Marnalou,

This is SURE to make you feel better - it's Grandma's recipe.

I NEVER miss a flu shot -- well, except for last year (when there weren't any) and this year (when I just plumb forgot). Trust me when I tell you I will never miss one again.

Walter Mathau seems to have vacated my vocal cords, however Lucille Ball in her declining years has now taken up residence. At least it's an improvement -- I'm starting to sound remotely female.

Marnalou, we're all feelin' for ya.

All, got to offer the other side of the story here too, for 25 years as a soldier and leader, did my duty and got the annual flu shot, till Dec 02, when I had an allergic rxn and within 96 hours (when in Rome) was a walking/talking "drunk" was hospitalized in German and US Hospitals in Germany for 10 days. Lost 50% of my voice and 50% of my motor skills...through intensive speech/physical/occupational therapy (last year biweekly speech therapy) am now about 90% recovered (run two miles in 15 min vs 12 min two years ago, still run 5 mile daily, was a USTA 4.5 player, now a 3.O due to slower coordination..and alas, lost my ability to wash dishes :) )...so while I agree the flu shot in general is helpful, there are those of us who do better without one--I can never take another vaccine...or flu shot..r/wes

PS...Marnalou, believe mega doses of Vit C help too (1000-2000grams--per Linus Pauling rec)

Wes, you had a scary reaction. And, you've had to work really hard to regain strength and mobility. Too bad about losing your dish washing ability! Going from a 4.5 to a 3.0 in USTA must have hurt, that's a huge drop in tennis level. Good for you for still playing.

Marsha, so sorry that you are sick too. I agree that popsicles taste mighty good when you're feeling bad.

Glad to hear the other "sickies" are finally recovering.

We are very diligent about getting our flu shots every year. Many people, like Wes, do have really unfortunate and scary reactions. However, for many others, the shot really does help. Between my exposure to so many people who are sick at work and the brunch bunch, for the past week I've been feeling a cold coming on, but it has yet to "blossom." I'm taking my "Plop Plop Fizz Fizz" cocktail of Airborne and Alka Seltzer Plus Cold.
I'm hoping this is the worst of it.

To all those ailing - Feel better soon!!

This is a really sick thread!

And now another one - all out there on the left coast. What's going on out there? I do hope everyone is on the mend very very soon.

Wes - I presume you cannot eat eggs now either? All vaccines are grown in eggs - so people who have a problem with eggs cannot get vaccines. One of thesedays they'll be made by a different means so it won't be aproblem.
Wes - Was it Guilliane(sp?)-Barre that you had? I worked with someone who had similar symptoms to you many years ago. But he was about 100 lbs overweight already, and in his 60's, and he did not recover as well as you did.

Wes, I can't take the flu shot because I am wildly allergic to mercury and that's the preservative in the vaccine. I wonder if that is why you had what sound to me like neurological symptoms after your immunization. The body does not easily rid itself of mercury (or any heavy metal) so symptoms can persist and if you are sensitive it can play havoc.

Could be the eggs, as Gil suggests. George is allergic to eggs so he can't have the shot either.

Thanks for the well wishes, everyone. Especially for the chicken soup, Kathy. I wish you would fax me some. I feel absolutely terrible and I want to decorate for Christmas!!

Gil, enjoy all egg dishes--no allergy here, was not G-B; when I was first in US Hospital the neurologist said it was MS (Scared the you know what out of me) asked him to read the German CAT/MRI/Med records...and their best guess was allergic rxn to flu shot..got it checked by Dr. Jorge Juncos here at Emory last year--one of top Neurologists in South--he concurred..thinks ultimately I will get most of my coord/speech back.

Donna, thanks..yep being a 3.O is very frustrating when I think back to how I was, but just enjoy playing...

Marnalou..interesting thought about the mercury--never heard that before...hope you're better now

r/wes