Great public service announcement. A good friend of mine was very sick with the flu last year, close to renal failure. Though she survived it took a year for her to fully recover. She had the flu shot which we know has varying degrees of effectiveness each year. Vigilance and quick action are so important. I had DH at the Minute Clinic twice last year getting checked. He didn’t have the flu but It was well worth getting checked for the peace of mind and to get treated if he did have it.

People use the term “flu” so loosely and really have no idea how sick both children and adults can be from the “real” flu. I’m an RN also and next to doctors, we are the worst at getting help when we’re sick. Thanks for sharing this!

A few months before she got married my niece's mother in law to be died from the flu. She was also a nurse.

I really don't understand health care professionals who don't get the flu shot. A couple of years ago my husband was hospitalized for a few days in our local hospital at the end of January, and they had one of those big posters with a picture of a giant thermometer, which is usually used to show donations towards a goal. In this case it was showing the percent of hospital staff who had had the flu shot. It was only about 35%. I was horrified that staff that were caring for my husband could possibly be carrying the flu virus.

I agree that people do not know how sick they can be. It truly is amazing.

The hospital system where I work has mandatory flu vaccination. It requires a MD note to document contraindications in receiving the vaccine. Perhaps a religious waiver is available to? If not vaccinated by a certain date, you are suspended without pay until you are. Tough love!

Good info, Lynn-- we believe ourselves invulnerable and it's "just the flu". I'm so sorry for the loss of your friends and the feeling that it didnt have to be so. When is staying in bed and taking care of yourself not the right answer if you feel lousy? A trip to the doc is an expensive proposition and we don't want to be judged as hypochondriacs.

Lynn, so sorry to hear of the sad loss of your friends. Where I live, Ontario Canada, flu shots are available free to everyone, but so many who I know are too complacent and don't make the effort to get this potentially live-saving shot.

"When is staying in bed and taking care of yourself not the right answer if you feel lousy? A trip to the doc is an expensive proposition and we don't want to be judged as hypochondriacs."

Yes to this. I was really sick last winter and felt so foolish when I went to urgent care and all tests came back negative. I guess we need to err on the side of caution, though, and just go in and get checked out.

I almost always get sick after flying, particularly on international flights. I cannot believe how careless sick passengers can be about sharing their germs. It absolutely disgusts me. We've taken to flying business or first class for that reason and have not gotten sick since.

I was told about a nasal spray to use while flying to help reduce the chance of getting sick but the person who told me couldn't remember the name of it. Would anyone here happen to know? Whoever told my friend about it swears that since using it she no longer gets sick after flying.

Good info Lynn. So sorry for your losses.

Oh Lynn, such awful losses-and your friends were so young! Due to my compromised immunity, I get the flu shot annually as soon as it's available and I take precautions to prevent it as much as I can. I have learned not to try to tough it out-but I'm immunocompromised, I can see where people who are healthy might not want to seek medical care, but as with heart attacks-better safe than sorry!

Right now there is a measles outbreak occuring in my area. So far 19 confirmed cases-latest one an adult who was at the Trailblazers game recently. I expect the cases to explode soon and it worries me since I have a 2 yo grandson and a new grandbaby due in 6 weeks. I'm vaxxed for it, but it could be that there are plenty of others around who are not.

Thanks for the PSA-and again, I'm so sorry to hear about your friends.

Yes, flu kills. My dentist died a couple of years before we left California. Flu. He was about 60. And back in 2002. my best friend died after a bout with the flu. Technically she had a pulmonary embolism, but it was brought about by the flu. She was 37.

"we don't want to be judged as hypochondriacs."

I'd rather be judged as a hypochondriac than dead.

How awful and sad. I had no idea people are supposed to go to the ER for the flu. I have always just stayed home in bed and waited for it to pass. I can't imagine sitting in an ER waiting room for hours while feeling sick and nauseous. I don't even know what "stay vigilant" means when it comes to the flu .. when is the right time to seek treatment, and what exactly IS the treatment?

Lynn, I am so sorry about your friends. Thank you for your post. TBH when i read the title I thought "...isn't it just the very young and very old?" Clearly, not.

I don't usually get a flu shot. But from now on, i think I shall.

Thanks.

(and waving hi!)

Thank you for this reminder. I read awhile ago in our local paper that the flu killed 10,000 people in our state (Texas) last year, and couldn't believe it. But it was true, 10,000 people!

If you can get to your doctor early in the flu they can prescribe Tamiflu which is supposed to shorten the duration, and most importantly lessen the symptoms.

I guess I'm a little confused as to what symptoms are considered flu symptoms? I always assumed they would include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea but not include cold symptoms and chest congestion. How does one know if they have a cold or the flu?

Lynn, did you get the flu last year in spite of having had a flu shot?

Vomiting and diarrhea are not usually symptoms of influenza. Fever, chills, body aches, feeling like you've been run over by a truck are.

Usually self-diagnosable

Symptoms include fever, chills, muscle aches, cough, congestion, runny nose, headaches, and fatigue.

People may experience:

Pain areas: in the muscles

Cough: can be dry or with phlegm

Whole body: chills, dehydration, fatigue, fever, flushing, loss of appetite, body ache, or sweating

Nasal: congestion, runny nose, or sneezing

Also common: chest pressure, head congestion, headache, nausea, shortness of breath, sore throat, or swollen lymph nodes

Besides self-protection, there's another reason that health officials recommend that nearly everyone, starting at six months of age, get this vaccine:

Getting a flu shot isn’t all about you. It’s also about the people who are unable to get flu shots, the ones whose immune systems can’t fight off a virus like yours can and the ones already weak from battling cancer and other illnesses. When you get the flu shot, it doesn't just protect you; it protects all of us.

