Think I've got proper flu and worried....

[Worried345]

In sole charge of my DCs with no help here and really worried. Been incredibly ill since 5am after a week long 'normal' virus and caring for DS1 who has been off sick from school with it all week.

Suddenly, this is a whole different calibre of virus. I can't move. I spent 3 hrs on toilet floor vomiting continually with delirium and high temperature and headache. Coughing up brown phlegm and really bad pain in chest cavity. Can't remember having anything as bad before ever. Normally just drag myself around and still able to look after DCs. Can't stop my heart racing at way above its normal speed even though I'm just sitting in bed. Can't get cool even though I had Ibuprofen at 9.30am.

AIBU to think I have proper influenza today and not just a normal virus? AIBU to be worried that there's only me here looking after DCs - aged 10 and 11 and can't actually look after them at all? DC1 still really weak from his virus all week and not eating and I'd been supporting him to drink fluids but I literally can't move right now and am soaked in sweat and feel really weird.

DC2 has the cough only so far but he has SN - mildly - and is finding it difficult that we're not doing normal routine today and is gettign cross that mum can't talk properly or get up.

AIBU to be so worried that I'm THIS ill and the DCs and I have no one at all to come in and help? Is it just that I'm feverish and so unwell that I'm panicking?

Anyone who can offer reassurance and tell me to stop being a weakling, pull myself together and get on with it - or are my symptoms going to get worse and I should be trying to get some help in for all of us? But there's no one I know of who would be willing to come into a house full of sick people.

Fakebook, that's not very subtle.

I think we need to give the benefit of the doubt - after all what does it cost us to tell her what she should do, it's not like she's asking us to send her anything etc.

Or pretending to have a sick baby/no money/

I mean if y ou are concerned about advising a flu troll then don't post.

I don't understand what you mean Altinkum but I'll assume you're not calling me bloody idiotic.

Rooney, altinkum not calling you an idiot. She's saying that the trolling mindset is idiotic. Which it is.

thanks fakebook - I appreciate that. And sorry if I was harsh before.

You cannot diagnose flu over the internet, even if you have all the medical qualifications in the world.

OP, please phone OOH. Whatever it is, you need a medical professional to see you.

I think you need to see a doctor OP. There must be someone you could call to help you.

thanks for explaining

It sounds like it may be pneumonia and you need a doctor.

Appreciate all advice and sorry not to get back sooner but felt too ill. I'm in bed with a laptop BTW and name changed today as I'm embarassed about having no RL back up support.

I'm now waiting for out of hrs doctor service to call me back. No way can I get out of house today to see anyone but I expect this is what they'd suggest. GP surgery and out of hrs is an unusually long way from where we now live as we were allowed to keep original GP practice when we moved house.

DS1 is just not complying with any self care - like drinking or weeing. On the one hand this might be a good sign that he's feeling better enough himself to be difficult. On the other hand, I'm worried that he should be keeping up fluid intake at the least, after a week not really eating and fairly ill himself - though nothing like what I've got.

DC2 looking after self better but is not coping emotionally v well with the change in routine.

If being able to type on my laptop means I don't have proper flu, then that's a good thing and I hope it's the case. I'm less worried now about having flu than having pneumonia.

I did an AIBU post this morning as I'm rather scared as I'm never this ill and wanted some outside feedback as only have the DCs here to communicate with. All feels really surreal probably cos I've got a high temperature.

Thanks for all contributions today and will post again once I've spoken with out of hrs service.

Hope you feel better soon, OP. The brown phlegm may at least suggest a chest infection, possibly pneumonia but possibly not. Either way, it's horrible to feel so ill and have to look after dcs - been there too many times. However, they are older so to a certain extent can get on with it - hope ds complies soon and feels better. Let us know what the doctor says, keep your fluids up if you can keep anything down.

