down with the sickness

I’ve been sick since Friday night. This is the first time I’ve been really sick since 1995, and holy shit is my body making up for lost time.
Yesterday, I had a fever of 103 (yes, try to not sing “hot blooded” now) for most of the day, and an oh-so-joyous dry hacking cough. The fever, the aches and the chills are nothing compared to the cough. I feel like someone’s been punching me in the stomach and hitting me across the ribs with a baseball bat. Last night, I was coughing so violently, I woke myself up and wasn’t able to fall back asleep for almost an hour.
This could not have come at a more inconvenient time. I still need to pick up some gifts for my wife, I have packages to ship at the post office, and we have to get our house in order for a family dinner on the 25th.
I also don’t believe in medicating the hell out of myself, so I take all sorts of homeopathic stuff, and let my body heal itself . . . but the coughing is do painful I broke down and took some cough syrup this morning, and some advil to bring my fever down. Right now my fever is down to 99, but I still feel a little woozy, almost like I’ve found the bottom of a few pints of Guinness.
I’m going to go back to bed, but I wanted to let WWdN readers know that tomorrow night, Drew from Fark and I will be on Tech TV’s Unscrewed. We did some really funny stuff, and I know that you’ll enjoy it. Check local listings for times and stuff.

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97 thoughts on “down with the sickness”

  2. Fever is down to just above normal, and the aches are gone. This goddamn cough is still hanging around, but I’m doing much better than I was earlier today.
    Thanks for the good wishes, and mom voice admonishments to get myself taken care of 🙂

  3. Get to a doctor NOW!!! I’ve lost half my staff in the IT dept to this flu. Now I have the remaining ones wiping down keyboards and mice before working on them, and scrubing hands and face afterwards. This flu is no joke, the average downtime is weeks not days for those that try to ride it out, and lost of those get it back again.

  4. Will, we’re going to drum you out of the science league if you use “homeopathic medicine” which isn’t medicine at all.
    It works about as well as The Cone of Silence.
    –JRM

  6. Dude, call the doctor tomorrow. Fevers that high indicate infection, as does the dry hacking cough. Also, some infections left untreated can turn in to life threatening conditions. If you’re not one for over-medicating, antibiotics should work just fine for you.

  8. Hi Wil,
    Flu shots are crap. I’m in university and I live with 5 smelly boys who all came down with the flu at once. Well, it wasn’t long before I was victim number six, but by then I was well prepared. I increased my vitamin C to 3000mg/day, took 1200mg of echinacea, 20g/day of zinc – and MOST IMPORTANTLY: N-acetyl L-cystiene, otherwise known as NAC. It’s actually an amino acid which boosts the levels of glutathione, a powerful antioxidant in the liver. It has been well-studied by mainstream medicine as it is the only known antidote to acetominophen poisoning (read: Tylenol OD). It is a mucolytic (it breaks up snot and makes it more runny – nice) which makes it more difficult for the mucous to settle in your lungs and/or sinuses. It has been used to treat AIDS and cancer patients, as well as those with such lung conditions as chronic bronchitis.
    Also, in a few European studies, taking one gram per day has been shown to either PREVENT the flu, or make the symptoms much less severe.
    So, when everyone around me began dropping like flies, I started taking it and I only had a fever for one night (102), NO headache, NO muscle aches, NO exhaustion, NO chills and only a mild cough. And I was well enough to still cram for my last exams as well as getting all the crazy Christmas shopping done!
    Okay – that went on longer than necessary! But maybe this will help? If you decide to use it, only use it while you’re sick (or if you feel like you’re getting sick), and 1 gram/day is plenty sufficient – at doses up to 7 grams/day it has been known to DECREASE levels of glutathione in the liver = bad.
    Get well soon, Wil, and Merry Christmas and all that jazz.
    Jess

  9. I know everyone has advice for things like these, but here goes anyway….
    When I or my husband get the dreaded hacking, we start using Zicam cold swabs. They’re homeopathic and they seriously kick ass. Zicam dot com (and no, I don’t work for them).
    My mother-in-law is an RN and she has a great recipe for staying hydrated. Mix Gatorade and Sprite or 7-Up. I use the diet variety of soft drink to avoid all the extra sugar. Just mix this stuff and sip on it all day long. You’ll feel the difference the next day.
    By all means, listen to all the people who say to go to the Doc if your temp rises again. These are just two things that have really helped us. Feel better!

