I'm sick... :( Flu?

[Grasshopper27]

Originally posted by: MrPhelps
You are getting married and you still have p.j's????? do they have horseys on them.

Hey, what's wrong with PJs?

Thumper bought me these, they are red/black checkered flannel. She wears silk PJs and when we're sleeping together (to actually sleep), we usually wear them...

Just kidding congratulation on the engagement and when you are married you must milk out a sickness for all its worth.

Thanks! Yea, normally I'd want TLC, but she needs to stay well and for now, she does have her own home to go to... She did call me when she got home, asked me how I was, asked if I wanted her to come back over (isn't she the sweetest?).

Grasshopper

 

[MrPhelps]

Actually flannels would be nice right now, It snowed 6" and I am frozen.

 

[Grasshopper27]

Originally posted by: MrPhelps
Actually flannels would be nice right now, It snowed 6" and I am frozen.

The only problem is silk rubbing up against flannel can sometimes cause static electricity... I cannot stand silk which is why she bought me these, and she doesn't like flannel.

Maybe I can find something inbetween to wear...

Grasshopper <-- still sick, this sucks...

 

[911paramedic]

Originally posted by: hagbard

Originally posted by: grasshopper26

Originally posted by: hagbard
Chicken soup and about a weeks rest.

Yuck, no more chicken soup!!!

I was almost asleap when Thumper called me from the car just now, she insisted on coming over. Sigh...

Now she is going to get sick, I'll feel horrible, etc...

Be nice to have her over here however, I asked her to pickup supplies.

Grasshopper

Don't panic...she may have gotten her flu shot.

Just FYI, a flu shot is for the most common strain of the flu that year, there are many, many, other strains of the flu going around. The CDC determines what flu strain will be of the highest risk to the general population and that is what the flu shot is for, not all of them.

The flu is not airborne, it is passed by fluids. So if you kiss, cough, share spoons, etc. that will pass it. The most common way is by transmission via a third party or hand shakes. What I mean is, the virus gets on your hand (you cough into it, wipe your nose, touch any saliva, etc) then you touch a doorknob, shopping cart, shake hands, it can be picked up by somebody else. Then, if they touch their food, mouth, eyes, have a cut, or something like that, they can be infected.

Best way to avoid the flu is wash your hands often, and try not to let people sneeze on you.

 

[Grasshopper27]

Originally posted by: 911paramedic

The flu is not airborne, it is passed by fluids. So if you kiss, cough, share spoons, etc. that will pass it.

Does that mean no sex?

 

[NutBucket]

Originally posted by: grasshopper26

Originally posted by: 911paramedic

The flu is not airborne, it is passed by fluids. So if you kiss, cough, share spoons, etc. that will pass it.

Does that mean no sex?

Wear a rubber and a respirator and you should be ok

 

[Grasshopper27]

Originally posted by: NutBucket

Wear a rubber and a respirator and you should be ok

We already use condoms most of the time... I would think the respirator would take most of the fun out of it however.

Grasshopper

 

[NutBucket]

Well, if you don't want to get her sick....

Oh yeah, be sure to dose yourself in alchol beforehand to remove any germs that are prolly on your body.

 

[NutBucket]

Oh wait, better idea, full body condom for you!!

 

[Grasshopper27]

Originally posted by: NutBucket
Oh wait, better idea, full body condom for you!!

ROTFL!!!

You mean like in "The Naked Gun"?

Doesn't that kinda take the fun out of it?

Grasshopper

 

[911paramedic]

Originally posted by: grasshopper26

Originally posted by: 911paramedic

The flu is not airborne, it is passed by fluids. So if you kiss, cough, share spoons, etc. that will pass it.

Does that mean no sex?

LOL. Answer your own question: Is there any sort of bodily fluid contact with sex?

HIV is passed via fluids but is not as virulent as the flu virus. The HIV virus dies on surfaces rather quickly compared to many other viruses. There has been quite a bit of education about HIV transmission, so think of the flu like this:

...same precautions regarding personal contact
...the flu virus can be transmitted with handshakes (HIV cannot)
...the flu can be transmitted by surface contact (HIV virus dies quickly outside the body)
...kissing can give you the flu (VERY RARE cases of HIV transmission this way, only via blood in the saliva)


A benefit to being a paramedic is you get LOTS of disease transmission education, and get additional training each year. (required)

 

[Gnurb]

Originally posted by: grasshopper26
Anyone else feeling under the weather?

yes :-(

 

[Grasshopper27]

Originally posted by: 911paramedic
LOL. Answer your own question: Is there any sort of bodily fluid contact with sex?

