on my flu

I officially have the flu – the doctor at the local “emergency clinic” (my regular doctor was out and his associates were booked) shoved a swab up my nose, ran a test, and I won the prize.

#1 – Mr. Doctor – you do NOT deeply shove long thin swabs up people’s noses unannounced. 

It was one of the stranger and more uncomfortable feelings I’ve ever experienced. Once my eyeballs returned to my skull, I realized my hand was already around his wrist to prevent him from shoving it up my other — I was strongly telling him to WAIT and NOT do that until I had recovered from the shock and sensation of the first violation. I understand what he had to do and why, and I’m sure he’d been doing it all day long for the past some days or weeks. But what’s become sickly routine to you is NOT to those of us on the receiving end — gotta remember that, Jack.

So since I have flu, I was prescribed Tamiflu. I vaguely recall hearing of that before, the prescription was already phoned to my local pharmacy, so off I went to get it. While I waited for them to fill the prescription (they were quite busy, as you could imagine), I pulled out my iPhone for a little research on Tamiflu.

#2 – Tamiflu is controversial and possibly worthless

Read this.

The lack of peer review, that any studies done were funded by the company, that the company won’t open up and let people see the studies, replicate them, and so on… well, that speaks volumes. And those government 3-letter agencies that so many believe are there to protect us, if the government blesses it it’s good, if the government doesn’t it’s bad (government defines “morality” I guess?)… well…

Nancy Cox, who heads the CDC’s flu program, told us earlier this year she opposes a placebo-controlled study (in which one half of patients would be given Tamiflu and the other half would be given placebo), because the drug’s benefits are already proven.

No it hasn’t. And if the benefits were proven (already a problem to say anything has been “proven”), then another solid study would lend more credibility and strengthen the position. So uh… why would they want to deny it? And isn’t the CDC supposed to be looking out for the public’s interest? or just whomever is lining their pockets?

All of this made me think about open source software.

Still, I’m taking it. I figure I paid $106 for it (yes….), I might as well see for myself. Of course, I have no way to really verify if it actually did help me or not.

#3 – Paying for your own medical care is informative

When costs are hidden behind “insurance” or “taxes” or other indirect methods of payment… boy, how that system can (and will) be abused by those directly involved. I’m so looking forward to Obamacare and how that’s going to fix everything.

#4 – My productivity is in the can

This is what I hate the most. I’m technically on vacation from work, and I get to spend it all being sick. I had all sorts of plans with the family, from going to the gun range, to seeing “The Hobbit”, but alas now those won’t happen and I don’t know when they will. It’s not the end of the world, but it sucks.

Obviously I’m not going to the gym either. I’ve decided to just start cycle 16 over, once I feel good enough to return to the gym. I may also call an audible once I get to the gym and may spend the first week doing something like a deload week to get me back into the swing of things first. Just have to wait and see.

I also have a list of things that needed doing, from long-postponed programming projects to just various honey-do items. I’ve tried to work to trim off ones as I can, but when all my body wants is to sleep, and even eating has been a chore until today… well… makes it hard to want to do anything. Even writing this has gotten to a point where I want to stop because I’m out of gas.

But I will write one more thing.

#5 – My wife and kids are the best

They’ve taken very good care of me, especially Wife. She’s sacrificed and done a lot to take care of me and help me get better. They’re all doting on me, constantly asking if I’m OK and how I’m feeling. Daughter keeps walking up behind me with the head-scan thermometer taking my temperature. It’s all quite wonderful. I’m a fortunate and thankful man.