i was out ill yesterday, and tried getting back to work today, but came home early... however i'm hoping it's no flu. Take care. I hear this yr's strain is quite nasty, but they say that each year.
Y
YouMeCo, Nov 6, 2007 @ 17:44

This flu -- what medication is available? I thought the only medication was patience and internet access. I can't seem to shake it after more than a week. Seems to be coming and going. Like Tinkie, I've tried lots of remedies although not the milk-onion soup thing, the thought of which is enough to make one... well, you get the point...
Translator, Nov 6, 2007 @ 19:20

bad cold!! Like I told Hobbes the other night. Rest, ossilococcinum and Ecchinaforce by the gallon. Believe me I'm and expert at staving off bugs.

Sympathy has no affect!
Signed
Matron ;-))

ps. Ya know I love ya really, Xav
Kola, Nov 6, 2007 @ 21:45

ok, you get my fullest sympathy. And you too Tinkie, and whoever else had it, or will do... Decription of your symptoms convinced me to think better about making some wisecrack about how I thought Man Flu was same flu as 'regular' flu, just that men's lower threshold for suffering and increased need for sympathy seemed to compell them complain to the fullest about what their female counterparts suffered in comparable silence... Actually, now I think about it, Tinkie never started posts on forum drawing such sympathy...
Anyhow, get well soon! Lots of water, sleep, doze to Podcasts with your new fast connection... For Echinaccea a bit late, I think. Vitamin C WITH Zinc?
SimSim, Nov 7, 2007 @ 00:59

I took monday off, went in yesterday thinking 'i'm feeling better, i should be ok', but now, I'm back home stuck in bed :( I plan to stay put in bed with lots a liquid, but should i have need to see doctor, where does one go for english speaking ones? I know there's a clinique across the road where i live, but they only speak french. Luckilyy i've not had to go to a general doctor during this one year since i've arrived, but may be a good idea to have a contact just in case... any recommmendations of one near servette, delice, charmille area?

meanwhile, i'm listening to Marc Butcher and gang on the WRS (hoping i might catch Britabroad win a prize). How are you feeling Hobbes?

YouMeCo, Nov 7, 2007 @ 10:06

The only help against viral infections are, as far as I know, Interferons. These are molecules that disable the virus' offensive potential (outrageously summarized). These are high-tech pharmaceutical products, and, halas, very seldom in the household pharmacy...

I take the opportunity to shout here that antibiotics are USELESS against the flu or any viral disease. They work against bacteria. If the doctor gives you some against the flu, refuse them: taking antibiotics without need gives the opportunity to present but inactive pathogen bacteria to become immune to the antibiotic... Pretty useful when you'll have to fight against these little bastards for real!

Anyway, what doctor S. Brown suggests is, as Rita Hayworth used to say:
"An orgasm a day, keeps the doctor away!" (ok, for single/alone people, try the apple)

Get all well soon!

Syd.

PS: I went through the "man's flu", I really sympathize.

PS2: I wouldn't have called it "man's flu", but "loss of dignity flu"
Syd_Brown, Nov 7, 2007 @ 10:45

We men can experience Kidney calculus crisis, that are described by women that went through it as worse than childbirth pain.

My paramedic sister agrees.

Syd.

PS: We men also know about pain. We (most of us, in fact) have between our legs a very tender and sensitive part of our anatomy. Your girls can't imagine how the urbanism is vicious, with all these bars, poles and diverses handles you find in the streets that reach just the ideal height for average males. And if you girls didn't notice them, it's because we men can also suffer in silence, especially if we are walking by your side (a bit pale, with a slight grin).
Syd_Brown, Nov 7, 2007 @ 12:30

And although ratio of getting kidney stones is Men:Women 4:1, women get them too. But it wasn't occasions to experience pain that was my point. It was about the reaction to them. That said, research claims that women do experience a greater number of pain episodes across their lifespan than men, in more bodily areas and with greater frequency.
And I am not even going to start on which sex is the greater cause of pain...
Apparently the same research claims men cope better with the pain.

I would love to be in a position to claim my personal experiences upheld the claims that men deal better with physical pain... Sadly, I can only tell tales recounted to me of near death-bed experiences caused by common cold. But I live in hope!

Incidentally, it is apparently a myth that women have a higher tolerance to pain.
Sources: largely from 2005... http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/10/051025073319.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/health/4641567.stm
And further random Googling..
SimSim, Nov 7, 2007 @ 12:48

My post wasn't that serious...

That was just a way for me to let go my inner pressure due to the correction of an article...

