Dear Hasbeen,

First, I hope you are well now.

«Perhaps next year I'll try a little experiment & say no to the flu shot & see if I still get the flu.»

Then we need to pray hard that next year you will still be allowed this "experiment", for the way Australia is going, this might no longer be legal.

«After all it can only kill me, & the way I've felt for the last 3 days, I just might welcome that.»

I know the feeling as I just had the real thing, no artificial shots for me. Had I died, I would be doing so proudly of a natural cause!

Yet here I am, back in the land of the living, for now. I could recommend lots of rest, lots of water and a visit to the naturopath, they have good products to ease the symptoms.

Seems some are prone to being sick after the injection , not sure we can do much about it

I dare say everyone with shares in pharmecuitical companies are 100% for the shot.

Dear Hasbeen,

The vaccine will take about two weeks to give you enough protection.
http://www.health.com/cold-flu-sinus/how-long-for-flu-shot-effective

Of course your body will sometimes react in a way to the injection that will mimic a mild case of the flu. A bit of a fever for instance. A 'man flu' if you like.

My sibling recently had a full blown flu attack and he was that crook he thought if given a gun it was a line ball decision on whether to use the thing.

Dear runner,

It seems you might have caught the anti-vax crap which have infected some of my in-laws who are also fundamentalist Christians. Highly immoral stuff.

I'm probably not that sick. I have heavy chest congestion, & any temperature below about 23C triggers heavy coughing, causing a lack of oxygen.

Use of an Expectorant cough mixture & Ventolin, will bring it under control for a while, but the Expectorant is only a 3 times a day medication. This greatly limits the outside work I can do in this cold early winter.

I can't complain, for my first 65 years the only time I went near a doctor was when I broke something. With 3C last night it is the first time I have tried the Air Con reverse cycle heating, & it works.

Hassy you might have Distemper, the major symptoms include high fever, reddened eyes, and a watery discharge from the nose and eyes. Those infected will become lethargic and tired, and will usually become anorexic. Persistent coughing, vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur.

Then again it could just be THE COMMON COLD.