Is there a serious flu going around? I had a great workout last night, ran 5km, lifted weights, felt great. This morning the digestrive tract protested a bit, nothing serious. Later at a meeting, my legs, and then my back, got really sore. By noon, I had an intense headache and fever. I’ve now got a cough, some phlem, and a little difficultly breathing. I’ve been sleeping pretty much since 1pm. It is 10pm now. I still feel wiped out.
Fortunately, one the friends of Tomas is coming over soon to take care of me (I asked her to wear a mask to protect her). I’m not so sore anymore, thanks to the rest, but I can barely walk, which is strange for me. I’m rarely sick, and when I do get sick, I can still function. Right now, I’m pretty much flat on my ass.
What is going on? Anyone caught something similar lately? My doc has moved away, but I haven’t been sick for a year, so I haven’t needed him. Anyone want to recommend a good practitioner (Western or Chinese is all good) in Taipei?
Sorry can’t offer a doctor, but it might be prudent to see a western one given the sudden onset. Especially if the chest’s getting tight.
To put your mind at ease I’m suspecting I missed something in not tracking the Chinese media of late, I’m seeing lots of be-masked folk wandering around. Is it fear of cold weather? Or cold weather and a fear of a re-newed SARS outbreak? Or is it just normal and I’ve been formosaied? Actually I think there’s some lurgey going around and that’s why people are masking up.
In the interim, fluids, lots of them, Panadol to reduce fever. You now the drill.
I ended up at the hospital last night. What a joke. Nothing like a dangerously disorganized hospital to make you suddenly feel like you’re going to be fine without the assistance of the buffons running the place.
Chest x-rays came out clean for SARS and anything worse. I’ve been feverish, painfully sore, and either asleep or on the toilet for the past 24 hours. I don’t think I’ve ever had a flu this powerful. Hurts like hell, but slowly getting better.
Just ran into someone (figuratively) who said she had a strep throat over the weekend. This teds to give you a very high fever and lots of awful green phlegm which triggers a cough. Hurts too.
I feel for you Tomas - had the same thing for two weeks, just getting back to normal now. It’s been GRIM! Aches, pains, headaches, DISGUSTING phlegm like I’ve never seen (or tasted).Ugh! I’ve never had anything quite so bad for quite as long either - the only consolation is that all my boyfriend’s family in Taoyuan have the same thing (don’t know why that makes me feel better!).
I took a variety of medicinal cocktails, western and local, and nothing touched it one bit. It’s one of those flus where you just have to rest and stop doing stuff, hard I know, but the sofa is the best place. I even tried sweatiing it all out at the gym a couple of times but almost passed out!
Get well soon, and don’t worry, it’s not just you!
BTW, LOADS of new movies out on DVD, if you can get to Blockbuster! Undercover Brother is a HOOT, perfect sick-on-the-sofa afternoon trash!
[quote=“magnolia”]I feel for you Tomas - had the same thing for two weeks, just getting back to normal now. It’s been GRIM! Aches, pains, headaches, DISGUSTING phlegm like I’ve never seen (or tasted).Ugh! I’ve never had anything quite so bad for quite as long either - the only consolation is that all my boyfriend’s family in Taoyuan have the same thing (don’t know why that makes me feel better!).
I took a variety of medicinal cocktails, western and local, and nothing touched it one bit. It’s one of those flus where you just have to rest and stop doing stuff, hard I know, but the sofa is the best place. I even tried sweatiing it all out at the gym a couple of times but almost passed out!
Get well soon, and don’t worry, it’s not just you!
BTW, LOADS of new movies out on DVD, if you can get to Blockbuster! Undercover Brother is a HOOT, perfect sick-on-the-sofa afternoon trash![/quote]
Thanks for the words of comfort.
Two weeks? :shock:
I don’t have two DAYS to give to this thing, let alone two WEEKS.
My student went home sick yesterday because she threw up at school. I was healthy this morning, but after I got out of my morning classes i felt tired. I came home and tried to sleep but I went to the doctor and he gave me a lot of medicine. He told me I can work tomorrow, but I should take the medicine for four days.
Are there any anti-flu-vaccinations in Taiwan? Since I’m in the middle of my final exams, I just got my shot last week. Hope it helps.
Who would have imagined, I had the worst flu of my life ever in the middle of August in Mainland China, cause my ex-boyfriend turned the Aircon down to 16 degrees…
[quote=“mesheel”]Are there any anti-flu-vaccinations in Taiwan? Since I’m in the middle of my final exams, I just got my shot last week. Hope it helps.
