Friday, January 25, 2008

The current flu in Cyprus

I didn't escape. I suppose it was too much to hope for, having looked after Tim with the flu last week.

Yesterday I felt really grim... I didn't do anything, other than read, and a few things on the computer. Tim cooked, tidied up, and generally looked after me.

I took lots of Vitamin C.

I went to bed at about 8pm, with paracetamol for the general headache/neckache/sore throat, and yet more Vitamin C.

This morning, I felt decidely more human again, despite waking about 5am. I now have a streaming cold - very annoying, and I'm getting through hundreds of tissues. But I no longer have that achey, exhausted, shivery feeling that's been with me - off and on - for the last few days.

Having talked to several people who have had this flu in Cyprus, there seems to be a general pattern:

- a few days of slightly aching joints and tiredness, with extreme lethargy
- then a dry throat - not painful exactly, but making it hard to swallow
- then a bit more achiness, and some shivering, and a bunged-up feeling
- then a day or two of complete collapse, feeling appalling
- then several days of a streaming cold, accompanied by a cough

These vary somewhat in intensity - Tim's throat was a lot worse than mine, for instance - and occasionally it's also accompanied by a stomach bug in the first few days. But people are calling it a laryngitis/flu virus, and I guess that describes it well. On the whole, I've got off lightly.

I just hope I'm no longer infectious when Richard and Daniel get back to Cyprus... in three days time!

3 comments:

susan said...

I recommend a few good books, lots of tea, and a warm blanket on the sofa, oh and accompanied by some cats of course.

Anvilcloud said...

Well, I watch my share of British TV (or should I say telly) and read my fair share of British mysteries, and in exasperation I just now finally looked up paracetamol. So ... it's just acetaminophen ... or Tylenol. Now I know and don't hold out much hope for it helping with the flu. :( Time will help, and I bet you're feeling somewhat better already.

Sue said...

The paracetamol (sorry forgot it was called other things elsewhere!) helps with reducing the fever, and also with getting rid of the accompanying sore throat and headache from congestion. I don't take it for flu as such, just for some of the symptoms!