Tuesday, April 4, 2006

A Bit Of A Bug!

It’s been a while since I’ve posted.  I wish I could say that I have just been very busy and only now have had time to sit down and write.  That actually is true, but there is more to the story.  We have been sick here, very sick.  I came down with it first, only a couple of days after my last post.  Paulette got it about five days later and Sandy had a brush with it, too, although she never had the cough and congestion that Paulette and I contracted.

 

This bug has been going around.  My doctor says it’s a virus but did not call it the flu.  Many who have had it that I know have referred to it as the flu.  First you start aching and get a fever.  These symptoms are soon joined by diarrhea, upset stomach and then the most massive cold type symptoms I’ve experienced in years.  Your chest is filled with congestion and it’s hard to breath.  The first several days of this and you can’t lie down to sleep at night because of the sensation of a very heavy weight on your chest and the wheezing.  It feels as though you will suffocate if you lie down.  The recliner was my salvation and later helped Paulette, too.

 

Paulette ended up going to the doctor twice and the emergency room once.  I got off with just two trips to the doctor.  Thank God it’s over for me and Paulette is on the tail end of it.

 

Of course, it could not have come at a worse time for me.  I mentioned in my last post that this is always a busy time of year for me at the marina.  I generally lose my assistant every year just before the marina goes into the longer hours of operation that stretches through summer and beyond.  It’s usually not because they are unhappy; they just realize that there is little room for promotion.  I plan on keeping this job for some time to come and they want to move on to a position somewhere that offers more room for growth.  This year was no exception.

 

I cannot tell you how much fun it was interviewing applicants while I sat there sweating with fever and working seven day work weeks a couple of weeks in a row.  I was able to take two days off at the beginning of the illness, but then I had to work straight through this past Sunday.  I am well now and recovered.  I have a newly hired, but quickly trained, assistant with two more new hires starting mid week this week. 

 

Yesterday was a day filled with three weeks worth of errands and chores.  Today I get to rest and finally post a new entry in this journal.  Oh, don’t bother suggesting I take a flu shot next year.  I already plan to.  I hate shots, but if it will prevent what I just went through, sign me up!

 

Under the very best of circumstances, I don’t do sick well.  To have to work expanded hours while I was sick and seven days a week, to boot, really put me off my game.  I have not been online longer than it takes to do a quick check of Email over the past few weeks.  I have not been able to concentrate on this small screen long enough to read journals so I have not even tried.  I hope to remedy that now that I’m felling better and I hope to be around soon to visit all my friends’ journals and, of course I’ll try to leave comments again.

 

During all of this the dredging project at the marina has been under way.  I’ll do a post very soon and share some interesting pictures I’ve been able to put together to show you how it’s been going.  By the way, the manager of the dredging project came down with the same bug I had. He is recovering now but had to work through most of the illness, too. 

 

Look for another post from me either later today or, if not, by Friday night, for sure.  I’ve got some aerial shots of the dredging project that are really cool and I think you’ll enjoy seeing them.  In the meantime, take care and watch out for this bug that’s going around.  It’s a killer!

 

 

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh Sam!  I SOO feel for you on this!  I had it too.  FOUR weeks...two of them on the couch...literally...most miserable damned feeling I've ever experienced...two sets of antibiotics.  Glad to hear you two are on the mend. ;)  C.  http://journals.aol.com/gdireneoe/thedailies

Anonymous said...

Oh you poor guy!  With one kid down and out and out of school for six days and totally on the fritz for ten, I know what you speak of.  Two trips to the doctor proved she had no strep and no mono, but the second trip proved it had developed into pneumonia.  Here they are calling it Influenza type A with a bit of type B thrown in.  Doesn't matter much what type it is -- it stinks if you get it.  Glad you're feeling better and all the best to Paulette as she gets through the end of it.

Looking forward to your pictures!

Anonymous said...

I am so sorry you were sick but am glad you are better! Take care of yourself!

Anonymous said...

Hi Sam,   I hope you`re much better now.  I`ve had something very similar several weeks ago and I still don`t feel 100 percent well.  The cough, bad chest and the joint pains were the worst, I don`t want that again!  Let`s hope you never feel like that again either. :o)

Sandra xxxx

Anonymous said...

Sam go for those flu Jabs I've had them for years ~ we got them when I was a nurse and had them ever since ~ you can also get a one off pneumonia jab that is worth having ~ I have been cold free for years ~ thank goodness ~ looking forward to seeing your pics ~ take care and hope Paulette is really on the mend ~ Ally

Anonymous said...


Sam, been there, done that, did not get a tee shirt.
That sick, which you described so well, lasted a month for me and was the worse I had in 75 years. Use to get flu shots, until the Doctor became too cheap to buy them. With or without the shot I still come down with a bad cold each year but this year's was the worse. Lets hope it doesn't come back again next in a new improved version.
Take care, Bill

Anonymous said...

Glad you are and Paulette are feeling better. My children and DIL all three had that stuff and they have been left with coughing for close to six weeks. Now it's allergy time. Ken and I didn't get sick this season and we did take the flu shot. None of the above did that. Take care, Helen

Anonymous said...

