I know this will sound bizarre -- and while I wouldn't wish it on anyone else -- I really wish I could get the flu.
I haven't had it since I came down with ME/CFS nearly 20 years ago. And if you ask other patients, the overwhelming majority haven't either.
Why in the world would anyone want to get the flu and feel even achier and uncomfortable, with the high fever that goes along with it?
Because we never get that a 'real' fever.
A real fever that indicates a normal immune response.
We never get a prolonged high fever that helps eradicate or "burn off" something like a flu virus. Or a even a cold virus, or bacterial or fungal infection.
Instead, our body temps tend to run about a degree lower, and we get 'flu-like' reactions, with maybe tender or swollen lymph glands, and perhaps even a brief strong fever -- but it never lasts for more than a day or two.
Thus various infections are never fully dealt with and instead of being sick for 2-3 weeks, we're sick for 2-3 years, or sometimes even 2-3 decades. So if we ever got the actual flu, as odd as it sounds, it would be a cause of celebration, as it would show our bodies are mounting a normal immune response!
As I look forward to consulting with Dr. R., I've been making a list of topics to discuss with him, and this 'immune dysfunction' that comes with ME/CFS is at the top of the list.
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