The Joys of Flu

There are times when you have a bad cold and you think you have flu.

Then there are the times when you actually have flu, and you remember what the difference is.

This is one of the latter occasions.

I started shivering Tuesday evening (even when wrapped up in a cloak and a blanket on top of three layers of clothing).  Since then, I've been through the hot spells, the cold spells and, increasingly, the wheezy spells.

This is why I got a prescription for steroid tablets from the doctor a month ago.  I didn't need them then, but I knew that if I did this winter, I would be feeling far too crap to go to the doctor.

I can't use inhaled steroids - which are the standard preventative treatment for asthma.  This means that when an infection goes to my lungs, I'm in real trouble.  The only recourse I have is massive doses of bronchiodilators (I'm at max now) and short courses of steroid tables.  I don't like the tablets, the side effects include really nasty insomnia, but I don't have much choice.  My peak flow is way down and the slightest amount of effort leaves me coughing and wheezing.  So, I'm now on the tablets.  (It's only about one year in four that I get an attack this bad)

Annoyingly, this means I'll have to miss morris practice tonight.  I hope the new musicians can manage without me...  I'll probably have to miss the dance-out tomorrow which is a real bind. I'd been looking forward to this one. It's the big firework night on Poole Quay and Poole Tourism asked us to dance for it.

I was already planning on taking extra asthma medication to cover myself against the fireworks (I've had some very bad reactions in the past).  But if I'm on maximum dose now because of what the flu has done to my lungs, then I've no higher dose that I can go to.  

I want to be there very badly, but I also don't want to end up in hospital.  (Been there, done that)