February 8, 2013

"Did you know that if you can't catch your breath and start hyperventilating, you will lose feeling in your legs and hands..."

"... and they will start to cramp, which you will not feel but see? I did not know this, but I think it is a good thing to know as otherwise the loss of feeling and cramping are a bit frightening."

Info to remember, in case you get the flu that's going around.

34 comments:

Cody Jarrett said...

So she joined the herd and got the flu shot, then proceeded to get the flu, which got so bad she needed the ambulance.

Glad you're on the mend, Freeman, but good grief, you could've done all that without getting the shot.

Why has getting the shot, then getting the flu made you more pro flu shot?

caplight45 said...

I just snow blowed (snow blew?) my kid's driveway here in Wisconsin. It's about 180 feet long with a little parking lot next to the house. My toes and fingers are numb and I am breathing heavily. Perhaps I am hyper blowing.

I got the flu shot and got flu A and B six weeks later.

caplight45 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kelly said...

When I was in labor with my first kid I hyperventilated, had the tingling and numbness in my hands, I was scared to death! The nurse had me breath into a paper bag.

I got the flu shot and didn't get the flu.

Kelly said...

You got not one, but two flu strains, caplight45? How long we're you sick?

caplight45 said...

When I went to the doctor for my flu (not even knowing I had the flu) the nurse told me that they had been seeing otherwise perfectly healthy young and middle age adults with SatO2s in the 88-92% range. Not good. This has been a bad flu. The middle part of the country was hit the worst from what I heard if that's any comfort to Freeman.

Bob Ellison said...

I've got the flu shot every year since I last got the flu about twelve years ago. Haven't been stricken since. Just colds.

That's an anecdote. Not useful data. But the statistics don't lie.

By the way, I'm prone to muscle cramps, I drink tonic water as a prophylactic. It seems to work, and my endocrinologist approves the therapy. I like the taste anyway. But don't take quinine pills! The stuff is apparently toxic at high enough levels, like everything else.

caplight45 said...

Kelly: In retrospect I probably had it for a day or so before I went to the doctor. Thought I had a sinus infection but turned out it was this "Did-you-get-the-number-of-the-truck-that-ran-over-you" flu. She put me and the whole house on Tamiflu which I think really helped. So I went down on a Monday and was out and about by Friday though moving a bit slowly. I'm just glad I didn't get the "throw-your-guts-up-till-your-nose-bleeds" flu that has also been going around eastern Kansas and western Missouri. I couldn't tell you how many people have been sick in my church. Really bad.

AllenS said...

Freeman, get well soon.

Deirdre Mundy said...

http://www.businessinsider.com/tamiflu-cochrane-report-effectiveness-2013-1

Actually, there's some evidence that Tamiflu may not be more effective than Vitamin C......

And the Flu shot's effectiveness is down around 50-60% and worse for high risk populations...

After a century of war, the Flu is still winning. (We got it bad this year too... right before Christmas, and had some tense nights with my asthmatic daughter....Luckily we never hit the 'hospital' stage.....)

David said...

I got the flu vaccine. Get it every year. Have not had flu since I started the annual vaccine.

Shingles? That's another story. Just finished six weeks of that. Still having after effects.

Get a flu shot. Get the shingles vaccine. (I could not because of immune system issues.)

Sorry you are sick Freeman. It's even more difficult with kids around.

Kelly said...

David, I had the shingles, probably had the nerve pain for at least a year. Felt like being stabbed with an ice pick. My Aunt got the shingles vaccine and still got the shingles, thinks it's only 60 percent effective.

Bob Ellison said...

Don't get the shingles.

This is starting to look more like a Café post where everyone sings the blues. I remember this one time in grade school when a kid twice my size ran into me at second base...

Patrick said...

It's only the flu. Don't Need No doctor

Seriously, though Freeman. Get well soon.

Christy said...

So sorry for your misery, Freeman. And to all who came down with it.

Freeman Hunt said...

Thank you for the kind words. I seem to be getting better fast now, and no one else in the family has shown any signs of coming down with it.

edutcher said...

Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.

Freeman, you have my sympathy. At least it had the good taste to wait until after the Holidays to get you.

MadisonMan said...

I have a friend whose kids got Tamiflu, and she was surprised at how costly it was. >$100 a shot!

Freeman, glad you're on the mend.

I've often wondered if I can get shingles. I've never had chicken pox, but had the vaccine back when the kids were little (they got chicken pox shortly after I had the vaccine). Mom had shingles and it was 6 months of pain for her.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

I've never had a flu shot. And I don't think that I've ever had the flu either. (knock wood!!!!!!) I suppose I would know it as being different from a regular cold (???), which is ordinarily a bad cough and sinus congestion where you feel like crud for a few days and maybe a low grade fever for a day or so.

When I start feeling sick or see that other people are getting sick, I triple up on Vitamin C and Zinc. Airborne is a pretty good source. Probably a panacea, but...what the heck. It can't hurt and it tastes pretty good. We also get even more scrupulous about hand washing and Clorox wipes on all surfaces that we might be touching.

When all else fails, a hot brandy with lemon and honey before bed.

I AM prone to getting bronchial pneumonia and recognize the signs of that and then go to the doctor for some anti-biotics. I might go and get a pneumonia prevention shot sometime.

For all those who have the flu...get well and stay the hell away from me :-)

edutcher said...

Appropriately philanthropic and misanthropic at the same time.

I think you just spanned the Space-Time Continuum, DBQ.

deborah said...

Glad you're better, Freems :)

Anonymous said...

Get the paper bag, breath into it slowly until you suck back some carbon dioxide.

Anonymous said...

Glad you're on the mend Freeman!

Anonymous said...

I get the flu shot every year, never gave me the flu. Some people have been exposed to the virus first then get the shot, then still get the flu because the body didn't get time to develop immunity yet.

ndspinelli said...

The Great Influenza is an interesting and thorough book on the gret pandemic of 1918. It might scare the shit out of you, Freeman. However, it will reinforce your belief in flu shots. The book shows what a fucking idiot Woodrow Wilson was during the pandemic. Professors are not leaders!

Anonymous said...

DBQ, do you mean placebo?

Patrick said...

Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.

You get a t shirt for that? I feel like I missed out a few years ago.

Megaera said...

Actually, it's sort of the reverse. Hyperventilating, breathing fast and shallow, makes it harder to catch a normal breath (breaking out of the pattern; typically either you'll slow on your own or keep it up til you pass out -- which automatically slows your breath rate. Physiologically, your blood is moving to the alkalne side of its normal PH, which is what causes the transient extremity tingling/numbness. Treating people who are hyperventilating means explaining all that; we can't use the breathe-in-the-paper-bag any more, alas. It worked -- breathing your own CO2 supplied an acid shift back to balance in the blood -- but too many heart and resp conditions look like hyperventilation and respond very badly to CO2 supplementation, so it's off the protocols.

Megaera said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Freeman Hunt said...

Yeah, Tamiflu was not cheap: about $400 for the whole family, and that's with insurance.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

@ Inga. Yes. That is what I meant. Placebo. Thank you.

Makes you think that it will do good, but probably doesn't. Airborne, probably does nothing, but probably can't hurt either.

chickelit said...

Glad to hear you're OK, Freeman!

Still counting on you to run for something one day besides marathons.

Unknown said...

Glad to hear you're feeling better Freeman.

ken in tx said...

When I was in the Air Force I had to get a flu shot every year. The first year after I retired, I didn't get one, because I didn't have to. I got the flu and was sick as a dog for two weeks. Ever since I have got a flu shot every year. I have not had the flu since.

I hope you are better Freeman.