Who would have imagined, I had the worst flu of my life ever in the middle of August in Mainland China, cause my ex-boyfriend turned the Aircon down to 16 degrees…
Get well soon Tomas[/quote]
So let me get this straight. you’re moving to taiwan soon to live with your boyfriend/fiancee/what-have-you. but in the meantime, you’re living with your ex in mainland.
wow, swiss girls rock.
One word: echinacea. Forget about the vitamins, garlic, oj, or what have you. This herbal extract is the ultimate immune system builder. I take one softgel (125 mg) every day during the flu season and have been well fortified.
I don’t have two DAYS to give to this thing, let alone two WEEKS.[/quote]
Tell me about it! My theory is that I picked up a couple of NEW bugs as my immune system was low - I work in a large office where there is consistently at least one person coughing and spluttering - and I read today on MSN that there are at least 200 types going around :shock:
I think Incubus is right - avoid traditional medicines and try to boost your immune system - the symptons of colds and flu are just your body’s reaction to germs, not the actions of the germs themselves - medicines can fuck up your natural defences.
Alternatively, you could kiss the furry muzzle of a mouse (Roman cure) or just pray (Medieval Christian).
i STILL think the sofa and a pile of DVDs is the best though!
The first year I lived here I had a couple of pretty bad flus too, worse then anything else this boy has experienced. I would take Huang’s advice and steer clear of any Chinese medicine, or the stuff the western hospitals dole out in bags here. There’s no medicine which will cure the flu. Lots of water and something to take the fever and the pain. If there is any scientifically medicine, which strengthens the immune system apart from a veried diet, moderate exercise, and getting one’s sleep, then I would queue up to buy it.
I doubt Watsons carries it. You might want to try GNC (General Nutrition Center). There’s one on ZhongShan N. Rd. Sec. 2, across from McKay Hospital. I get mine from the states.
Mr. He, that’s why this flu seemed so powerful. I’ve been here for four years. Never had anything close to this. I get colds 2-3 times a year, usually when I’m working too much or the weather changes, but they are always mild and quickly gone. I can eat anything outside with no trouble, have a very strong immune system and a lot of vitality. This thing sucked it all away.
Fortunately, I seem to be pretty much on the mend now. That means it lasted about 48 hours. Just a word to the wise to watch your health.
A note about the hospital I went to: Mackay Hospital. What a fucking joke. Very third world. No information given whatsoever, even after I established that my lady friend could speak good English and I could speak good Mandarin. The lady who took my temp and blood pressure would not answer my questions about how high they were. She only clucked that my temp was too high. They thought I might have SARS, so they sent me OUTSIDE (not a typo) to sit next to a bunch of geniouses in a similar condition smoking out the sides of their masks. I told the hospital people that the little kid who was stretched out and looked near death should go first, and they just laughed at me. Made me piss in a cup in a dark, unlit port-a-john, then put the piss on a public table, later did nothing with the piss so I threw it out, after about 10 people stopped by to see what foreigner piss looks like. When the doctor said he wanted to draw blood, I asked him “Why?” He didn’t have a good reason for me, so I told him to forget about it. He just sort of shrugged and said, “Okay.” I asked him for a diagnosis, repeatedly, and in very standard Mandarin. Nothing doing. No diagnosis. I had to run through everything with him myself. Chest x-ray is clean, right? Okay. High fever, but no serious coughing. Probably not SARS, right? Okay, probably just a simple flu, right? Okay, see you dolts later. I’m outta here. Mackay Hospital is supposed to be one of the best in Taiwan. God, don’t ever get seriously ill in Taiwan. You’re dead for sure.
I find that emergency rooms, regardless of the hospital SUCK here. I suggest to everyone, if you can suffer through the night and are not SERIOUSLY ILL AND NEAR DEATH. Go in the next day and make an appointment with a doctor. Much better served I believe…
It’s not sars. i got it too tomas, 4 days, the works. my doc says it’s the harbinger of sars, whatever that means. i think he means: and please do not quote me on this: THE BIG ONE is coming again soon. This was a wake up call to wash hands, take precautions, use a condom, and hope – fervently – that the sars that does not exist does not come back to haunt this island fortress. cough cough.
the point is it’s almost november, and let’s all get together and talk about this in May. If we survive… the Winter of 2004!