  10. Get well soon, Wil! That’s an order! Make it so!
    Since I don’t get TechTV in my town, I’m making a special trip just to see this episode at a friend’s house. Can’t wait to see it. Gotta be funny as all hell if you and Drew are involved.

  11. I caught a nasty cold on Wednesday, and I’m pretty sure it came from the theater I saw ROTK in. Damn, it was worth it though! 😉
    As far as cold meds go, I’ve found NyQuil/DayQuil to be pretty effective, at least for me…
    Anyway, good luck, Wil.
    ***sending healing mojo now***

  14. hey Wil! hope you feel better… I’m not feeling too hot either… getting sick during the holidays sucks… cant wait to see your appearance on tech tv tomorrow…

  15. I agree w/ the flu diagnosis – get your fricken butt to a doctor! – if nothing else, s/he can make sure you aren’t developing a secondary pneumonia.

  17. Bless your heart. That does sound a lot like flu. Flu is nothing to sneeze at (pun). Seriously, Jim Henson died with flu–I’ve never forgotten that. At least call the doc, orright?
    And as for the gift-buying–hell, isn’t that what computers are good for? Sit on your butt and surf to Amazon and get Anne a book or some music. Christmas shopping two days before Christmas is no fun, and besides, you’ll just get all your fellow shoppers sick like you. How inconsiderate. Better to loaf around and rest off this funk you caught.
    Mojo mojo mojo.

  18. Oops – put my get well wishes on the next message by mistake – maybe too much Christmas cheer coming my way. Anyway, do get well very soon Wil, and if that cough gets worse, take the advice above and see a doctor. Of course, I once had a cough for six weeks and then it went away and that was that. My doc used to say, if you aren’t coughing up green or brown, it is viral, not an infection, so ride it out. (Sorry to be so graphic there, gentle readers!).

  19. Hope you fell better soon. Sounds pretty nasty. Be sure to drink lots of fluids (Dave Barry points out that “fluids” is latin for “beer”.)
    I’ll be at the parent’s in law, so will be able to catch the tech-TV thing. Look forward to it!
    Wil, thanks for the continued writing and inspiration. You and yours and everyone, have a happy holiday. Remember, having the relatives over is FUN!

  20. Homeopathic remedies! *Groan!* Sucker!
    Yeah, your body CAN and DOES heal itself. Given time, it will kick those cold and flu viruses asses. Nothing you are going to take will kill the flu or a cold. But you can make yourself feel less pain while your body does it’s thing. Nothing wrong with that. Your body’s still doing all the hard work.
    Lesson Learned: Homeopathic martyrdom bad! NyQuil Good!

  21. Wil,
    Sounds like you’ve got the flu. You really should go see a doctor. Really. I mean, look at where I am. Colorado. 10 kids have died and we have over 10,000 cases. And all these were previously healthy people. I don’t mean to scare ya, but really, you should see a doctor. It’s really serious this year. I hope you feel better soon!!

  22. Mr. Wheaton, please report to Sick Bay.
    No joke. Even if your fever has gone down, you need to see the doc. Everyone has said it, but I’m the one you should listen to. *snicker* I once ignored a cough and ended up with an extremely nasty bronchial infection that took weeks to get over. Not fun.
    Hope your holidays are fun. I’ll be on the plane to North Dakota, so I’ll miss you and Drew Tuesday night. Why don’t you tape it for me?