Err, well... maybe...

A benefit to being a paramedic is you get LOTS of disease transmission education, and get additional training each year. (required)

Does that mean you get your flu shot every year? I still cannot figure out how paramedics avoid getting sick all the time and getting all kinds of strange dieses... What if you have to treat a paient who is HIV positive?

That would freak me out...

Grasshopper

 

[NuclearFusi0n]

LOTs of fluids works GREAT
I got sick and started drinking water and juice like CRAZY, and i was fine in a few days

 

[NutBucket]

Originally posted by: grasshopper26

Originally posted by: NutBucket
Oh wait, better idea, full body condom for you!!

ROTFL!!!

You mean like in "The Naked Gun"?

Doesn't that kinda take the fun out of it?

Grasshopper

Bingo, except with an "appendage" on it for the "tools"

 

[911paramedic]

Originally posted by: grasshopper26

Originally posted by: 911paramedic
LOL. Answer your own question: Is there any sort of bodily fluid contact with sex?

Err, well... maybe...

A benefit to being a paramedic is you get LOTS of disease transmission education, and get additional training each year. (required)

Does that mean you get your flu shot every year? I still cannot figure out how paramedics avoid getting sick all the time and getting all kinds of strange dieses... What if you have to treat a paient who is HIV positive?

That would freak me out...

Grasshopper

As a medic, most of us have been exposed to so much during our course of work that our immune systems are so strong they go out into the back yard and attack squirrels.

As for treating people with AIDS, you just treat everybody "as if" they have it, you wear your gloves and eye protection. Believe it or not, many more healthcare workers die from hepatitis than AIDS each year, aquired on the job that is. We just have to be very careful about needles, and to keep your hands free from cuts. It is something to be cautious about but not paranoid. We all know the risks, and (knock on wood) I have never had a needle stick. I did have a patient bleeding so badly that it soaked through these leather boots. He was stabbed many times and I was trying to put in a breathing tube, and keep his intestines in place so I never realized it until just after the call. My skin was intact on my foot so I just had to wash it with betadine and germ killers, I was lucky.

My partner did stick himself with an infected needle on a call we were on. He went to give a shot to a unconscious patient, the patient rolled quickly, and the needle went in, through, and into his finger. (You have seen how we pinch skin when giving shots...) The patient was HIV+ and positive for hepatitis. I moved about a year later and still don't know what happened to him.

 

[Grasshopper27]

Originally posted by: 911paramedic

As a medic, most of us have been exposed to so much during our course of work that our immune systems are so strong they go out into the back yard and attack squirrels.

Fair enough, that makes sense... Not sure if PETA would be happy to hear about the squirrels however.

As for treating people with AIDS, you just treat everybody "as if" they have it, you wear your gloves and eye protection. Believe it or not, many more healthcare workers die from hepatitis than AIDS each year, aquired on the job that is. We just have to be very careful about needles, and to keep your hands free from cuts. It is something to be cautious about but not paranoid.

I thought about becoming a paramedic when I was younger, but the fear of all that scared me away. Now that my goal is to fly EMS helicopters, my main concern is to keep all that in the back of the helicopter instead of up front with me.

I'm sure I'll learn a lot from the medics I'll work with, many interesting stories and lessons to be learned from them I'll bet...

Have you ever wanted to work as a flight medic, or do you strictly do ground stuff?

Grasshopper

 

[911paramedic]

Originally posted by: grasshopper26

Originally posted by: 911paramedic

As a medic, most of us have been exposed to so much during our course of work that our immune systems are so strong they go out into the back yard and attack squirrels.

Fair enough, that makes sense... Not sure if PETA would be happy to hear about the squirrels however.

As for treating people with AIDS, you just treat everybody "as if" they have it, you wear your gloves and eye protection. Believe it or not, many more healthcare workers die from hepatitis than AIDS each year, aquired on the job that is. We just have to be very careful about needles, and to keep your hands free from cuts. It is something to be cautious about but not paranoid.

