I survived the 2016 Super Bug, unfortunately, Prince didn't

I'm seeing folks on ATS, as well as news commentators and a lot of people finding it hard to believe that Prince could have died from the Flu. I'd like to share my own experience with this Flu bug in 2016, which has me convinced that Prince didn't actually die from the Flu, but from Pneumonia that the Flu may have developed into. This was my case and if it weren't for the insistence of my wife, I may not be here today.

Some of you, probably not many, may realize that I have been away from ATS for a about a month in a half. It was March 7 when I was struck with the Flu and damn, I was really sick. By the following day my wife started to feel ill and we could see that our 16 month old baby was also slightly feverish, so I told her to get to the clinic quickly and get the Tamiflu. She and the baby went the next day, March 9, a Wednesday. They confirmed that both had the Flu and prescribed Tamiflu for both and also our three other children, even though they weren't showing signs of illness just yet. But for me, they said I was past the 48 hour mark for Tamiflu to be effective. Bummer.

The Tamiflu worked miracles for the whole family, by Friday, they all had no more symptoms, while I on the other hand, coughed my lungs out all night long on Thursday night. I was very, very sick on Friday and laid in bed all day. By this time I hadn't eaten anything all week and wasn't even drinking fluids. I was too weak to do anything. My wife suggested I go to the doctor, but I was stubborn. It was on this day that my Flu had now moved into my lungs and was Pneumonia. Another sleepless, cough-filled night went by and my wife insisted that she take me to the hospital. This was Saturday morning and I was barely able to get to the car, but we managed and soon I was in the ER hooked up to IV for fluids.

I spent 6 days in the hospital. It took doctors two days just to get enough fluids back in me that I wasn't dehydrated. Toward the end of the six days I was slowly starting to eat again and get my appetite back, but food tasted horrible. After the 6 days, most of my vitals were approaching normal, but I still needed oxygen, and I said I could just sit at home and do this, so reluctantly, the doctors signed me out. Nearly two weeks had gone by and I lost 50 lbs. I was overweight prior to this experience at 6'0 tall weighing 260. I was 209 when I went home.

I had lost all my muscle mass as well and had to go to some physical therapy to start working on getting my strength back. My vision had changed drastically, and I couldn't read anything even at arms length, everything was a blur. I had a major sinus infection where my left ear would pop and nothing could make it go back to normal except to lay down, and this went on for weeks. It's only been in the last few days that my sinus infection is gone and it was last week that my vision came back to normal. After being home for a couple of weeks, I developed pleura effusion, which is fluid in the membrane between my lung and ribs. That was very painful when I coughed or moved wrong, but it cleared up in about a week.

So, I am happy to report that I am doing great, even my strength is coming back and I can breathe a lot better, except I do get winded when I over exert myself.

What we discovered about myself in all this mess was that I was diabetic before I got sick and I never knew about it. They did a blood sugar test that looks back three months and sure enough, I was full-blown Type 2 Diabetic. The doctors believe that is why a 44-year old otherwise healthy man (meaning I never had any health problems prior to this event) was hit so hard by the Flu. Since we discovered this, I have been on a strict carb diet eating no more than 60 carbs for each meal and 30 carbs at snack time between meals. Losing 50 lbs didn't hurt either. I am now actually looking at that as a blessing-in-disguise. I am still holding my weight under 210, but unfortunately, for 6'0 tall, they say I am still nearly 20 lbs overweight. The carb diet is working great and my blood sugar numbers are near normal everyday, and my diabetic nurse says I will probably beat this thing and the diabetes will go away. I don't have to take any medicines.

Anyways, what I heard a great deal of while I was in the hospital and since being discharged, is that there are many cases of this Flu bug turning into Pneumonia and sickening people. My doctor told me that while I was in the hospital, a lady in her 40's, was also there and she was so sick that she even had to have dialysis. She said that the lady was in the hospital for a full month. Another man I know really well who i have worked with in my hometown ran in to me at the hospital the other day during a check up and said his 52-year old sister died of Pneumonia only two-days after being checked into the hospital and transferred to Duluth, a bigger hospital. Granted, he said she had some infection as well. I know of a couple of other cases of people dying from Pneumonia in the past month as well.

What is my point... that I think, but I may be wrong, and we'll soon find out when the news comes out on it, that Prince, who friends have confirmed was battling the Flu, died from most likely his Flu after turning into Pneumonia. I am in northern Wisconsin and Prince is in Minneapolis, less than three hours from me. I know for a fact that there is a nasty Flu bug terrorizing our region, and it may be everywhere, I don't know.

