't suffered from vomiting or any other expulsatory symptoms. Flu this may be, but I have hopes of being past the worst of it.