  23. It seems like a lot of people are getting sick. But everyone I know has gotten a lot better within a few days. So, let’s keep our fingers crossed that it will be the same for you.

  24. Wil!
    I’m not surprised. this crazy wild lifestyle
    you live!
    working nights, I have been able to avoid sick
    people, so I’v havn’t been sick in years
    but! I hear there’s a new cold remedie…
    VODKA! with Cranberry juice!
    the Cranberry help sooth your sore-dry throat
    and then the “VODKA”… well after a few shots
    you don’t care and pass out…
    and it’s cheeper than most other cold/flu
    products…
    hope you get to feelin better! later

  26. Oh my goodness! I’ve had a really nasty cough since Friday night too! that’s just wierd…. I’m feeling much better today though, and am glad that Wil’s on the mend too. Yesterday, I was woken up by an old lady who telephoned me at 7am. I wasn’t very please since I had kept myself up all night coughing and had finally fallen into a restful sleep. today is so much better! I don’t have the flu tho….keep getting better Wil!!!

  27. You poor bastard. Not just for the sickness but for being taken in by “homeopathic” BS.
    Still, it’s yet another way in which you’re different from Wesley the science guy.

  28. You should eat oranges, LOTS and LOTS of oranges. Yes you’ll get bored of them but they’ll make you feel oh-so-much better!

  29. Hope you feel better soon! My fiance suffered with the same thing last week. His ended up being the flu.
    Hang in there and Merry Christmas to you and your family!
    -Dawn

  30. Wil, my parents are both docs, and here’s the advice I get whenever I get sick:
    “I don’t have time for you to be sick. I’ve got to go to work. ”
    Then they let me stay home and sleep.
    Here’s my advice, based on 13 years of various illnesses:
    Have tea with honey, pop, and chicken soup, go to bed, and sleep. Bring your iPod, and listen to some music instead of watching a screen.
    Get well soon!

  31. Get better soon Wil!! Oh btw, I love the trading the baby for the duck and setting the crab free!!
    Yes we must free more crabs!!
    K that sounded bad…
    anyways catch ya l8r

  32. Wil, i think you have the same thing i just got over so i can relate to how you felt. i can also relate to how your body makes you pay for not being ill. i had the /best/ immune system- i got over german measles in 24 hours and stuff like that. until april this year.
    i got sick.
    no one knows what or why, and it sucks, and i cant take tablets, so id be interested in hearing what homeopathic stuff you recommend- maybe you should make a post on it sometime, that kind of stuff is freely avaliable across the uk. ive been looking into it for a while, and i hope youre feeling better soon.
    take care matey,
    sara

  35. ***get better*** I had that yucky high fever cough producing flu 2 weeks ago and I’m still coughing up crap and feeling run down. I hope you get better soon Wil. It sucks royally to be sick during the holidays. I have to agree with everyone else though, if the fever continues go see a Dr. Mine lasted for 3 days but finally broke for good on the 3rd day. And yes, I’m a weanie too, I haven’t been to a Dr.

  36. Hey Wil… FLU SUX DONKEY BALLS! I had it last month right during Thanksgiving! And like you, I tried to tough it out and take the homeopathic route but it didn’t work. I SUFFERED needlessly.
    I ended up with a nasty bronchial infection that required serious antibiotics. ADVICE: GO TO DR. CRUSHER and GET YOUR HYPO-SPRAY! Seriously, take care of yourself and get well soon.

  37. Wil, I read that your fever is down, but I’d still get a doctor’s opinion, just to be on the safe side. Even if you’re a young, normally healthy guy. Your doctor may just tell you to go home and drink plenty of fluids. Mine has. The peace of mind that “oh, it’s nothing” is worth it. I also don’t believe in over-medicating, but I also believe in taking advantage of modern medicine when necessary. Please take care.

