What's the most ill you've ever been?

[Globalti]

I once made the fundamental mistake of eating some ice cream in an hotel in Pakistan. It was half melted when it reached me but in those days I knew nothing about food safety.

Later that night I started having bizarre dreams as I lay half awake, I could hear a caller chanting bingo numbers in Urdu at the nearby cricket club and the whole thing became rather surreal. Then with a terrible stomach gripe it started.... both ends at once, repeatedly until I was absolutley drained, literally, I had no idea the human body could produce so much liquid. I didn't carry any tummy drugs like Lomotil with me in those days and hadn't heard of rehydration salts so I must have been in a bad way by dawn. I called room service and got a cup of sugary tea, which made me feel better. Can you believe that I was so dedicated in those days that I actually got up and went to work? I remember feeling terrible all day. I wouldn't do that nowadays!

The only other time I've been really ill was the one time I got proper 'flu. Four days in bed, sleeping, sweating then freezing. Awful.

 

[gaz]

i had flu during my as level exams. i was in bed for a week, couldn't eat or move and lost a stone in weight, haven't got my appitite back.

 

[tordis]

It's quite weird, but I don't really get ill. Ever. I used to, all the time, when I was a kid. Then I had some special immunity-increasing treatment (shots - ouch!) and I haven't been properly ill since. Apart from some minor sore throats, I'm always in good shape, even when my partner's in bed with the flu.

 

[Keith Oates]

A bout of flu many years ago when I was in the UK really knocked me sideways for a few days and it took a couple of weeks or more to get over it and back on my feet. Recently (about four years ago) I had Pneumonia when I was in China and was in hospital for 11 days, I didn't enjoy that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ianrauk]

what a jolly thread

 

[Andy in Sig]

I got a stomach bug called (excuse possibly wrong spelling) campilobacter which the doc said was "one up from salmonella" and in addition to generally feeling rotten, had lots of blood coming out of my bottom.

 

[ColinJ]

The one time that I had real 'flu rather than the man type. (I suppose it could have been food posioning, but I doubt it because I hadn't eaten out and never eat anything dodgy at home.)

I had to pull the telephone off its table by its cable to phone in sick because I didn't have the strength to walk over to it. I too had the alternating bouts of shivering and bucketing sweat and I produced vast quantities of foul-smelling liquids from both ends, sometimes simultaneously! I was reduced to crawling to the toilet because my legs wouldn't carry me.

Not very pleasant...

 

[betty swollocks]

Cellulitis in my left arm. Swelled up to twice its normal size and was on fire. Worst pain by far that I've ever been in.
Went to Doc and got carted straight off to hospital for intravenous antibiotics.

 

[cisamcgu]

I've had "proper" flu twice - both times is was a dreadful experience; I too did the crawling/vomiting etc...

 

[PaulB]

I once had gastro-enteristis so bad I was unable to keep anything in for almost a week. I was in such a weakened state that when I went to the toilet in the middle of the night and didn't turn the light on so as not to wake my wife, I fainted for the first time ever and smashed my head on the sink. I remember sitting on the toilet then having to stand to be sick in the dark and the next thing I remember is a bright light and my wife shouting at me to wake up. It's a good job she heard me hit the sink or I could have died. There was blood, shite and vomit everywhere and an astonishingly bad pain in my head. Of course, we laugh about it when we look back now.

 

[snapper_37]

I got a stomach bug called (excuse possibly wrong spelling) campilobacter which the doc said was "one up from salmonella" and in addition to generally feeling rotten, had lots of blood coming out of my bottom.

+ 1

Had campy and salmonella and campy is definately the worse of the 2. Milder symptoms lasted for weeks too.

Probably the worst was norovirus a couple of years ago, on a New Years Eve (to rub it in). Both of us came down with it at the same time so it was a fight for the loo ... the loser took the bath or a bucket.

 

[akaAndrew]

Fortunately, only the 'flu experience here too.

Though it's difficult to gauge. I've had a tooth knocked out; that looked worse than it felt but my jaw was numb for weeks. Also, I cut my head open and it hosed blood, so looked really nasty but no lasting damage and was forgotten about a couple of days later. Only recently, my todger has stopped aching several weeks after LEL... that was very worrying but does that qualify as being ill?

But, no, 'flu is probably it... for that general, all-over knocked out feeling.

 

[ACS]

Apart from pneumonia in my mid 20's, infection of the gall bladder about 5 years ago. Start feeling unwell with what I thought was heartburn about 5pm on a Saturday, by 7; I was rolling around on the bathroom floor in the foetal position unable to stand. I have never been in such pain; throw in uncontrollable vomiting and involuntary urination as far I was concerned I was not going to see the start of Match of the Day.

Fortunately my wife found me got me a blue light taxi to A&E. Those very nice men gave me Entonox and the doctor topped it up with morphine before a quick dash to theatre for a little invasive keyhole surgery.

 

[addictfreak]

Think I've only been ill once in my life really. Even then it was only flu, but proper flu and the I want a day off work type.

 

[PaulB]

Apart from pneumonia in my mid 20's, infection of the gall bladder about 5 years ago. Start feeling unwell with what I thought was heartburn about 5pm on a Saturday, by 7; I was rolling around on the bathroom floor in the foetal position unable to stand. I have never been in such pain; throw in uncontrollable vomiting and involuntary urination as far I was concerned I was not going to see the start of Match of the Day.

Fortunately my wife found me got me a blue light taxi to A&E. Those very nice men gave me Entonox and the doctor topped it up with morphine before a quick dash to theatre for a little invasive keyhole surgery.

Man up FFS!