Chest infections can turn into pneumonia incredibly easily.
It’s also worth remember that approximately 9000 people a year die from the flu, and not all of those have diagnosed underlying health conditions.
7 years ago I had the flu, everyone in my family had had it, it went on for weeks, so when I didn’t get better I just assumed that it would go away eventually.
Then one morning I woke up struggling to breathe. I thought about going to the doctor’s but I didn’t want to make a fuss, it was only the flu after all. Had a nap and a bath thinking I’d feel better. But I felt worse.
Was going to go up to a&e but didn’t feel strong enough, so my DP convinced me to ring an ambulance. I did, and felt like a complete fraud. After all we’re conditioned to not ring 999 and waste emergency services’ time.
I waited in the kitchen for the ambulance, and by the time it arrived I was collapsed on the kitchen floor.
They carted me off to hospital, by the time I arrived there I was fully unconscious. I was placed on life support, spent three days on a ventilator in ICU, was diagnosed with sepsis, pneumonia and endocarditis. And was also told I had an underlying (and previously undiagnosed) heart condition.
Since then I have had two cardiac arrests, a severe crash where my heart rate had to be defibrilated back to normal, heart surgery to repair a damaged valve and an ICD.
And I’ve been told I will need a transplant at some point.
And maybe if I’d paid attention to the way I felt before none of this would have happened.
It really doesn’t pay to be a martyr.
Aside from which, if you’re going to insist on going out and soldiering on, no-one else wants your germs.