For Christmas, I decided to go to Jacksonville, FL to visit my family. I was under the impression that my mom and my niece would be flying from Syracuse, NY to to join us, but that didn’t happen. I didn’t find out about that until I actually arrived in Jacksonville after driving 16 hours from Dallas. After that news, I started to get a tickle in my back of my throat, and it was the first sign of a cold brewing.
I slept for 12 hours that night, only to wake up not feeling better. That day I went out to Dave and Buster’s with my family and we had a good time playing games, then I treated my family for dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. After that, I was done for the rest of my trip. I spent most of my vacation laying in bed and coughing. After about 4 days, the illness morphed into a sinus issue and phlegm being expressed from my lungs. Not just any phlegm, but neon green colored phlegm. I was not able to sleep laying down because all the fluids draining, so I had to sleep in an inclined position which helped relieve some of my coughing spells. I don’t think I got any real sleep after sleeping for 12 hours my first night.
I left at 7am after my 6th day for the drive back to Dallas, and for most of the trip I was doing well. I didn’t buy the extra-strength cough medicine so while driving I was taking it every 4 hours. After driving through New Orleans, LA I started to feel completely awful and started to run a high fever. I knew that I wasn’t going to make it to Dallas so I decided to make a detour to Houston, TX for the night. While stopped for gas at the border of Louisiana and Texas I stared to cough so much that I started to get dry heaves. I was really nervous, but I knew I had to make it to the hotel in Houston.
I got the hotel, and first thing I did was take a hot shower so that the steam could break up some of the phlegm/fluid in my sinus and lungs. I was able to get most of it out of my body but I was still having dry heaves, which I think now was attributed to my high fever. I was freaking out because never cough so much in my life and didn’t know what was happening to me. I called my sister and I told her most of the things that were happening, because I didn’t want to scare her. I manage to control my freak out, find some Advil and go get something to eat at IHOP. While waiting for my food, my fever broke and I was complete drenched in sweat and I had people staring at me. I told the person waiting on me that I had a high fever and it was now breaking, which quelled the look of curiosity they had. I drove back to the hotel, had some of my food, and managed to get some sleep.
I woke up the next morning, and called an urgent care facility that was 2 minutes from my hotel. I drive there and about 20 minutes later I was diagnosed with Bronchitis, and given a prescription for a Z-pack, something I had never heard of before. I have an irrational fear of antibiotics because I think they are over prescribed which does more harm than good. Also, this would have been my second time in 6 months I would have been on antibiotics, and the last dose has some side-effects with lasted for a couple of months. After my appointment, I took my 2 pills for Day 1 of 5 dose, and drove home. The drive home was uneventful and I was out of work until 1/6 because I was still recovering.
It is now 1/12, and I still have lingering effects of my illnesses, but the Z-pack worked great and made me feel better on day 3 of the 5 day dose. 7 of 8 people on my team was sick with the same symptoms and half the office was sick as well. It wasn’t until 1/09 I learned there was a flu epidemic happening, and I am pretty sure I had the Flu, which then cause me to get Bronchitis. My sister a few days after I left Jacksonville told me she was having similar symptoms but she went to the doctor right away, because she doesn’t have a phobia of medicines like I do and she recovered quicker.
Remember that whole H1N1 Flu that had people scared shitless, but never really panned out? This is the real thing, and 21 children has already died of the Flu.
Stay well. Wash your hands often, and if you are up to it, where a surgical mask like to do in Japan.
I’m glad that you are feeling better! That was really scary – I’m glad it turned out ok, – being sick when you are by yourself, even for a day or two, is really hard. I hope you are back to 100% soon. Do you take the flu shot? (we get it at work)
I got the flu shot in 2005-2006 and I got sick both time right after the injection. I decided to stop getting the shot because of this. In any case, there are 3 strains of the flu going around and I am not sure if the injection will fully cover you.
I’m sure it is only good against the particular strain they predict is going to be common – and it seems this year they were not perfect. If it makes you sick, then I don’t blame you; I’ve been lucky on that front – so it seems to me always safer to go ahead and get it. I hope that was your one experience for a good long time!