Glad you have called gp, green or brownish sputum can be a sign of a full on chest infection, so best to get it checked out, especially with a high temp and other symptoms. Sorry there's no one nearby to help you with the DCs. Hope your feeling better soon.

Xpost with mad hair day.

keep explaining things to your dcs. even though i wouldn't recommend that children of that age look after themselves 'for fun', they are perfectly capable of looking after themselves and you, in this situation.

you may or may not be a troll. someone accused me óf 'sockpuppeting' a few days ago, just because i changed my name. the cheek of it!

Sounds like a nasty chest infection, rather than flu.

I couldn't even stand to look at the tv when I had flu because it hurt to look at anything that bright.

Hope you're feeling better soon.

You can post on mumsnet when you have flu or pneumonia. I had swine flu which became pneumonia, with pluericy (how the chuff do you spell that anyway) and posted on mumsnet from time to time.

If you are well enough to call the NHS direct, you are well enough to post on mumsnet. Its called "asking for help" and takes various guises. Sometimes mumsnet may provide more quick help than the NHS direct when you are looking for perspective or advice or experiences from people who have done it.

Anyway, you may well have full flu, or pneumonia, or a bad bronchitis, and yes it is very hard to care for children in that state - mine went on for a while and a relapsed too after I thought it was gone - this was a couple of years ago - not pleasant, and my husband was in Copenhaagen for some of it, and there was one time I had to pick my children up from school and I clipped the curb a couple of times, and was wearing 2 cardigans, 2 coats, gloves and a hat I was so cold with fever (I'd get shivery and then the sweltering bit would kick in a couple of hours later and I'd get the shakes)

Tres pleasant it was.

The upside is since then I've never moaned about having a simple head cold since!

Hoping a speedy recovery for the OP

By the way I would urge you to get seen - if you have a bacterial infection, antibiotics will help no end. If you call NHS direct they might be able to get you an appointment at out of hours. Failing that a walk in first thing tomorrow; it will be painful, you might have to wear 6 layers of clothing and haul your kids there but it will be worth it. Once they had finally worked out which antibiotiic was good for my particular bacterial infection (Doxycycline!) I was feeling better within 2 days and was cured within 2 weeks (albeit with scar tissue and stuff but I won't bore you with that)

Just updating from yesterday. managed to do the three hour marathon trip to out of hrs doctors - had booked in for 6pm but not seen till 7.30pm - with disgruntled children in tow.

Was diagnosed with influenza AND pneumonia! Got prescription for antibiotics and then had to drive to open pharmacy. It was freezing cold by then and I was shaking like mad and feeling extremely sick and ill. DS1 was being completely horrible to me the entire time we were out. I expect he hates the fact that I can't be his regular slave and he refused to believe I was really ill.

Was sick again when got home. But not vomited since and now had 2 of the antibiotics. So far too weak to get out of bed today and the domestic tasks are piling up. DCs are completely hopeless and do nothing at all to help in the house. DC2 however, is apparently trying to unstack the dishwasher and then restack. No surfaces in kitchen currently free and just piled with mess.

Must get their laundry done today - school uniforms - but will have to tell them what to do to do this themselves. Planning to send them out to a local shop for very basic food.

Realising that although they're not that young, they completely rely on my to run their lives and do every single thing, including finding clean clothes for them and even running them a bath.

Hope I start to feel well enough shortly to potter around. Got to drive them to school tomorrow or send them in a taxi.Can't afford to be off work for long as I'm self employed and we're solely reliant on my income.

Still feeling lousy but hope antibiotics start to help soon.

Thanks for all support yesterday.

I hope the antibiotics kick in soon. Take care of yourself.

'Agree you sound ill. But surely a 10 and 11 year old (even if slightly poorly) don't need much looking after? I was at home with flu this week with DS 1.10 who had flu and 3mo dd and we managed'

I doubt you had flu; probably another virus! You would not be looking after two babies if you had temperatures of up to 104 or 105, plus rigors, plus severely aching limbs, headache, etc.