Getting a flu shot isn’t all about you. It’s also about the people who are unable to get flu shots, the ones whose immune systems can’t fight off a virus like yours can and the ones already weak from battling cancer and other illnesses. When you get the flu shot, it doesn't just protect you; it protects all of us.

Absolutely!!

So much misinformation, and many people refuse to get it, sadly.

Even more upsetting when healthcare workers report to work with flu symptoms and high fever because there's no back-up plan in place!

Cold and Flu Symptoms Are Different

Both the flu and the common cold are caused by viruses, according to the CDC, but they’re caused by different viruses. So while some symptoms overlap, there are differences in the severity and likelihood of symptoms. People who have colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose than people who have the flu. A cold rarely results in fever, while the flu usually does. The influenza virus also commonly causes chills, while a cold does not. And if you have a headache on top of all your other symptoms, it’s more likely that you have the flu than a cold, according to the CDC.

The onset of these symptoms is also much more sudden for the flu, and the influenza virus can cause complications like bacterial infections, pneumonia, and other respiratory health problems that the cold virus will not.

A different article on the same subject mentioned that a slight fever could be had with a cold, but if it was 102* or higher it was most likely the flu.

There are no words to console you Lynn but your message has impacted my mind and I now have the knowledge to urge others to get treated stat if they have the symptoms. Thank you.

Lynn, I'm so sorry for your losses. We do get our flu shots, wash hands frequently, and when hearing reports of severe outbreaks we will even go as far as to skip crowded social events if not something we've clearly committed to. A dear friend is our public health nurse and freely advises.

Nine months ago, my neighbors 54 yr old healthy vibrant daughter came down with flu. Her husband, a chiropractor, called her mother and said he was taking her to urgent care. Urgent care didn't feel they could adequately treat her and were sending her to the closest full service hospital, about a 35 minute ambulance trip. Mother and husband left to meet her at the hospital. She didn't make it, passed on the way. He closed his practice for a month, and while coping, I don't think her mother may ever be the same. So yes, influenza kills, and not just the very young or very old.

I too am very sorry about your losses everyone. Nobody I know has been struck down by flu but I do know it's something to keep an eye on as we age particularly.

Dear nephew came to me last night and said I can't breathe so off we went to the doctors. He was full of mucus in his lungs. At first they thought he had a cold then they thought he had pneumonia then now they are saying this is some kind of a flu. Sometimes they don't even know. He's got an expectorant and not much else for medication. He had his flu shot. He is not better nor worse but I am keeping an eye on him. He has no fever no nausea or aches and pains etc, just phlegm filled lungs causing breathing problems. So confusing.

Thank you for posting that for everyone, Mdln! Great information!!!

I’m sorry that I haven’t been posting any responses here. I’ve been reading everything, but mentally I’m not up to it yet. I’m just working through Jim’s death right now.

Thank you mdln. The doctor based his initial exam on DN's rattling breathing. Nephew has a sore throat, a cough and lungs full of phlegm. That's it. It was sudden in fact an overnight thing though.

There was a story on our evening news tonight and it mentioned that H1N1 flu is becoming more and more common for those in their 30's and 40's. It was part of a story about a 43year old Calgary man who is in great physical shape, mountain bike rider, goes to the gym etc and he recently contracted the flu and had to be put into a medically induced coma for 20 days as his organs were shutting down. He wound up on life support as well. Fortunately for him he recovered but has a long way to go before he is back to normal strength.

So sorry to read your account of your friends, Lynn.

And it also reminded me of Jim Henson's death.

Prevention is key! Protect and prevent flu. CDC : flu shot, hand hygiene and Tamiflu (within 2 days of symptoms and which requires a visit to a health care provider.)

Last year I got the flu, despite the flu shot, After a couple of days in bed I had my husband take me to a walk in clinic in town, where I was given Tamiflu, (after the nurse practitioner and I weighed the pros and cons because I was on the upper limit of its effectiveness time-wise). It did not help so I went back, as directed just to be sure my lungs were clear. I was out of work (at a high school-a breeding ground) for 5 days. i was lucky and made a complete recovery.

Flu shots are covered by health insurance and are available to those without insurance at public health clinics and town halls. It is the first line of defense, but not foolproo!

I am so sorry for the loss of your two friends, Lynn. How devastating and very sad.. The flu is a serious public health threat.

Thank you for sharing your message, Lynn.

I think H1N1 is going around this year which makes it more deadly. I had always been lax about getting the flu shot (even though it's offered at my work!) until my grandparents became extremely elderly and frail. Now even my baby has had his shot and we're enrolled in a flu vaccine study.

The flu vaccine is a tough sell because it's only about 40-60% effective in reducing flu OVERALL. That means a lot of people who get the vaccine will become sick. They become, on average, less sick than if they hadn't gotten the vaccine. But considering we still have a lot of doubters even for very effective vaccines for very deadly diseases like measles, I can see why it's hard to get people on board.

On the other hand, it's an amazing public health WIN to think you could cut the number of people dying from the flu in half. And reduce the number of kid-related intensive care visits from the flu by 75%. etc. etc. I just wish we humans were better at dealing with grey areas and probabilities - it's like we can't buy in unless we're promised it will be 100% effective. Even though 40-60% is better than none.

I agree, Robo. We need to think differently, about getting a flu vaccine. Maybe we should consider navigating through flu season, like driving across a desert. It's better to have even a half filled water container, than have no water at all.