So my flu still isn’t gone and we were nearly out of electric on our pay as you go meter, I have now infected the fella and he’s really bad with it so I had to scrape myself out of bed and crawl down the road to the shop.
When I got there I was surprised to find that delirium had completely removed my pin number from memory, after 3 attempts came the dawning realisation that I’d have to walk to the bank in town, lest we spend our days not only ill, but also in total darkness and with no way to cook, nor with anything to watch.
Luckily the bank teller understood as I stood there coughing, wobbling and spluttering and let me withdraw some money, reassuring me that a pin number refresher would be sent to me in 2-3 working days, I also tried to see a doctor, only to be told the doctors are apparently closed from 1pm today, so it looks like I’ll have to try and stave off death until tomorrow. Today sucked. 
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Dang, that sounds pretty lousy. I certainly hope you and your guy get better.
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Thanks, me too, it’s been a full week now, definitely has out stayed it’s welcome.
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Thanks for reminding me to get my flu shot.
I hope you get better soon.
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Work still sucks. I’m planning on dressing up as a Skeletal Pirate (or just a fully clothed Spinal).
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Thanks, I really should start getting it done, but I’m not eligible to have it done for free, even though I work in a school with hundreds of little germ factories.
Flu is the worst, I hope you get better soon
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Thank you! Doctor’s tomorrow to check it hasn’t changed into an infection or something, I just wanna check because I felt a bit better on Tuesday and then the past 2 days I’ve been much worse than I was to begin with, which worries me a bit.
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You can generally get them for like $20 here. Is that not the case in the U.K.?
Vulnerable or at risk groups generally get them for free, or certain professions where you’re likely to be exposed to more viruses. (e.g. carers) For everyone else it’s a Saturday morning clinic and around £16. (I think) I’m just not sure why I wouldn’t qualify as being in the other group.
You know, I was going to say I’m surprised by all the young – or at least presumably young – ppl here. But I guess I shouldn’t be. Fighting games are becoming a young man’s sport it seems.
@WrathOfFulgore is your license for sales only? Or do you need a license to work claims, too? I used to work auto claims and was always interested in medical/life claims.
@ItzTymeToDul 
that’s awesome. My “dream” job is to work for the CIA. Well, one of my dream jobs that I just have the motivation for working towards. >_>
As for me, I’m just working the “9-5” for the State of California. It’s like the lottery of employment where I’m at b/c it’s super low stress, great benefits, pension, and nearly-impossible to get fired from. Been applying for promotion around the State. I’ve put in about 80 apps since June and got just 1 interview. My application pace has definitely slowed down the past couple weeks (I blame my newly formed dedication to FF14 and KI!). Competition is high, about 150-250 applicants per open position. I’m kinda living paycheck to paycheck, but the promotion would increase my pay nearly 50% just b/c I have a degree (it’s a tiered system based on education/experience). One just opened up in my building (not my bureau, tho) and I have a little rapport w/ the manager, so hopefully I get an interview, interview well, and get it. If not, will keep on grinding.
I’m 33 and still single, looking for that someone special. Well, I generally tend to think I’ve found plenty of them, but I either don’t act on it or they don’t think I’m special in return. 
Nothing really newsworthy besides that…my rent’s gone up $125 the past year (increased rent is a known issue in my area), I lucked out and didn’t have to pay off a $800 ticket to prevent my license from suspension – just had to start a payment plan to lift the hold, I’m casually watching anime again after about 4 years being away from it… Besides that, just hanging out, playing tabletop or going out to eat w/ friends once in a while, playing basketball every Friday and some Tuesdays… Pretty pedestrian. 
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As far as I know it’s just for sales. To be honest this is an entirely new field for me, so I don’t really know anything aside from what I’ve been told I need to do.
@BigBadAndy I gotta be honest, I’ve never got a flu shot. I’m fine with most vaccines, and stop me if I’m spreading misinformation here, but with the flu it mutates so quickly that while I know it would likely help with previous strains getting a flu shot likely wouldn’t be able to stop the most recent strain floating around. Am I correct on this?
I mean I definitely don’t buy the whole “vaccines cause mental health issues” crap and other related BS, but when it comes to a flu shot it seems like it’s more like trying to hit a fast-moving target with a slow-moving projectile.
