Oink, Oink!

I shouldn't be surprised as without fail I pick up some lurgy or other at this time of year. It just happens to be swine flu this year. Whilst not very pleasant it's certainly not the worst viral illness I've ever experienced.

I was 'diagnosed' with swine flu by the government's swine flu website. Which is weird because usually all the advice from both politician's and doctors is to avoid self diagnosing via a website. Call me old fashioned but I prefer my diagnosis to be made by a proper doctor, someone who's been to medical school & spent years training afterwards. Not a nurse, not a health care professional and certainly not an unemployed window cleaner being paid stupid sums of money to go through checklists.

So funnily enough I haven't bothered with the tamiflu the website issued me a number for. Had I personally been to see my GP, been diagnosed with H1N1 and prescribed tamiflu then I'd take it. But in the absence of face to face medical opinion* I'm not happy to take a drug with some serious side effects when it might not be for the correct illness. Whilst flu is the most likely option, it could be related to the EDS, could be another case of shingles, or could be from having been paddling barefoot in the Irish Sea next to a couple of floating turds** 36 hours prior to the onset of symptoms. If I'm still unwell in a week or so I'll contact my GP for advice, until then I've stuck to the tried and tested flu treatments. Paracetamol, lots of fluids and bed rest. Which, unless I develop a chest infection is the best thing to do.


*Have discussed symptoms/management with a GP friend & given strict instructions as to when to see a GP in case of chest infection
**I know, I pick places to paddle well! In my defence the turds were not visible until it was too late!