A SOLDIER'S PERSPECTIVE
THE WEB'S LEADING MILITARY BLOG SINCE 2004
[UPDATE] Okay, I feel much better now. I only have a lingering headache left. I think the best medicine has been my wife, who has mothered me straight to health. She’s the best person ANYONE could hope to have as a wife. I feel bad because I don’t think I’m near as sympathetic when she’s sick. I think I’ll just try to coach her into the “Flu Snort” herself so I can take care of her when she gets sick. I don’t think she’ll go for it, though.
Anyway, thanks for all the well-wishes. I’ve decided to never take another Flu Snort or shot again. I’ll just tell them from now on that I’m allergic to eggs. I don’t eat a lot of eggs, so I wouldn’t really know.
Yesterday, I was forced to get my flu vaccine. I say forced because I would rather have the flu than get the shot. Every time I get the shot, I get sicker than what the flu would do to me. I’m a generally healthy person and I think the only time I really ever get sick is that once a year flu shot (or Iraqi food, but I got over that).
Anyway, I went to the clinic yesterday at about 1600 to get my shot. To my surprise, they aren’t doing shots this time. Instead they made me snort the stuff. They had a spray-type device that they stuck up my nose and told me to inhale. As I inhale, it was shot up there. Then they did the other side.
I don’t know how drug addicts do it. I don’t really care to know either. I was immediately “crying” and sneezing. My nose itched and suddenly I had nasal dripping. I wasn’t allowed to blow my nose or spit for 30 minutes. After getting the vaccine, I couldn’t leave for 15 minutes in case I started doing the funky chicken from a reaction. At around the time my 15 minutes was up, I started getting a headache.
This morning I woke up just sick as can be. Supposedly this method of administration was supposed to not be as concentrated as the shot and, therefore, should not have caused the problems the shot does. Well, here I am with a sore body, headache, slightly dizzy haze surrounding me. I can barely keep my eyes open. I have no real appetite, though I just ate some pizza for lunch. I’ll admit, I don’t feel as bad as I have in the past with this thing, but I just can’t concentrate today.
I was supposed to attend an IED conference today, but couldn’t find it. I went all over post looking for it. Every place I went pointed me in a different direction. The meeting was supposed to take place at 1030. Apparently, it started at 1000 and I wasn’t informed of the change. Oh well.
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Anatomy of a Military Dating Scam
I got a phone call from CapitalCargoCourier@hotmail.com today at 7:48
Anatomy of a Military Dating Scam
For Rachel Green: I do believe that was a scam. Military men do not n
~K
As soon as I read you had to snort it, my first thought was “How do you do that?” As I am a Mom and have been for 20 of my 38 years of life, I never did the “drug thing” (Unless your counting Diet Coke…lol) I don’t know as if I could do it. Not sure I want to find out after that description. yikes! I never have gotten a flu shot, and Praise The Good Lord I don’t get all that sick either.
Take care of yourself, don’t run ~E ragged to much. Hope your feeling better soon. With all the symptoms your stomach wasn’t affected..lol
SK
CJ, you have my complete sympathy and understanding. The last flu shot I got was 4 yaers ago because of the sickness and headache that would not go away. At last…I found out that I have a slight allergy to eggs, which means I cannot have a flu shot. The allergist says it’s not serious enough to bother me if I eat an occasional egg or something with egg in it, but the shots are out FOREVER. Since it’s so minor in every day life I was actually surprised to find out I had that allergy. Good luck and I hope you feel better, especially the achey part. BLEH
Anonymous
I’m with you CJ! I am a diabetic and it’s recommended that I take the shot but I don’t and knock on wood, I haven’t had a cold in several years! Of course, now that I’ve said that I’ll probably have pneumonia this winter! I like the way the media panics everyone–like last year.
Kat in GA
Oh man, YUCK!!!! Sounds awful!!!! So sorry ~ hope you get better SOON!
I recently had a SEVERE reaction to some meds my doctor tried to put me on ~ I only took a VERY small dose, but got slammed with every single side effect they listed ~ couldn’t even get out of bed for about 15 hours, I was so dizzy and just plain sick…felt like a zombie, blah….
I’m sure I had a point here somewhere… maybe just comiserating,cuz misery loves company,right?!
Donna
CJ,
I’m so sorry about the reaction. My husband can’t take flu shots. He gets sicker than with the flu like you said. He got pneumonia twice and both times he had gotten the shot so needless to say he can’t take them anymore.
I am praying for your speedy recovery!!
