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Health update

I've been feeling terrible for the past week, which explains my erratic posting. Today I felt even terribler, so I spent the morning in the ER and learned that I have the flu. Blah. But at least I know what it is. I'll probably spend a night or two in the hospital under observation.

32 thoughts on “Health update

  1. csherbak

    Hope you feel better soon.

    Story time (bypass as you will): for a very long time I eschewed getting the annual flu shot as I never felt like it was worth the effort - others could more likely use it and I seemed to weather it well enough if/when I got it. (queue ominous music) Until... one year I got it and was laid (? lain?) up for a couple days and felt wretched. Very weak, achey and just dreadful - slept a lot. I then thought about how well I'd weather it if (when) I was older or health compromised in some way. Basically, not. I then understood how it was fatal in some cases.

    I've gotten the vaccine every year since. It's really no fun. Glad you're under a doctor's care.

      1. cld

        I have an elderly cousin who never gets a flu shot and who claims never to have had the flu and to be immune to it. I visited them over Christmas and the entire household, four other people, had been down with it, but it didn't go near him.

        1. shapeofsociety

          I get a flu shot every year, but even though it isn't perfectly effective and I didn't start getting annual flu shots until I was an adult, I don't think I've ever had the flu. Or maybe I did have it, but my symptoms were mild enough that I mistook it for a cold?

          Maybe your cousin's immune system has a gentle reaction to the flu virus, so he doesn't have symptoms.

    1. emjayay

      Yes, although I did get the jab some years I wasn't consistent until I was like the donkey in the joke that the owner said was obedient. The two by four was just to get its attention first.

      Years ago I came to work and realized I felt oddly terrible. Mentioned it to the supervisor who asked "Have a headache? Yes. "Joint pain?" Yes. (how did he know?) "You have the flu." I went home and was out for a week. That was the last time I ever skipped it. Well, the year before I got the flu twice as did others I knew. I guess two varieties came through. So multiple two by fours to get my attention.

  2. Winslow2

    Argh. Hope you feel better soon, because I look forward to your thoughts on RFK, Jr. and other matters currently in the spotlight.

    1. Ken Rhodes

      One of the lessons some of us learned as a side effect of the Covid pandemic—an N95 or KN95 mask is a very cheap and relatively painless way to protect ourselves from a variety of airborne pathogens, pollens and just plain dust.

  3. ProgressOne

    Oh man, hope you feel better soon! Glad it's the flu rather than something worse. But I know the flu can sometimes be dangerous too. A hospital stay sounds reasonable after recent drug treatments.

  4. orsonk

    Kevin,

    For selfish reasons, I want you to be healthy and keep living on... so I can keep reading what you have to say. I don't always agree with you, but I greatly respect your intelligence and integrity, and I'm so glad you keep doing what you're doing!

    O.

  5. Citizen99

    Wondering if Kevin's cancer treatment was a contraindication for a flu shot, or if he just didn't want to get one, or if he DID get one but got the flu anyway.

    1. soapdish

      Teclistimab is an effective immunosuppressive treatment but it carries a high increase in probability of infection, esp respiratory.

  6. DFPaul

    I'll bet the Trump administration is not helping.

    They impounded. They unimpounded.

    Does not help in knowing which way is up.

    Be well.

  7. kathleent

    Hope you are better and out of the hospital soon - till then enjoy that great Kaiser hospital food.......Just kidding.

  8. chello

    Having the flu sucks. It feels like you've been hit by a ton of bricks. (I think, never having been hit by a ton of bricks.) You've got this. You'll be great, world on a plate, all that. Picture yourself as Elizabeth Bennett's sister Jane in bed at Netherfield Park, coughing demurely while being fussed over and read to. Meanwhile your beautiful beloved sends you tisanes. And hot bricks to warm your bed. BTW for those who didn't know, a tisane is any herbal tea that's not made from, specifically, the tea plant. Just learned that so, thanks Kevin!

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