No, honestly, I haven't probably been hydrating enough. Between my belly being a little queasy and the super super sore throat, drinking as been a chore. I haven't avoided it entirely, but over the weekend, a doctor commented on how "dry" I was. So definintely making more of an effort there.

Negative for flu and again for rapid covid. Said sometimes viruses just mess with smell. So that makes things simpler. They have me a shot of toradol for the headache and a shot of phenergan for nausea and told me to go to bed. Hopefully I'll be over this crap by tomorrow.

My kids have been adamant about not having kids since they were preadolescents because they worry climate change will make the world a place that it would be cruel to bring someone into.

It does not appear that there’s an option to get a flu test or physical exam with a covid test. The system is just odd.

I will ask for one.

Not so sure the issue is congestion. I really am not stopped up. So not sure that's an honest explanation. GP has NO appointments for testing. Going back to urgent care at noon for test. Sigh. Was hoping to get it over with early and crawl back into bed. I feel pretty awful.

I’m trying really hard to be responsible here, but my autistic kid with learning disabilities, in a school district that will not accept someone else’s illness as an excuse, will never recover from missing the first week of school. There’s no virtual option or way to make anything up. If I keep her home, she’s toast and we forfeit the year. A week absence means you flunk automatically, and there’s no way for her to make that up. The whole family is fully vaccinated, in Happy Masks, and has barely left the house in 18 months. I have tried so hard to do my part. But I took two negative tests as soon as first symptoms hit, because of this, and they were negative. I feel terrible, but given school policy and the fact that my autistic 16 year old hasn’t been in any group situations since March 2020, I feel like keeping her home against school policy is also doing the wrong thing. I have been crying all night. I don’t know any way to be a good person here.

What worries me is I’m not particularly congested. I can breathe easily through my nose. Once in awhile I have a sneezing jag and blow my nose, but I feel clear when I can’t smell the litter box and other things smell off.

I feel like I have the flu. I mean, along with the no sense of smell thing.

Correct. I am double vaccinated, always mask in public, and I don't spend much time in crowds. My risk level seems low. But today was my youngest's first day of school. I don't have NO sense of smell. It's just massively diminished. And could easily be explained by congestion. But still.....not being able to smell the cat box is disconcerting.

Not so much, although the ongoing cold/ flu symptoms still have me pretty muddle headed, honestly.

I've been having some cold/ flu symptoms. Just now realized that while my sense of smell is not entirely gone, it is significantly diminished. I couldn't smell the cat box I was scooping, and other things I was tying it on had definite psychological expectations on (vanilla extract, etc). Do I need to get another test? Or....maybe I'm just congested?

They did the rapid strep, no culture. And pcr came back negative for covid. Honestly, I am not sure I have ever had diagnosed flu, and they didn’t swab for it , but I feel awful enough that I would believe flu. At this point just probably going with random virus though, because I don’t feel well enough to drag myself anywhere else.

Honestly, I don’t like to complain, but I’m utterly miserable. My throat feels like it’s got broken glass going down it. My head won’t stop hurting, even with ibuprofen and Tylenol. My skin hurts. And I’m beyond exhausted. I just don’t feel good in some nebulous, hard to explain in words.

Fortunately (I guess), so far I am the only one stricken with this this time.

How do you non bucket people handle things when they are simultaneously coming out of both ends?

I am so glad it’s not covid. But I am an exhausted, achy, migraines, feverish, freezing, pukey miserable mess. I know I will feel better soon. I know I am full of privilege. But I am miserable and trying to find the gratitude.

Trying to decide if it would be tacky to take a bath/ shower in the middle of the afternoon? Just so danged achy and sore.

Personally, I need a bucket for when both ends are occupied. But it’s so miserable, I usually would rather be in my own bed.

If you or your child has a bug and can’t control vomiting, do you prefer the sick person to use a bowl/ other container that they keep with them, or do you expect them to make it to the bathroom, even if it results in camping out there?

Right, in the olden days I wouldn’t have gone to the doctor. Of course, I probably wouldn’t have stayed home till Friday either.

PCR negative for covid. Doctor said I’m probably contagious through Thursday or Friday.

Went over to urgent care to see if I could get symptomatic relief. I’m dehydrated. They gave me a shot to help with nausea and a shot of toradol for headache. Called in prescription for zofran. Told me to rotate Tylenol and ibuprofen and stay in bed for the next couple of days.

It feels pathetic to be 45 and need a throw up bucket.

Rest of the family, who started about four days before I did, is feeling better. I am still feeling rough…sore throat, really swollen glands, headache, body aches, exhausted, off and on fever up to 101.7, but it stays down with Tylenol or ibuprofen. A little queasy. Had pcr test, so we will see in a day or so, but I’m hopeful I’ll be recovered by then. In the meantime I don’t feel much like doing anything except staying horizontal really.