She was just getting over a cold after a week and a half. This morning she was awake before I was, puking. She’s presenting vomiting, diarrhea, body ache, and weakness. She called to me when I was in the kitchen, and her voice is so weak I didn’t hear her. Sounds like flu to me… and she’s had her flu shot.
I was worried I’d catch her cold. I really don’t want what she has. I had it a decade or so ago, and it was horrible. I want her to be well, and quickly. We have our phones in case she wants anything or wants me to take her to the hospital. (She’ll want to go to the VA in Seattle, since she doesn’t care for the local hospital.)
My PCP is less than a mile from here. She doesn’t have insurance except for VA, but she can pay for the office visit here. She’s a nurse, so it has to be her decision to go to the doctor.
If she refuses to go, you need to pile 10 or 15 thick blankets on her while she’s sleeping and burn it out (keep the fluids going). Works for me every time.
She visited a patient yesterday, and sanitised her hands afterward. She went somewhere else, but I don’t remember. She also went to Jack In The Box. I wonder if any of the food service workers was sick.
ETA: The Applebees in town had at least two norovirus outbreaks in the last year or two. So the virus exists here.
It’s not the flu. The flu is a respiratory virus. Like others have said its a stomach bug like norovirus. It will seem violent and horrible for like 12-24 hours then she’ll rest peacefully and then you’ll get it too.
If that’s not the case, if it lasts longer than a day, then visit the doctor. But there’s nothing you can do yet but wait it out.
Just checked the CDC website. Could be norovirus. I don’t think it’s the same virus as her cold, but she texted her boss who suggested it might be. They’re the nurses, but I’ve (personally) never seen a ‘cold’ turn into a ‘flu’. Since it seemed to hit pretty suddenly, and since norovirus can hit in 12 hours, a norovirus infection can’t be ruled out. I guess we’ll find out if I come down with it in the next 12 to 48 hours.
[quote]
The most common symptoms—
[ul][li]diarrhea[/li][li]throwing up[/li][li]nausea[/li][li]stomach pain[/ul][/li]
Other symptoms—
[ul][li]fever[/li][li]headache[/li][li]body aches[/ul][/li]
<snip>
Symptoms of dehydration—
[ul][li]decrease in urination[/li][li]dry mouth and throat[/li][li]feeling dizzy when standing up[/ul][/li][/quote]
She hasn’t mentioned a headache, and the only stomach pain she mentioned was that Robitussin and Nyquil hurt her stomach. She hasn’t complained of dry mouth or throat, and she’s not feeling dizzy upon standing. But she did mention she’d urinated, which indicates a decrease in urination.
Treatment for norovirus is to drink plenty of fluids and feel miserable for three days. In addition to the soup, she asked me to pick up Gatorade. I got her four litres. She’s drinking that, and had some broth from the soup. The CDC says ‘Sports drinks and other drinks without caffeine or alcohol can help with mild dehydration. But, these drinks may not replace important nutrients and minerals.’ So the Gatorade will help with the dehydration and the broth will help with the nutrients.
This went through my family a few weeks ago. It took turns–first the youngest, then me, then the wife, then the oldest. But recovery was fairly quick, only a few days were really bad.
