Not a new subject I know - I see Yoga Bonnie had it a few months ago and had to cancel a trip. I do realise the UK is currently in the midst of a heatwave and likely not conducive to spreading flu bugs - but down here in the OZ Winter this year they have been rather 'rife'. Apparently 'they' dished the vaxes out a wee bit late for the rush of cases which appeared and we were all slightly on the catch up - or more relevantly the 'catchING' of it.
Anyway long story short - went to NZ a couple of months ago came back with a cold and slight cough - recovered then partner got it - she recovered then got the flu two weeks after I had my flu shot then I got her flu regardless. Yes I know vaxes are usually only about 60% 'successful' anyway and don't cover all strains - but still I hardly had a break between one bug and the next. This latest one has been more severe however and we have coughed in unison for days. It hasn't I think descended right into my lungs and I think I am slowly recovering BUT no such thing as Pred tapering during this latest fracas. I will stay at 12 mg then even after several weeks as n suspect it would be risky to reduce even 0.5mg at this point - especially as last time I was there I went into a flare - well you all know the drill - back up and weeks until we can get down here again.
Anyway some good news my HBA1C showed a good reduction from pre-diabetic levels (first time ever) to a good low 'normal'. My face has also shrunk a little although my NZ rellies looked at my moon version when visiting with some polite puzzlement !
I am feeling fatigued though and forcing myself to rest a few more days before rushing out to pull the forest of emerging weeds on our gardens which seem determined to flourish in recent heavy West Australian rains.
Sorry for the 'whinge' - I guess I just felt like it ….
Stay 'cool' you Euro lot - it does look warmish up there !!
Best wishes
Rimmy
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Rimmy
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...sorry to hear you have had a bit of a rough time (not whining at all) as if PMR is not enough to contend with. Your post contains timely reminders. Hope you and your wife are recovering now and you can get back on track with your pred taper ♥️
Its definitely hot over here and as usual our country cant cope and are cancelling trains and the likes!! Obviously we are all also moaning as well because no matter what the weather is it's never right!!
Hopefully you are on your way to recovering now. Take care YBBx
So sorry you have the flu Rimmy. I hope it doesn’t knock you around too much. Lots of fluids, garlic and vitamin C. My PMR followed 5 weeks of coughing - no chest or head congestion, just coughing.
Very wise to stay on your present dose of pred for a while.
I know what you mean re the weeds. It is unseasonably warm here and spring flowers are blooming, but no rain. Would love some of yours to drift eastwards, especially for the farmers - they are really suffering.
Sorry to hear you’re going through the mill with flu. It’s surprising how long it takes to get over it for most people, let alone those of us with other health issues -so rest easy a bit longer! The weeds will wait for you😳.
As for weather, most love it for the first few days, but then many turn into “whinging poms”! 🤣😂🤣
Get well soon...flu worth a good moan and you have x2 to moan about.
Don't worry DL we Ozzies (even ex- 'Kiwis') can hold our own with the 'whinge' - I am thinking it might be a 'gobal' human 'invention' - you know to go 'blah' sometimes - if you can find anyone to 'listen' and then maybe just maybe feel a bit better - so lucky I've got you lot to put up with me !! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I am sorry to hear that you are both suffering so much. These viruses really set you back and take a long time to recover from. I have just emerged from my own version. It is good to hear that your HBAC1 levels are dropping, I sense some heroic adjustments on your part. The face becoming your own again must be a relief too.
It is a change for us Brits to be able to send you heat and sunshine but here it comes 🌞. To be honest, you are quite welcome to it. Our homes and lifestyle are just not adapted to it at all. Fortunately it appears to be breaking now. Do be careful weeding your land - can’t you find a willing Boy/Girl Scout who needs a few dollars?
Take care Rimmy. Rest and hydrate and worry not. All is unfolding as it should. 💕🌸
Thanks SJ - so kind - and yes I'll take just a little 'bit' of your extra sunshine. Sorry you too have had your 'own version' and yes these can have quite a long recovery trajectory I must admit - but as you say in true 'Desiderata' fashion - 'no doubt ... etc' and all I can say (ha ha !!) is 'I hope so' !!! XX
Sun disappeared today Rimmy - absolutely P_____G down today in Sheffield and elsewhere, pretty widespread! I managed to walk the beagles this morning when I saw an hour and a half before the deluge and just got them out again between downpours! Temperature dropped by 10 degrees in 2 days! Hoping your coughing fits subside soon - I had a coughing virus earlier in the year - luckily it didn't disturb the PMR into any unwanted activity ........and I lost a couple of kilos with the effort involved! Kind of win win.....