Oh you poor things ,that sounds awful ,and haveing to work through it to ,I hope this packet makes you imune now ,for some time to come ,and yes a flu jab is worth the hassle involved ...........Jan xx

Anonymous said...

That "bug" you describe hit me several years ago and I will never forget it. It took me 3 months to get over it.  Makes you wonder about a pandemic and how many people will be affected.  Glad you and Paulette are much better.  (I also remember sleeping in my recliner....it was a lifesaver!)   Anne

Anonymous said...

Wow.... you poor things! Glad that you all seem to be on the tail-end of it though. Looking forward to the pics, and very glad to see you back.
http://journals.aol.com/astaryth/AdventuresofanEclecticMind
http://adventuresofaneclecticmind.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Welcome back Sam!  Sorry you were sick but equally as glad to hear you have recovered.  I had a bout with something and was out for a week.  It wasn't the flu but a swollen gland under my chin.  I could not hold up my head for any extended period of time.  Most of my stay out of work was for vanity reasons.  I looked deformed!  LOL
Looking forward to seeing your pics!

Sam2

Anonymous said...

It's so nice to have you back among us.  I'm sorry you were so sick.  It sounds horrible.  Because of the polio/chest complication the doctor almost forces me to get the flu short every year.  After reading how sick you and Paulette have been I'm glad she does.  I cant caution you to not overdo, it sounds as if you did that the whole time you were sick.  But do take care of yourself.  You and Paulette are very special people.  Pennie

Anonymous said...

Aww, I'm sorry, Sam!

My Daughter, Mom, and Dad all had that same thing... My Dad had it the worst, his cough was just terrible.

I'm glad you've got some help now, maybe you'll get to rest a day or two soon :)

Happy you and Paulette are on the mend...

Cat

Anonymous said...

we had it too!!!  I have had to postpone eye surgery for three weeks--each week thinking I would be better--but the cough hung on sooo long. Am going to have the surgery in the am---so hope to be able to see better! Glad you and paulette are better too. Seems the wheezing keeps on keeping on!

Anonymous said...

Poor you and Claudette. I hope you're both now restored to good health. It must have been awful for you not being able to have time off work to get over it. I'm looking forward to seeing your pics. I've been busy taking pics in South America, come over if you have time to look but I warn you I have hundreds!! Take care, Jeannette.  http://journals.aol.co.uk/jlocorriere05/Welcometomytravels

Anonymous said...

i hope you feel better soon
Marti

Anonymous said...

I HAVE CHECKED REGULARLY TO SEE IF YOU ARE BACK.
   tHANK THE GREATEST PHYSICIAN JESUS THAT YOU FOLKS HAVE RECOVERED.
    SUCH A WONDERFUL FEELING TO RECOVER FROM A SICKNESS.          SAM

Anonymous said...

I'm glad that you are all feeling better. And I will keep my fingers crossed that all goes well with Trenton! I bet the adjustment was difficult.

I have been fortunate enough not to get sick this year but have been on the verge numerous times. However, when I get sick, I get really sick. To the point that I cannot get out of bed due to weakness. Glad you live there and I live here!!! LOL

Anonymous said...

Yikes! That bug sounds perfectly wicked. And it sure sounds like the flu instead of a typical virus. It had to have been awful having to go to work during the misery of it.

Glad you and your wife have seen the worst of it and are past it. Still, get as much rest as you can. Your bodies need to fully recover from such a beating. ::noting the "mom" in me talking::

Anonymous said...

Glad the worst of it is over.
        *** Coy ***

Anonymous said...

Glad to see you back.  I've been worried.  It's been a couple of years since I had it and I keep meaning to get the shot.  Now that I have retired maybe I'll have time.  Of course, now I'm rarely exposed to anything.  Love ya'll.  Lynn

Anonymous said...

Oops!  Second comment.  I just got your March post to load (finally) by going into archives.  Some of the pictures wouldn't load, but I got most of it.  Great shots.  Matt and Rusty took the boys out this week.  It was William's first sail and Andrew's first since his eye surgery.  We have sailors!  They loved it!  Andrew had beeen experiencing mal de mer with his eye problem.  We will be going a lot more often now.  Glad Trenton is doing well.  Lynn  

Anonymous said...

    Oh, Sam .... sorry you and Paulette had to deal with this awful thing thats been going around.  I had it, too, a few weeks back, and it is not fun !  I haven't felt that bad in years.  Glad it's in the past for you, too .... but you have to be exhausted, trying to work through it.  Well, try to do some catching up on your rest.  It's about the only thing that makes it feel any better.  
  Nice to see you posting, Sam.  Looking forward to the pics of the dredging.  Tina

Anonymous said...

Glad to hear you are both feeling better! It seemed like alot of J-land people got that bug...and my husband had it for awhile too. I hope the flu shot works for you next year...I have never had one...

Tracie

Anonymous said...

A "bit of a bug" is an understatement! Glad you're all ok!

Tammy

Anonymous said...

26 years ago I didn't get a flu shot "because."  Then I got the flu.  I haven't missed a flu shot since then.  Glad you are feeing better.  We've missed you!!