Flu?

[Nick Gatel]

Anyone get it yet? I rarely get sick but had to cancel my hike this weekend because I have been feeling so bad the past couple of weeks. It is almost gone now.

[Steven Paris]

Hope you feel better, Nick.

I have elementary school age kids and there have already been kids sick this year with flu-like symptoms. And once it starts in the schools, it doesn't take long . . . .

[Jerry Adams]

Spend all your time in the winter out hiking

No exposure to people – no flu

[Nick Gatel]

Jerry you are correct. I had spent several months working at home with no contact with anyone but my wife. So I went out to train some people and look what happened to me.

[Jesse Glover]

I used to think I'd had the flu a few times. Until I actually got the flu and thought I was going to die. Just FYI if you "think" you have the flu you don't got it. If you're thinking about your will you just might have the flu.

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

Oh no kidding on that!!!! In the fall/winter of 2009 I had gotten my flu shot after driving around following tips online of what pharmacies might have the shots – I was pregnant with my second so I was part of the priority group. Well I got mine. No one else in the family did. During that period my oldest son got the actual flu (he was in middle school at the time) and my husband got it from him. It was one of the worst weeks of my life – I had to nurse both of them – barf buckets, sterilizing everything constantly. It was so horrid. They couldn't get out of bed, my husband was very weak. Dehydration was a huge issue, nothing stayed in. I fed them liquids when they could and watched their fevers. The stress was very hard on me, I was so tired from being pregnant and freaked out my shot wouldn't protect me! It did thankfully. My house was so clean after it I can tell you!

Since then I can tell you they all get shots yearly. I am pregnant again and already had my shot this year. The oddest thing though is since that sickness Ford has not brought much sickness home – whatever it did to him, he really took a hit and it gave him some immunity. The one we fear now is the toddler – I hate taking him to the gym daycare because he picks up weird "croups"that get us sick easily – the typical run down virus where one feels so awful with a cold to go with it.

[Chris Jones]

Has anyone come down with the flu whilst on the trail? That is one of the nightmare backcountry disaster scenarios that I would never want to realize.

Yeah, the flu sucks. It's the closest thing to dying without actually dying. I get my shots every year now…

[John S.]

I caught a GI virus that hit me suddenly on the first day of a 4 day trip. I was with a group thankfully. After arriving at camp, I stayed there for the next two days and was able to hike out on my own that last day.

If alone and you start feeling bad either suddenly or over a few hours, it's best to turn around and head back to the car. You never know when a subtle abdominal pain (not going away or progressing) could turn into an acute abdomen (could happen with appendicitis, etc.). Another reason to solo with a PLB.

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

It wasn't the flu but wow…on one trip with Hoosierdaddy we had done an 18 mile day in below freezing temps on the PCT (in October) and it was easy hiking but when we found a place to camp he wasn't feeling good at all, he couldn't get warm. In the past decade it was one of the very few times I have made a fire, built it with twigs, so I could get him physically warm. Not fun at all. He spent a very miserable night out there and worst our next day was a mess of old clearcuts and trails hacked for motorcycles. We came out in one area and when I saw a pickup coming up a remote logging road I flagged the guy down. He was really nice and gave us a ride out, along some mega nasty FS roads and had an old school cell phone booster so I was able to call my husband – and he met us out on a certain highway. The hunter wouldn't take gas money from us either – even though he drove from eastern to western Washington back on those roads!!

Anyhow, if I thought HD was sick that evening, he barely got home and was sick for days after that trip. It was good we found a way out – we would have been out there for another night and very long days.

[Kendall Clement]

I got my flu shot a couple of weeks ago and within hours I was feeling fluish. It never got bad. I was just feeling slightly congested for a couple of days. I work with kids, so it's a necessity for me. Although, I do know teachers who don't get it. I think that's just crazy.

I've been fortunate, though. I've never been sick on the trail.

[George Matthews]

Nick, Get Well.

Those are cool looking shoes.

I've been getting flu shots for years. Got mine about ten days ago. The only side effect for me has been hair loss.

[Mike M]

I had a three day work trip planned in mid September, prior to me leaving my wife got pretty sick (cold/flu like), but I hadn't. I figured I'd go on the trip and all would be well when I got back. About two- three hours down the trail I noticed I was sweating more than I should have been and soon got that bad feeling when you know you're getting sick. I made it into the lake I had planned on camping early evening, feeling off, but not terrible. The next morning same thing, off- but not terribly so (it was cold too- really hard frost, probably high 20's!). I had to re-trace my steps about five mile before turning for my next night's stay. As the morning wore on I was feeling a little more sick, when I hit the trail junction I was really torn- head back for the truck or keep on. Part of me said to press on that I didn't feel that bad, the other part of me reminded me that my wife's illness got bad enough she missed two days of work. In the end common sense won out and I headed back for the truck. As I drove home (three hour drive) I progressively got sicker and sicker. By the time I got home I was full blown sick, sick enough that I ended up missing a couple of days of work- had I pressed on, it would have miserable.

I did however thoroughly surprise my wife that common sense had won out! :)

[Warren Greer]

No. But cough and some flem. Neat stuff. Makes work suck and decided not to go to the gym tonight because of. I took a breathing treatment and some Zyzal and hope tomorrow is better.

Hope you get better too Nick.

PS – Noted several comments in here on your rocket-booster shoes, but no comment from you. They look light-N-fast.

[Ken Thompson]

http://www.mizunousa.com/running/products/mizuno-wave-universe-4-racing-shoes

Feel better Nick.

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