I thought about becoming a paramedic when I was younger, but the fear of all that scared me away. Now that my goal is to fly EMS helicopters, my main concern is to keep all that in the back of the helicopter instead of up front with me.

I'm sure I'll learn a lot from the medics I'll work with, many interesting stories and lessons to be learned from them I'll bet...

Have you ever wanted to work as a flight medic, or do you strictly do ground stuff?

Grasshopper

I only did flight stuff in Yosemite via a blackhawk, we did a rescue off of El Capitan. Like I said, my knee is garbage so I cannot do it anymore now, but that was my goal, flight medic.

Even in the front of the aircraft, you may have to worry about TB, that is a concern in a closed environment. You will get tested every six months for that if you are in any emergency medical field. TB is scary, you cannot see the symptoms all the time, and you see symptoms in almost every breathing problem. You have to figure out when to put on your mask and when not to.

 

[Grasshopper27]

Originally posted by: 911paramedic

I only did flight stuff in Yosemite via a blackhawk, we did a rescue off of El Capitan. Like I said, my knee is garbage so I cannot do it anymore now, but that was my goal, flight medic.

Sorry to hear about the knee.

Even in the front of the aircraft, you may have to worry about TB, that is a concern in a closed environment. You will get tested every six months for that if you are in any emergency medical field. TB is scary, you cannot see the symptoms all the time, and you see symptoms in almost every breathing problem. You have to figure out when to put on your mask and when not to.

I thought we had knocked that off the map? TB is still around? Isn't there a vacine for that?

Grasshopper

 

[911paramedic]

Originally posted by: grasshopper26

Originally posted by: 911paramedic

I only did flight stuff in Yosemite via a blackhawk, we did a rescue off of El Capitan. Like I said, my knee is garbage so I cannot do it anymore now, but that was my goal, flight medic.

Sorry to hear about the knee.

Even in the front of the aircraft, you may have to worry about TB, that is a concern in a closed environment. You will get tested every six months for that if you are in any emergency medical field. TB is scary, you cannot see the symptoms all the time, and you see symptoms in almost every breathing problem. You have to figure out when to put on your mask and when not to.

I thought we had knocked that off the map? TB is still around? Isn't there a vacine for that?

Grasshopper

TB is around, and not very uncommon among the homeless and HIV+ communities (common in prisons too). We do have medications to supress it but it can be a chronic thing if not taken care of quickly, that is why we get tested every 6 months. You can be exposed but not get it, if you get a positive test you get a chest x-ray and meds. I have never tested positive but I have treated quite a few people that had it.



EDIT: others get and have it too, I just read that and it sounded like only two types of people get or have it.

 

[Grasshopper27]

Originally posted by: 911paramedic

TB is around, and not very uncommon among the homeless and HIV+ communities (common in prisons too). We do have medications to supress it but it can be a chronic thing if not taken care of quickly, that is why we get tested every 6 months. You can be exposed but not get it, if you get a positive test you get a chest x-ray and meds. I have never tested positive but I have treated quite a few people that had it.

Good to know...

I figure I'll be brought up to speed on all this as soon as I go to work for one of those companies... Will be a few years before I have the flight experience to get there however.

Grasshopper

 

[911paramedic]

Originally posted by: grasshopper26

Originally posted by: 911paramedic

TB is around, and not very uncommon among the homeless and HIV+ communities (common in prisons too). We do have medications to supress it but it can be a chronic thing if not taken care of quickly, that is why we get tested every 6 months. You can be exposed but not get it, if you get a positive test you get a chest x-ray and meds. I have never tested positive but I have treated quite a few people that had it.

Good to know...

I figure I'll be brought up to speed on all this as soon as I go to work for one of those companies... Will be a few years before I have the flight experience to get there however.

Grasshopper

If you get a job working in the health care field you will get all the training you need, trust me.

 

[Grasshopper27]

Originally posted by: 911paramedic

If you get a job working in the health care field you will get all the training you need, trust me.

Great! So long as I don't have to go sticking needles in people and holding their intestins in, I'll be happy.

Grasshopper