In closing, I'd like to express to anyone out there who suspects they may have diabetes to go get yourself checked. Make sure you know because you never know when a life-altering event may come about. I had a couple of hints over the last two years that I had diabetes, but I brushed it off as something else. That Flu most likely wouldn't have struck me down this hard, nearly taking my life, if I didn't have an underlying illness, which seems to be the case when it does claim a life. Diabetes is a nasty disease and not something to fool around with. Even if you do go and find out you have the disease, it still means you have to make some serious lifestyle changes to defeat it. But, it can be done. I'm doing it right now.

Thanks for letting me share my story ATS friends.

There is a very nasty bug running around, no doubt. My boss got blasted by it, so did my son's teacher.

But you should know they are just reporting that Prince was treated for drug OD, not flu during that emergency plane landing. So we will see what actually took him down.

PS, I am glad you got through you troubles OK and are back healthy.

Influenza is a deadly disease.

he was 57

lets wait for the official word so we can call that a lie, lol

Prince did not die from the flu, there are multiple reports that it was a heroin overdose.

a reply to: ketsuko

I saw news reports earlier that said he was treated for dehydration, which would have been a result of the flu. Not sure what to believe there. Can you link it.

I am seeing that he attended a concert two days prior to his death, so yeah, looks like he did recover from the Flu. My bad.

a reply to: Rezlooper

I am glad that you are much better now and your family is also.
The description you gave for your flu symptoms are exactly what
I go through when my asthma acts up.Trust me when I say that I
know how you feel.
If you should ever develop another cough this is what I do...
1-large spoon of organic honey mixed with Tabasco sauce and down
the hatch.It has helped me a lot and I hope it will help you as well.

Prince cancelled 2 shows earlier this month due to the Flu. Cancellations are extremely rare for him. The strain of Flu that Prince had must have been really deceiving. His doctors would have put him in the hospital if his Flu's severity was obvious, wouldn't they?

I get the feeling that Man (private or government) invented some of these strains and they got away from the lab, or something. Anyone else get this feeling?

Guys, It's quite possible it was a combination of drugs and the flu. Habitual drug use can dramatically impact the immune system. It's plausible he did have drug problems and that the flu was the final cause of his death.

Sad either way, regardless of cause.

originally posted by: carewemust
I get the feeling that Man (private or government) invented some of these strains and they got away from the lab, or something. Anyone else get this feeling?

No, viruses evolve and change all the time, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of strains of flu.
Only the conspiracy theorist looking for an "evil government" in everything would think that.

originally posted by: carewemust
Prince cancelled 2 shows earlier this month due to the Flu. Cancellations are extremely rare for him. The strain of Flu that Prince had must have been really deceiving. His doctors would have put him in the hospital if his Flu's severity was obvious, wouldn't they?

I get the feeling that Man (private or government) invented some of these strains and they got away from the lab, or something. Anyone else get this feeling?

Yes. I find it crazy how the vaccine is spot on this year and everyone getting this nasty strain didn't get the shot. I was asked many times by doctors if i will get the shot now. Seems like a scare-tactic, maybe. But, I also firmly believe that many of these bugs are getting stronger due to warming temperatures, but that's a whole other thread.

a reply to: mamabeth

Thanks for that tip. I will have to try that one.

a reply to: Rezlooper

So glad you recovered!

That is all.

a reply to: Rezlooper

Eh, no shot; no flu. My boss had the shot.

Maybe change the title of this thread now that you have realized that your initial view regarding Prince's death was inaccurate ?

a reply to: Rezlooper
I am not in a position to diagnosis you, or even offer any input about your medical status.

There is a condition however, that you may want to Google. I am sure you received steroids while you where in hospital, you may even still be taking them.

Look up steroid induced diabetes.

It can be transient or it may be permanent. May not pertain to you, but you may find the information beneficial.

originally posted by: Rocker2013
Guys, It's quite possible it was a combination of drugs and the flu. Habitual drug use can dramatically impact the immune system. It's plausible he did have drug problems and that the flu was the final cause of his death.

Sad either way, regardless of cause.

He could have used "the flu" as his excuse because "strung out on drugs" doesn't sound very good.

originally posted by: Rezlooper
a reply to: ketsuko

I saw news reports earlier that said he was treated for dehydration, which would have been a result of the flu. Not sure what to believe there. Can you link it.

I am seeing that he attended a concert two days prior to his death, so yeah, looks like he did recover from the Flu. My bad.

www.tmz.com...

You wanted that drug overdoes link.

Nothing is for certain on his death yet though.

a reply to: Rezlooper

Thank God you pulled through for your family! Best wishes...

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

Prince did not die from the flu, there are multiple reports that it was a heroin overdose.

No sh*t really? I haven't heard that.

originally posted by: Rocker2013

originally posted by: carewemust
I get the feeling that Man (private or government) invented some of these strains and they got away from the lab, or something. Anyone else get this feeling?

Only the conspiracy theorist looking for an "evil government" in everything would think that.

Hmmm... awfully defensive aren't we? Are you one of our employees in a govt agency?