The Scuba Family fled the artic north last weekend to the Bentonville/Fort Smith, AR area to enjoy warmer temps and get another state and some junior ranger badges in. It was a 4 day weekend for the kids. On Sunday I started to feel miserable, extremely quickly and we checked out early and Mrs. Scuba had to drive us home. That 6hr drive felt like 12. I went to the doc yesterday and she confirmed Influenza A. I asked for Tamiflu, she tried to argue against it but said she "wouldn't be the gatekeeper." Anyway, I started taking it within 24-36hrs of symptoms, so I'm hoping for a speedy recovery. I'm past the sore throat and headache phase and into the non-stop diarrhea that laughs at Imodium AD.

Last time I got this I dropped 10 pounds. I have zero appetite but still manage to eat something. I'd take COVID over this any day.

No, I did not get the flu vaccine. Doubt this experience will change that, I think I caught it from an Arkansian so it is fitting that it is Influenza A.

I lost 5 pounds, but my belly is as big as ever, so probably lost muscle. It was really nasty, and like you didn’t get the vaccine, but will not miss it next time.
Tamiflu helped us a lot, but boy was it rough. Complicated in my case by bronchitis, persistent cough; in my wife’s by middle ear infection and ruptured ear drum and loss of hearing left ear.

I've heard it's bad from a few friends.
My wife and I got Covid a few days before Christmas and are still dealing with a bit of the cough and congestion stuff.
We never had it before but the Doc said RSV and some of the flu this year was worse.

I had it last February, ended up in the ER. It sucked

It didn't help that I had been taking the real pseudoephedrine-based Sudafed and it was making my heart race and apparently as someone with AFib I should have never been allowed near that stuff.

Mrs. Scuba has been sleeping on the couch and I've been trying to generally stay away from everyone and disinfect whatever I touch, wash hands alot, cover coughs, etc. I'm not really coughing or sneezing much, so I'm hoping this only hits me. One of our daughters had a cough that lasted several weeks and she still coughs a bit. At first I was thinking this was from her, but I am pretty sure I am Patient Zero in the house. I am sure a 6hr ride in a Suburban spread the germs around plenty though.

We had family come down to SD. Grandkids 6 and 4 had fevers; sister had a cough she might have picked up from the plane. Entire Christmas break severely diminished by this, and it’s still going on.

I'm feeling pretty much good to go and so far nobody else in the house has caught it. Temp is gone with no meds. I'm down 5 pounds so far and food really tastes "different" like more vibrant. Most meats and cheeses seem to have a "too rich" taste and I can barely drink my usual Mt. Dew heavy (unfortunately Mt. Dew with Real Sugar no longer exists so I have to resort to HFCS).

One of our daughters has had a cough for a month, no fever, nobody else has caught it, school doesn't send her home. Sometimes we give her kid's Robitussin at night to help fall to sleep.

If I pull this off by not infecting the rest of the house, I am hoping for a nomination for Fauci's old gig.

I know two people with the flu right now that say they are sicker than a dog. It’s really going around.

We just called it Ohio river valley crud but my wife and I were both puny about a month ago. Over it now but took about 3 weeks.

Hope you get over this quickly. I live in the Ft Smith area. NW Arkansas,Fayetteville and Bentonville areas are really beautiful. Did you at least have time to visit the Crystal Bridges Museum? Well worth the time. We’ve got Rosie the Riviter there. It is a beautiful structure. Hope you get to feeling better. If you ride bicycles the Razorback Greenway is a fantastic bicycle trail. And people up there watch out for bicyclists. Y’all come back and see us again.