Yes we read it at school and I rather liked it - especially the bit about 'trees and stars' - but nothing about the direction of this earth or the 'universe' is yet 'clear to me' ha ha !!
oh oh oh I feel your pain!!! this too shall pass !!! the GREAT news is the reduction in HBA1C hurrah! hurrah! hurrah!!! Definitely Take it EASY with no reduction and you will be back on track in no time.
Well yes we can easily have BOTH at once here - I guess because our Winters are cool and wet rather than freezing with snow and ice. We can occasionally get (in the southern part of West Australia) some low early morning temps around 1-5 degrees but by the middle of the day here it is usually around 12-16 in mid-winter - sometimes up to 20 ! Either way flu germs LOVE it and have had a 'party' this year !!
Dear Rimmy, do take care of yourself. I, also , contracted the flu, in late april. I have had my flu and pneumonia shots, and expect I would have been worse if not for the benefits of immunization......however, I developed asthmatic symptoms, and WHAT a Pit! The first doc put me on 40..... yes, 40 !! mg pred., for 7 days. (which was 30 mg more , than I was using anyway.) also a big old dose of antibiotics!
I also had a nasty PMR flare, which slapped me cross-eyed! Need I say, I was very Ill, and Pissed off beyond reasonable,!...(thank you 40 mg pred)
Long story short, after visits to pulmonologist and allergist...I was prescribed an inhaler which cost $175 beyond (!!!) my ins payment.
I got better👏🏽,
Fortunately, my wife did not get the flu illness, so thats good...
For you, no tapering till your cough is gone...then, very carefully...
Hi Purplecrow - that all sound horribly nasty and much worse than my version - so I will cease complaining and I am pleased to hear you are now feeling much better and yes I know forget the tapering for now at least - thanks !
Being another Aussie I too came down with the flu a few weeks ago. It then became pneumonia. My doctor wanted me in hospital sending me off with a letter. The hospital refused because of immune system. I was totally out of action for 3 weeks. Family and friends were fantastic with meals and chores.
This morning I dropped 1/2 mg bringing me down to 6 1/2. I hope I can now reduce every 4 weeks again.
I think I still prefer Australian weather to European climate. I am looking forward to things warming up here again.
'Refused becauser of immune system' !!?? goodness me. But good to hear it is over for you and yes I also prefer our climate here in WA at least - the southern part as temps never too extreme either way. The lowest our house temp is - is 14C and the highest never too hot as we are near the ocean and we think we are lucky as can manage without heating or cooling most of the year anyway.
Hi Rimmy, sorry to hear you have the nasty bug over there. My whole family on the Sunshine Coast have been suffering for months the same as you. 18 year old granddaughter has been left with the dreaded cough, after flu like symptoms, 8 weeks and counting now. Doc says no infection but as we all know is very wearing and she has years and fitness on her side!
Take extra care of yourself and hope you both start to feel better soon. Definitely no tapering at the moment!
The weather here is more back to normal - thank goodness - was unbearable......
Thanks so much Telian sorry to hear about your family in OZ especially your poor granddaughter - 8 weeks is a long duration for the flu and a remnant cough. I am feeling fortunate then that I am actually feeling a little bit better today although the cough is still hanging on. I did have a flu a few years ago which lasted several weeks and robbed me of my sense of smell/taste for a very long time - some of these bugs are horrendous !! Pleased your weather is more pleasant !
As youngsters do she's living life to the full (having just reached 18) with working and studying - so not giving herself the best of attention now it's just the cough - she was bed bound with the flu though.
I recall losing my sense of smell and taste many years ago with nasty colds but thankfully doesn't happen so much now, you must have had a bad bout. Some bugs are horrendous.
Weather has changed, I had my fleece on last night as felt cold but think I'm too stressed with the move and everything so not getting the rest I should. Sure it will all work out.
Good to hear from you again. Leave the weeds and reduction till you’re fully back to yourself. Good news re HBA1C. What was it before ? How did you reduce it? Diet?
I went from 5.8 to 5.3 with the HBA1C test - in OZ the 5.8 is not considered pre-diabetic but it is just on the borderline. I reduced carbs quite a lot especially in the first 6 weeks of about a 3 month period - although I wasn't so perfect when on a holiday as well. I lost some weight but not as much as in thought I should have - realising in retrospect I probably ate to much fat/oil to compensate. Anyway eating a more balanced diet again now 'mediterranean' style with low carb but not 'no carb' and my weight is slowly going down again. Also I have found 12mg if a critical point for me with Pred I start to lose weight anyway and my face has shrunk quite a lot. Can't taper much at present though until this virus has departed. But I have started to pull weeds - a few anyway so I think I am improving - thanks !
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