  39. Feel better, darling Wil! I’m getting over the same thing and had to fly from home in New York to my parents house in California with a fever of 102. Take care of yourself, relax and enjoy the holidays, if you can!

  41. Wil…
    I’ve been reading your blog for a couple of months now, and have always been reluctant to comment. But reading that you know have the flu that my family is finally getting over after more than 3 weeks, I just had to send you our good wishes and healing thoughts. My oldest son and I both ended up with pneumonia, so though I understand the wish not to over medicate yourself, in your own best interest, see a doctor. My husband also ran a fever of 103+ for around 4 days and that was with advil and tylenol alternately every 3 hours.
    Oh and Gatorade is an amazing thing when you’re running a fever as it keeps you from dehydrating as quickly! And tell Ann to feed you as much chicken soup as you can stand.
    Wishing you healing,
    The Chandler Clan
    RCuca, CA

  42. Homeopathic? Look into Grapefruit Seed Extract… amazing stuff, but be careful if you’re taking any prescription medication that you should take with grapefruit.

  44. I am a big proponent of better living through chemistry.
    You’ll just stay sicker longer with t he home stuff unless you do it via a docotr, GO TO A DOCTOR.
    This isn’t hte 1800’s, but without medical help and folk remedies you’ll still die of it like it was. Modern age, modern medicine, thank you.
    Most of the time the herbal remedies do nothing, and if you are not careful they will make you worse, or counteract any real medications you normally take. DO NOT take st johns wort with AZT, dont drink grapefruit juice with most depressants or heart medications… you might as well not even take the medicines at all. These kind of counteragents are all over the place in the “homeo” world, and if you are REALLY sick you should be seeing a doctor, FIRST.
    You might need antibiotics, this is coming from a person who is just getting over pnuemonia, who thought it was just a sinus infection… talk about getting your ass kicked… I make dinner and I need a three hour nap. I have barely moved out of my chair in two weeks.
    My doctor rarely prescribes them, so for me to get them it must be serious and the flu this year is abnormally evil. Mine went from bad head cold to full blown ‘coughing up bloody hunks of brown crap the size of fetuses’ Pnuemonia in three days. THREE.
    Remember Jim Henson. You should never be too uppity, herbal, busy or important or pussy to go see a freaking doctor. The world is lesser for losing Jim, and we would be lesser for losing you to something so terribly stupid as a flu.
    this note was long and now I need a nap, geeze.

  45. and one more thing… 103???????????
    you are stupid to NOT have seen a doctor already, Ann shoudl have kicked your ass by now.
    104 IS GETTING TOWARDS LETHAL FEVER ZONE…

  46. hey Wil…you too!? I was an HOUR into LOTR:ROTK and started getting the severe chills and shakes. I missed most of it. Got home, had a 104 deg. temp! I spent the weekend being quarantined from the rest of my family. To get my fever down, i used a combo of Aleve/Advil (or Tylenol if you happen to be allergic to the naproxen sodium) to greatly reduce my fever. Then I took Dayquil liquicaps (so I didn’t get that weird trippy feeling that Nyquil tends to give people) to get rid of the horrible sinus issues and coughing. Luckily, because of my asthma, I have two prescription inhalers, one helps to prevent the bad infections, so that’s been keeping the coughing from being to bad this go ’round. But I had real bad bronchitis at Thanksgiving. Like most of the people here, I’d suggest if you are still having all the symptoms today (Tues) and aren’t just down to the coughing and sniffles, get thee to a doctor. We all want to keep you around for quite sometime.
    Oh, on another quite different subject, a teaser trailer before ROTK is for “I Robot.” Thought you may be interested. Will definitely have to watch for you on Martin’s show!! 😉 Feel better!!

  47. Sorry you feel so crappy. 🙁 My kids and I have been batting the flu around amongst ourselves for the last couple of months. It’s my turn this week. I wish I got TechTV so I could see the show… wish I got cable period, but I’m sure it was great. 😉
    Feel better!

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