HM USN/USMC
Hahahahaha……Nice….I just love how these thing sre going to help……..ROFL!……
Chris
The other day I had to go down to the clinic to up date my Med record for my trip to Germany. Luckily I had my shot record from both the Navy Reserve and the Army! They had 3-4 shots they wanted to give along with the flu shot. I showed them my shot record, and the response was why don’t we have a copy of this? LOL! I have given this to them 3 times! The only thing that was left for me to get was the flu shot but they had not received it yet! Cool! I may have to get it over in Germany they said… hope not! That would suck to get sick while over there and not have my wife to mother me to death! LOL
I hope you start feeling better!
11thacr
Sorry to hear ya get a reaction everytime ya get a Flu Shot Pal….Must suck knowing your gonna get sick once a year……Hang in there Ole Bean….You’ll feel better in a Week……
Babs
CJ,
The stuff you snort is for healthy people only… It contains a “less than dead” virus. (the shot is a “dead” virus) People who have chronic illnesses and those over a certain age can ONLY receive the shot. Maybe it was just a compliment to your healthiness??
Jess Harrison
Flu shot almost as bad as the Anthrax shots we had to… What was I typing about again???
Oh well for some reason I can never remember anything.
Jess Harrison
Sorry that was a bad joke, I just couldn’t help myself on the short term memory loss thing. Nathan and I found out we were having another baby when Lizzie was 7 months so I have not had to have any shots lately. Only they like to take blood from me, lets see a little to check iron, a little to check blood sugar, and then lets do it all over again. By the way we still don’t know if it is a girl or boy, I want to be surprised and “Peanut” is due on 1 Dec. If it is a girl we are thinking Sarah Anne and if it is a boy Joshua Lee. With how many times it kicks me in an hour I am thinking we should come up with two names per sex just incase. Well I hope you feel better, I still think the Army has a big conspiracy when it comes to shots. Anything that make me want my arm to fall off (Anthrax) is not a good thing.
Later,
Jess
devildog6771
I get sick every time too. I haven’t had one for years. Fortunatelu I take a mnedicine for my panic disorder and it enhances my immune system as a side effect.
Now my kids both have asthma. But both of them have shots every year as they are considered to be at risk. They complain, but the shgots do help them.
Now, it will help yopu if you have some home made chicken soup. A recipe that uses oregano seems to be best. But I prefer those chicken soup recipes that use time. Oh, wow, like chicken and dumplings.
cook a whole chicken [up to you whether or not you take out bones when done] or better yet , about three pounds of chicken wings gives the best flavor
3-4 stalks celery
3-4 carrots
3-4 mediuom potatoes
onion
[I prefer equal amounts of potatoes, carrots, and celery]
thyme, bay leaf, parsley, salt and pepper
thicken with a little flour
I like to put some un-cooked biscuits on top of the mixture when its don. Ten minutes with top on the turn them over and cook another ten.
Anyone see anything I missed?
[ If you’re real qiuck witted you might be able to work up a swap with the mess Sgt. , that is if you’re lucky enough to have anything available besides that package junk you all eat.
Oh, well, I’m sorry, but I guess you can’t do this but wasn’t it fun reading about it? Did your mouth water. Mine did!
SharonNY
CJ- Wow— it’s not just ME ( which docs tell me over and over again… “gee, I’ve never heard of that before”) I haven’t had a flu shot in years because of the SAME reaction ( and no, I;m not allergic to eggs… the first question they ask…). When I worked in health care they required us to get flu shots… after the third year in a row that the shot made me REALLY, REALLY ill…. and then I got the flu later anyway…. they exempted me! I have had the pnuemonia vaccine, though, and had absolutely no adverse reaction from it. Feel better and have some of that chicken soup!!
dusgalan
Take ‘em every year I can. No complaints. Take two aspirin just before. Go to bed early. You’d have been fine. I think I’ll opt for the injection though. My nose doesn’t like foreign substances in it though. Remembering once when I was tossing a shot of whiskey back just as a friend was hit the punch line of a pretty funny joke. Started laughing just as the whiskey was trying to go down. Well, it all blew out my nose. That was closest thing to a near-death experience I’ve ever had. Man, that burned and I couldn’t stop wheezing for an hour. Nothing but air goes up this kids nose.
dusgalan of mt
Donna
CJ,
I’m so glad that you are feeling better! Emily sounds like a real nice person!!
Cheryl
I have had 4 or 5 flu shots.
Twice I have been terribly sick within 3 hrs of taking the shot. I it usually lasts 6 hrs .I feel like something is growing in my lungs then a cough developes next fever and chills vomiting and aches all within 6 hrs then just when I feel the worst it just stops. No Allergy to eggs. This was my last flu shot. 3 of my co-workers have the same problem. You are not alone in this.