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I don’t get a Fall Break 
However we make up for it by having a stupid long winter break. We get basically the entire month of December off. College is a wonderful thing
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It’s fine to be a bit dubious about the flu shot. It isn’t the same as the early childhood or other vaccines that you get that provide lasting immunity, and the reason you stated (rapidly mutating populations of flu virus) are more or less the reason.
I don’t want to digress into a medical lecture (and keep in mind I’m a PhD in cell biology, not an MD), but there are still pretty compelling reasons to get the shot. It is a mixture of antigens from strains deemed likely to circulate for the year and even if it doesn’t contain an exact match to the circulating virus in your area it can still reduce the length and severity of the flu even if you get it. It will also decrease the time you are spreading flu so as with all vaccines it helps if we all get it rather than just protecting each individual directly 100%.
But the bottom line is if you are a healthy adult you can certainly choose not to get it without being considered irresponsible. It is not perfect (although it’s better than it used to be and even a near miss of that fast moving target turns out to be helpful). You just have to ask yourself how much is it worth for me to avoid getting the flu? Or increase my chances of a avlidong it? However you really should get one if you are either in a high risk group (generally the elderly and young children) or if you have contact with a high risk group - so you are less likely to give it to them.
As for me, my grandfather died at age 49 the year before I was born. He had the flu which developed into septicemic pneumonia. By the time he went to the doctor it was too late and he died on Christmas Day. Every year 30,000+ Americans die of the flu (mostly the elderly and young children). My personal inclination is to reduce its transmission as much as I can.
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This is where I figured I’d fit into the equation, but I have asked before and would definitely be charged for it, I guess that’s the norm in the U.S. but when you’re used to getting everything free on the NHS it’s a little jarring for an injection to cost that much money.
I also share a few of @WrathOfFulgore’s concerns about the flu shot, particularly as my fella was put on Tamiflu for suspected swine flu when that was doing the rounds and he didn’t like how it affected him at all and stopped taking it before taking the full dose (contrary to the advice given on the leaflet.) I myself suffer from one or two medical allergies which also makes me extra cautious about what I’m introducing to my body medicine wise.
Also, the other day one of the kid’s parents told me she hadn’t gotten the flu shot for 3 years as the last time she and her family got it, they all felt ill immediately after with flu like symptoms for 2 weeks, then had consistent upper respiratory infections for the best part of a year, which doesn’t sound too great to me. 
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Well, again, you probably don’t want a medical lecture from me but just to be clear on a couple of points. First, your boyfriend may have had a bad reaction to tamiflu, which is known to have side effects. But tamiflu is a drug (Oseltamivir - Tamiflu is a brand name). This drug is a small molecule and it has nothing in common with the flu vaccine. So there’s no reason to associate one with the other.
As far as the anecdote about the family having persistent resperitory infections, people are terrific at making false associations and this is likely one of those. Although there are live virus vaccines which can give you a mild form of the disease they provide protection from, the flu vaccine is not one of them. It is a killed virus vaccine and cannot give you the flu.
People get these vaccines during the flu months when the flu and other respiratory infections that are not the flu are going around. So for someone to get sick after getting the shot from other causes would be pretty common. But the flu vaccine does not give you the flu - it isn’t possible.
So I’m not here to preach the virtues of the flu shot. People should get it or not, as they see fit. But at least make your decision based on facts.
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Yeah, I’m trying to remain objective about the whole thing to be honest, having the flu shot is a discussion that has occurred year in year out in my household, yet I’ve still never had one, but it’s rare for me to get an illness that keeps me off work for a full week (I had a sore throat towards the end of last week too) so it’s still something I’m considering, if I do get to see my GP tomorrow I may discuss it with them.
I am grateful for your insights and perspective though, please don’t feel I’m being pig headed or stubborn, just, slightly paranoid about us vaccinating flu to the point it becomes something our immune systems and vaccines can’t cope with at all anymore, I guess?
Anyway, sorry for taking up so much of the thread and thanks to anyone who joined my pity party. <3
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I think it’s great for people to take their medical decisions seriously so I don’t think you’re doing anything wrong at all. There’s a lot of confusing information out there so it can be really challenging.
In any case, I hope you feel better soon.
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There’s nothing wrong with that. After all, this is just a casual hang-out thread. If that’s what you want to talk about by all means talk about it. 
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