Beware of the "Influenza Like Illness (ILI)" numbers being reported.

Been working in a hospital one week, and the second day, I started coming down with something. NOw I am sitting here with my eyes watering, my sinus and nose stuffed up, hacking green loogeys out of my lungs. I feel like my head is going to explode, and my bowels have threatened as well.

What I find myself thinking is that I don't care whether it is flu or not, I just hope to god I didn't give this to my elderly mother in law, who is blind and lives alone far away, and I saw Thursday. No matter what this is, if she gets it, it will be serious for her!

In that context "influenza-like" works fine for me- I should have taken it more seriously from the beginning.