Lost two young dad's to the flu....

[RickM]

Kind of taken aback by the recent passing of the second dad in town as a result of the flu. Both men were really nice guys and great dads. I just saw one at the local Pinewood Derby last week. Man this sucks.

Both in their fortys, seemingly healthy, both with diabetes.

Seems complications brought on by the bug put them into a downward spiral.

One learns not to take these illnesses lightly.

Rest in peace guys....

[azasadny]

Rick,
Sorry for your loss, the flu is nothing to be taken lightly!

[M.D. Holloway]

Wow, that sucks. Was diabetes a mitigating factor or just a coincidence?

[RickM]

Lube, I'm not sure. However, I think one needs a full deck, healthwise, when dealing with some of these viruses. All I can say is that it probably didn't help.

Art, thanks for the kind thoughts.

[strupgolf]

I always took the Flu bug as kind of something someone else got, and no big deal. This news makes me take it seriously now. Thanks for the update.

[Moses]

My next door neighbor died from the flu last month. She was 44 years old, perfectly fit. She left a husband and two small daughters.

[RickM]

I approach the flu the same way. I don't recall ever having it. But I do know several people who have been completely knocked on their asses for a week from it.

[berettafan]

Can the doctors in the house elaborate on this? I am a 'tough it out' kinda person when it comes to the flu and avoid flu shots out of a combination of paranoia (what a great way to poison the population!) and irrational fear of needles.

[Scooter]

Had the flu a month or so ago. It just knocked me out. I will be getting a flu shot next year for sure. Sorry for your loss Rick.

[vash]

wow, the flu can kill a healthy adult....wow.

so at what point do you run yourself over to the hospital?

man, what a crappy way to go.

[cbeers]

I had the flu last year and was out for 10 days straight with 101+ temps.

All my life I have been healthy and still am. When I told my Doc that I always kick a flu's a$$ is a few days he said I had probably never had the REAL flu? How can this be? He mentioned having had a super virus or something, but flu is two weeks. Even when I kept going back to MAKE SURE, it was always the same. Yup. Running it's course....


Now I am scared of the flu!

-Chris

[JavaBrewer]

In the early 90's I got the flu. I thought I was gonna die. 10 days on my butt unreal sick. Insane fevers. And,surprise surprise, I had gotten the flu shot ~ 2 weeks prior. Skipped the flu and the shot for many years after that. Then our company started offering free flu shots so I've been getting them - but skipped this year...

[alf]

I had the flu once, 2 winters ago. The only time I got so sick that I thought that death might be better.

[Neilk]

Damn! Sorry to hear that. All this time I was calling bad 3 day colds as the flu, I guess not. Scary.

[Moses]

One of the issues with the flu is that it bends your physiology to the breaking point. You cannot control your temperature, your pulse won't regulate, your blood pressure hits the floor. You can't eat or drink. All "non-essential" functions are shut down.

Now let's introduce a little Staph into the air. A healthy body would never even give that bug a chance to infect you, but now? Staph pneumonia gets an opportunity and you're dead in 12 hours (despite antibiotics).

Or that fatal heart attack your body had planned for age 70? After the flu has pounded your body for a week you might get your heart attack 30 years early.

The flu exhausts your bodys "reserve". If you didn't think you were going to die, you probably didn't have the flu.

[on2wheels52]

Lost a riding buddy last month, was in his early 50's. He and his wife were both in the medical field, he an ER RN. He got sick, got worse, put on a vent. Was gone in days.
Jim

[speeder]

Unreal, sorry to hear that. A certain number of *otherwise healthy* people die from the flu every year, by I do not know the exact figure. Is influenza the same as the flu? Related?

I got my first flu shot ever this year and have had good luck so far. I feel like I have had *half a flu* a couple of times when others around me were extremely ill, could that be the shot working? I am supposed to get one every year because I do not have a spleen, but this was the first time. I'm getting one every year now, it's too risky.

[RickM]

Influenza is the flu.

As Moses states, pneumonia is commonly brought on...this happened to the first gentleman. The second suffered brain swelling. Apparently it's unlike swelling that results from trauma. With the trauma based swelling pressure can be relieved, with the type this second man had it could not.

Something I heard recently, all influenza strains that affect humans are from birds.

Denis, The flu shot formula changes often, perhaps every year. Scientists take an educated guess as to which strain will be of particular threat that season and vaccines are developed as a result. So, if they're off he mark the vaccination may not work as hoped.

[strupgolf]

Thanks to all of you for changing my mind. I'll be VERY careful in the future. This site is just not for Porsches, its for life.

[89911]

Never had it. I see (and am exposed) 30 to 50 patients a day all centered around saliva, couging, and nasal drainage (I'm a Dentist). On top of that I have 4 kids all going to different schools (High School on down). And, oh yeah, my wifes a nurse. I'm guessing I get a healthy dose of exposure thats keeping everything away. I've been working steady at my office for 15 years plus and have never missed more then a half day. I did get a flu shot for the first time this year and finally went in for sinus surgery to have polyps removed (chronic sinus congestions). I would think I would of had it by now, or do some people just never develop the full blown symptoms. To those that of had it, I feel for you.