What's the most you've been sick in

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-29-2003
What's the most you've been sick in
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Fri, 02-25-2005 - 4:50pm

one calendar year or 6 month period of time? Yes, off topic.. :-)

I got the cold over New Years and then again 3 or 4 weeks later, recovered from that and last Wednesday I got sick again with a severe cough in my chest (it's deep in my lungs this cough) but no runny nose or sneezing, even had a fever of 99.8 and headache (although that's gone). My cough was/is so severe at times it feels like I'm about to cough up a lung. The pharmacist recommended Mucinex DM, works but I still cough but not as bad.

I saw my Doc on Wed to make sure it wasn't strep or walking pneumonia and she said it was just a virus. She said she NEVER gets sick and has had the cold 3 times this year herself already. She said the only thing I can do is bed rest and take cold medicine to lesson the pain. She said antibiotics won't help and she wouldn't give them to me anyhow as you don't want your body to build up an immunity (sp?) to it.

It's been raining a lot more than usual here in LA and my BF says the damp weather makes it easier to catch stuff like that. He also said my lifestyle the past 3 months has changed since I met him which is true. I've always lived pretty much a structured life. i.e. go to work, go to the gym, watch TV, wake up and do it again. Have the occasional date during the week and one or two on the weekends and time for me and my errands and nails, friends etc. Now I see him a lot more, probably getting less sleep and we're very spontaneous with a lot of our plans, the only routine I have now is work and I squeeze in my workouts when I can, not as planned and he said that probably has a role in it too, your body isn't use to it. When he mentioned that I never realized what a structured life I did have prior to him and he's the first guy in 8 years I've wanted to try something new with, maybe I was never ready for it before until now. Change is inevitable in a relationship.

I had to call in sick Wed, Thurs -- attempted to go in today but only lasted an hour. Now I’m feeling better but boy what a pain. I hate calling in sick like this, their probably like what's up with Peanut??? Ha.

Anyhow, my Doc also mentioned she's not getting a lot of cases of the flu this year mainly cold type of viruses.

I'm pretty healthy, I drink green tea, eat well for the most part (minus my occasional sweet tooth) and exercise and am in shape. My boss who NEVER gets sick eats buttery croissants every day for breakfast, hamburgers for lunch, doesn't work out like he should...what's up??? Ha!

Oh well, just needed to vent and see if anyone else out there was experiencing more cold/flu viruses this year then usual?

The Peanut

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iVillage Member
Registered: 10-17-2002
Fri, 02-25-2005 - 5:28pm

I've already had two colds this year since Xmas. I blame mine mostly on spending time with my nephew. He is sick a lot and it seems like when I go hang out with the kids that I wind up sick a few days later. I think my resistance is pretty good under normal circumstances (I eat right, take vitamins, sleep, wash my hands, etc.) but he is super cute and loves his aunt. And he is 3 so he hasn't learned how to cover his mouth yet when he sneezes and coughs.

A ton of people in my office have been sick too. REALLY sick - like out for a week sick. It does seem to be a bad year.

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Avatar for calilawgirl
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-15-2003
Fri, 02-25-2005 - 8:25pm

I think your BF is right. The change is weather since Decemeber has been so weird. Cold and rainy, than back up into the 70s, then back to cold and rainy- I'm sure that's part of it. Plus your active lifestyle could be playing into it. Are you and the BF giving each other the same cold back and forth?

I've also noticed quite a few people at my school are sick- professors and students. We've even had classes cancelled because of professors out sick.

Have you tried taking Zinc? There are all kinds of Zinc products on the market right now. My favorite are the gumballs. Chew one for 15 minutes every 2 hours. It helps lessen the severity and length of your cold.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-05-2004
Fri, 02-25-2005 - 8:49pm

I have also noticed more colds this year. And I am on the other side of the country. I got a cold the beginning of November,

Michele
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Registered: 04-29-2003
Fri, 02-25-2005 - 10:37pm

I should get some zinc. I had a jamba juice, the coldbuster drink which had zinc in it. Believe it or not my BF isn't getting it; I call him the iron man. However my roomate and his GF have had it twice I believe and I work in an office environment.

Can't wait to be better, I think my weekend plans are not going to happen. Supposed to go to my good friends baby shower tomorrow then to my BF's nieces 3 year old birthday party down in the OC where I would have met his mom and sister for the first time, I'm really bummed out.

