According to the National Flu Report (yes, there really is one), Illinois is in the no activity area. Well, I think they might be wrong. **gasp** I know - a government agency might be wrong.....the horrors!
I felt fine at work on Thursday. I felt fine eating dinner, just tired. But tired by Thursday is normal for me. One of my friends swears I yawn as soon as I start talking to her but mind you most of the time we talk is in the evening after I have been up for 14+ hours.
By the time I went to bed Thursday evening around 11pm, I was wiped out and my stomach was churning. I had made Chicken Parmesan earlier for dinner and had just thought I put in a wee bit too much garlic in the garlic bread or sauce or stuffed artichoke. No biggie - my tummy does not like garlic but I still eat it anyway.
By 1am I was doubled over with rolling intestinal cramps. I was chilled yet hot so I took my temperature and it was 100 degrees. Since no one else in the house suffered the same, I knew I had viral gastroenteritis, not to be confused with 'da flu'. "Da flu' is really a systemic, febrile (causes a fever) disease that predominantly involves the respiratory tract and not the digestive tract in humans. Well, mine totally involved the intestines and no respiratory symptoms at all. So since hubs is having surgery in 10 days, I moved into the spare room.
Symptoms of viral gastroenteritis: fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, and diarrhea. Nausea, vomiting, fever, diarrhea, and cramping are usually the strongest the first 12 to 24 hours then slowly improves. It may last a day or 2 or 3.
Diarrhea may last a day or two, or in young children it may last a week or longer. Fever usually lasts a day. Yep, diagnosis confirmed.
Treatment: some swear by their remedies but I swear by the following: strong brewed tea with 1 teaspoon of sugar as often as possible. I eat nothing else until that is tolerated. I then proceed to a bland diet consisting of clear liquids, bananas, rice, and toast. What is really important is to keep replacing your fluids. Be careful taking some antidiarrheal medication as they might prolong the flu and they might not be effective in reducing the fluids you are losing with the vomiting and diarrhea. They also will not work and actually will worsen your condition if your gastroenteritis is caused by a bacteria and is not viral.
So.....after 3 days, my diet has now progressed to an omelet with toast and I have lost 5 pounds. I only hope I didn't give it to anyone else.
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