- Sunday night - leave my window open for 3 hours to cool off my bedroom. Wake up around 4am to close it since my room is getting a little cool.
- Monday morning - wake up with a scratchy throat and sneeze throughout the day.
- Monday afternoon - get a Flu shot at the Department of Health along with tetanus, Hep A, and measles vaccinations (all for Namibia). Well actually, since I was already getting three other injections in my shoulders, I chose to take the Flu Mist, which is sprayed up my nostrils.
- Tuesday - Feel sick as a dog. Have a dry cough, soar throat, and slight runny nose.
- Wednesday - Feel ever sicker, very weak, slightly nauseous, and almost faint.
So was it the Flu Mist, leaving my window open, or a combination of both that currently has me feeling like I'm about to pass out???
My travel adviser nurse advised that I get the flu shot/mist before heading to Namibia. This is the first time I've ever gotten a flu vaccine. I vaguely remember hearing stories about people getting sick from the Flu shot/mist, and now here I am feeling like I'm on my last leg. If I could go back I would NOT (in my best Bajan accent) have gotten this stupid Flu Mist crap. Why am I being given something that will make me feel this bad? Why did I even take it? All at the suggestion of that travel nurse. Never ever ever again. Ugh. I'm so disgusted. Now after the fact, I'm reading that the nasal spray has more side effects than the shot. Oh, and I have to get a tooth pulled on Friday. NICE. Depending on how I feel by then, I may re-schedule that appointment.
Lesson #1 - Follow my own instinct!
Following your instincts often becomes clear after the fact! I'm not a fan of any kind of shots personally, which is one reason I haven't been to Africa yet. Most of my African friends think they're ridiculous and there isn't a strong track record for any of them. I don't do flu shots either. I think it was that window you left open that weakened your resistance and then getting all those shots the next day. That's hard on any system even if you aren't sick. Get some goldenseal capsules or tea and take it five times a day, it's a natural antibiotic that will help heal you. Get well soon!
ReplyDeleteThank you SOOOO much for the suggestion... I will DEF try some goldenseal! And that's probably exactly what happened - lowered resistance plus vaccines equals hard on your body. I really learned that you have to be gentle on your body. And yeah, the vaccines are REALLY questionable. I guess I was just trying to overprotect myself from whatever I might be exposed to in Namibia. But now I learned to go with my own gut from now on because I'm going to be getting a lot of advice about living in Africa...
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