Community Chat

[Cakers3]

I don't consider it bragging to read that some posters have never had the flu.  I am happy for them.

Those of us who have loved ones with compromised immune systems would love to be in the category of folks who have strong constitutions and do not battle infections of any type.

Some people are just not susceptible to certain illnesses; we all have varying degress of immunity.

It's up to each person to decide if the flu shot is for them.  Choices and all that.

[JustJazzmom]

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@cherry wrote:

The pandemic we had during WW1 killed more people than the war did.

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And it killed those who had previously never had that strain of flu. It was thought that older people (50's & 60's) had a better chance of surviving the Spanish flu because they were exposed to a weaker strain when they were younger. Those in their 40's and under were not alive when this particular strain first hit so they had no immunity against that flu strain.

[QueenDanceALot]

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@Lila Belle wrote:
Some people self-diagnose the flu when it is only a virus.

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Unless you get a test you don't know if what you have is flu or something else.

I hear people say they have the "stomach flu" when there is no such thing.

Or that they have the flu when all they have is a bad cold.

Or they think it's the flu when it's bronchitis or maybe pnemonia.

Lots of assumptions made when they have "flu like" symptoms.

[Noel7]

Years ago, I had the London Flu and the Hong Kong Flu, at different times, of course.  That's what they called them.

Once you've had something like that, you never forget what the real flu feels like and you don't mistake other viruses for the flu.

[cherry]

Right you are @Noel7. When the flu mows you down ,it's like nothing else.

[QueenDanceALot]

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@Noel7 wrote:

Years ago, I had the London Flu and the Hong Kong Flu, at different times, of course.  That's what they called them.

Once you've had something like that, you never forget what the real flu feels like and you don't mistake other viruses for the flu.

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Yes, I had the real flu ONCE, as I mentioned, in my early 20's.  HIt me llike a freight train, WHAM, one minute I was fine, the next I was running a high fever and unable to take care of myself.

But my point was that many people don't seem to know what the flu really feels like and call all kinds of things the "flu".

And really, unless you have a test, medically it's not a confirmation.

[Noel7]

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@QueenDanceALot wrote:

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Yes, I had the real flu ONCE, as I mentioned, in my early 20's.  HIt me llike a freight train, WHAM, one minute I was fine, the next I was running a high fever and unable to take care of myself.

But my point was that many people don't seem to know what the flu really feels like and call all kinds of things the "flu".

And really, unless you have a test, medically it's not a confirmation.

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And I agree with you.

[Marienkaefer2]

I used to get very sick nearly every winter with flu or even walking pneumonia.

Then I started working for a company in the mid 1990s that sent a nurse around to all of the offices to give out the shot.  I started getting it, and I never got that sick again.

Did I get colds? Sure, but those are viral anyway and antibiotics don't help.

I work with kids in our school district, and so I have continued to get the flu shot every year.

I know that it has helped me.

But, we aren't all the same.  My sister is a first grade teacher.  She has never gotten the flu shot and she never gets sick like I did.

We're all just different and you have to do what works for you.

[Marienkaefer2]

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@Noel7 wrote:

Years ago, I had the London Flu and the Hong Kong Flu, at different times, of course.  That's what they called them.

Once you've had something like that, you never forget what the real flu feels like and you don't mistake other viruses for the flu.

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@Noel7

Exactly! 

[Moonchilde]

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@QueenDanceALot wrote:

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@Noel7 wrote:

Years ago, I had the London Flu and the Hong Kong Flu, at different times, of course.  That's what they called them.

Once you've had something like that, you never forget what the real flu feels like and you don't mistake other viruses for the flu.

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Yes, I had the real flu ONCE, as I mentioned, in my early 20's.  HIt me llike a freight train, WHAM, one minute I was fine, the next I was running a high fever and unable to take care of myself.

But my point was that many people don't seem to know what the flu really feels like and call all kinds of things the "flu".

And really, unless you have a test, medically it's not a confirmation.

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No matter how bad your cold may be, whether it turns into bronchitis or pneumonia and/or takes weeks to recover from, it isn't the flu.

There are different symptoms with the flu, and you just *feel* different to when you have a cold.

"Never had the flu" people are probably right - because when you have the flu, you KNOW by how it hits you, and how FAST it hits you.

But if/when they eventually get it, they will never call a cold the flu again.