Sniffles!

Peanut

Avatar Image"The Small Peanu
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-19-2004
Sat, 02-26-2005 - 8:09am
SP - I am so glad you posted this! I was beginning to think it was just me. I had a really bad cold in January (complete with laryngitis, as I've posted before). I was so relieved when it was gone, and then 3 weeks later I got another cold! So annoying. My diet is pretty healthy, though I had stopped taking my daily multivitamin (I've since resumed). I go to the gym 5 days a week and I can't help thinking that's where I picked up at least one cold. There was a local news story about "health" clubs (lol) being rife with all kinds of germs and I'm terrible for rubbing my eyes after handling dumbbells or getting off the treadmill.
I used to swear by zinc lozenges but this time they did nothing. And I took them at the very beginning of both colds and kept taking them.
Here's hoping Cold Season 2005 is over!!
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-02-2004
Sat, 02-26-2005 - 9:49am
The last time I remember being sick was in 1997. I am extremely healthy for a 44 year old.
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-07-2003
Sat, 02-26-2005 - 10:37am

It does seem like this is a really bad year for that - a lot of people I know have gotten sick multiple times in the past couple of months.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-29-2003
Sat, 02-26-2005 - 11:09am

Yes, I went to my BF's gym last Saturday and didn't wash my hands which I normally do after. I also handles dumb bells etc. I'm sure that's where I could have gotten it. On the news the other night they said most computers have the pnemonia virus on them, isn't that bizarre? Makes sense, maybe your sick and you sneeze on the keyboard.

Well, I bought hand sanitizer I will be carrying in my purse at all times from here out and kleenexes that kill the germs right on the spot! This was the worst because of the couph and not being able to carry on a conversation. Every time I tried I'd feel annoyed if my BF asked me to repeat myself cause I'm hard to understand with a kermit the frog voice and it hurts to much to have to start over again, LOL.

However today I feel better but still have a bit of a cough but nothing like yesterday and no fever. I may end up going to my friends shower and his nieces party, I'll let him decide.

Cheers,
Peanut

Avatar Image"The Small Peanu
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-29-2004
Sat, 02-26-2005 - 9:33pm

hey Peanut,

I just had EXACTLY the same thing! Oh, my god.. wondered if I wrote this post...!! I, too, even had to take a day off exactly on Wednesday! My doc also said antibiotic wouldn't help etc., etc. mine started with sore throat - really really sore for the first 3 days, nothing else. Eventually minor fever started creeping in and minor headache and minor joint ache. It was going sooo sloooow, I was so fed up with staying in bed. Also, I got water in my right ear from the first day and it drove me completely nuts!! Even called up doctor's office on the next day of visit and complained, to which they said, "it won't go away until you recover.. tough!" Finally my fever died down yesterday, but I've been coughing like crazy.. I'm feeling pretty fine now but still my cough scares people away. I went back to work on Thu. and for 2 days nobody bugged me due to my awful coughing.. ha! Anyway, there's a thing I came to realize through once in 10 years experience: If you can take NighQuil, you can take Tequila shots really easy. Uh, that WAS a real torture.. I tell ya..

BTW, I know what I did wrong.. was busy in the past weeks and kept eating frozen food, fast food, restaurant food etc. etc. should have cooked more.. I usually eat healthy and cook healthy.. wrong food and short sleep are an easy way to the disaster..

Anyway, hey, we survived!! :)




Edited 2/26/2005 9:39 pm ET ET by tonka04
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-29-2003
Sat, 02-26-2005 - 9:52pm

That is wild; glad I posted this now. I ended up not going to the baby shower or my BF's nieces bday party. My cough was too bad and I'm glad I stayed home as I have a feeling this won't be out of my system for a few more days and better to stay home today and tomorrow no matter how bored i get so I can go back to work on Monday. I'm getting better it's the cough and not having my normal voice that is frustrating, other then that I'm fine. Can't wait to wake up one morning soon and have NO cough. I feel like I'm some person who's been smoking for 50 years the way I'm hacking it up, LOL.

Funny about you going to the Doc's on Wed. She even handed me a phamphlet about antibiotics not to be used for colds, LOL.

My BF said his brother in law at the bday party said he was sick three times this year and last week was out for 5 days. His joints were really soar and he have fever.

Strange year and those who didn't get it you're lucky.

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