If men cope better with pain, it's probably because we usually are afraid of being taken for whimps, and try not to SHOW pain. Or perhaps because we show off.

When I got my nose wall sharded (my only Full-Contact wound - made on an error - do tell), I went to the ER to get it fixed. I refused the anaestetic injections (that were planned near my eye and in my nose) because I hate injections (especially in tender parts). I lived the 30 longest seconds of my life, hearing and feeling my nose bone cracking and screetching (funny how you can FEEL a sound, though) while the doc put the shard back in place with some kind of a blunt blade he shove for 10 cm up my nostrils.
Since I refused the injections, I had to salvage the pride, and keep my head up high, despite pain almost made me throw up. The doc was impressed, but he had noooooo idea what it took me to be able to leave my chair normally...

I'll take the injections next time.

Cheers, and bon appetit!

Syd.
Syd_Brown, Nov 7, 2007 @ 13:04

...and for probably the first time in 10 years, my mum didn't call me for the last 4 days (no, I have pride, I won't be the one calling help, ghhh :-|). Anyone knows if there's a "special interest / sicko bf" section on this new dating site advertised on the homepage? Or can we look by profession?... nurse, cook, masseuse? Anyway, if any of your female friend is desparate enough to accept a blind date to a sick boy's appartment, send her straight with some coke!

Back on the serious track. RSV ? Jesus! This bloody Respiratory Syncytial Virus sent my baby half way to hell when he was only a few months old. If that's the guy, I'll take my revenge and kick it out of my body presto. belive me!

I've been to check with my practitioner this morning. To him, we are lots to suffer from exactly the same thing. Common signs: sore throath, cold, digestive troubles, no temperature, or moderate, but huge, quite beyond understanding, tiredness. Cure: lots of medications... or just rest, drink a lot and rince the nose with salted water. I'll go for the second option.

And to answer SimSim, yes, I have a high bandwith line now... but with limited amount per month volume :'-(

I want my maaaaamaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ! :-S

Thank you all for your support, and take care to all the sick ones.
Hobbes, Nov 7, 2007 @ 13:43

Don't go for the chicken soup... might be one of your family relative ;-P
Hobbes, Nov 7, 2007 @ 14:11

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmuxljOvBdU

bit embarrassing to post this, but in light of what Syd_Brwn's referring to, this popped up in my search for entertainment as i lie in bed, sick..

you don't need to know what they're saying, but the objective is for all contestants to speak the displayed phrases quickly without errors. Mission: "nearly Impossible"

YouMeCo, Nov 7, 2007 @ 21:01

Get well soon...
wayne, Nov 7, 2007 @ 22:03

all dairy products as they will develop muqueuses.Simone is right it is a bit late for Echinaccea,however you can 'cheat' by taking 8 pills the first day(if 4 normaly).Vit C and perspiration is the best body's defense against infections.Forget oranges,it takes 20 kilos to produce 1 gramm,and you can take 1 gramm PER HOUR of Vit C with a flue,it's an hydrosoluble vit and you will simply lose a bunch of it if your body doens't need it(wich is unlikely),so just cut to 500 mg per hour if you get diarea.At lastly you're welcome to call me for a reflexology session to help drainage and stimule immunity.

Michel D, Nov 8, 2007 @ 13:08

This (not officially called) "flu" is amazing. I mean, most of the symptoms are gone now. From the outside world, I have nothing but a cold and small appetite (and thus look like a sissy complaining about nothing, I know). But I just spend days in bed, as if I had been partying for 5 days and night non stop (which I, unfortunatly, haven't done). I want my life back !
Hobbes, Nov 9, 2007 @ 15:37

You just don't get colds like this in the UK, this continental strain is murder! Worst thing is as I've just started work here I can't exactly call in sick, even though I'm sure I've now gone and passed it onto half the office!

The only relief is that night nurse medicine (the green stuff, made by glaxo) that you get in an old school thick brown glass bottle. It's got a fair old % of sedative in it which makes knocks you right out! Perfect!

Andrew

Andy700, Nov 9, 2007 @ 16:13

...yes, there's hope for improvement... after 10 days. Nasty people will say I waited for the weekend to arrive to improve my health. Who knows, they might be right ;-)

Thank to everyone for your advice (couldn't follow them all atthe same time, obviously) and wishes. Take care and CU round, happy and healthy!
Hobbes, Nov 10, 2007 @ 13:09

It lists the doctors in Geneva - on the "public access" part of the site you used to be able to search by criteria such as languages spoken, neighborhood, medical speciality.


harris, Nov 13, 2007 @ 21:15