Mr.Mark
California/Tennessee
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Joined: 09/24/2006
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Late September, I got the regular flu shot at a local drug store in California. After about 5 or 6 days the skin on my inner arms (between the wrists and elbow) felt odd. The next day my hands felt tingly. I thought maybe I had a pinched disk in my neck.
The following day,I could not raise my arms so we called the paramedics and I was taken to the hospital where I stayed for 13 days. After the first night in the hospital, I became completely paralyzed from the neck down.
In the middle of the night, I realized that I was hot and wanted to take the blankets off of me. I couldn't move. The nurse had put a button at the end of the bed so I could push it with my foot (as my arms were weak from the day before). I could NOT move my foot two inches to hit the button to call the nurse (scary).
I started yelling for the nurse but my voice had also become softer. Luckily, my breathing was not affected. Finally, the nurse came in and took off the blankets and stayed with me the rest of the night. I'm sure the doctors were alerted immediately (my mind is a little foggy from what happened on those critical days).
I lost 16 lbs while in the hospital bed. It was all muscle which is the reason why I couldn't walk. They say you can lose 50% of your muscle in 3 days. Before this, I was walking 4-5 miles a day and riding my bike regularly. I dropped from 175 lbs to 159, I look gaunt. I will slowly build my muscles back.
The doctors found out that I had a reaction to the flu shot (1 and million chance). They started heavy steroids then I had six sessions of plasma replacement that worked wonders. The aliment, Cervical Transverse Myelitis, is very dangerous and can result in total paralysis. I'm one of the lucky ones where I will most likely make a 100% recovery. The recovery will take 3-6 months.
I finally have moved up from a walker to a cane and have driven the car a couple of times. Therapy 3 days a week is a great help.
I was planning on a motorhome trip about a week after this happened but that trip got squashed right quick. I can only imagine if we were on the road and were stuck in a small town of what would have happened. I probably would have been air lifted to a large hospital or something.
Be careful, travel safe,
MM.
Mr.Mark 
2008 Monaco Dynasty, 42ft., 4 slides, 425 hp clean-air Cummins diesel
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robatthelake
Vancouver Island
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Joined: 08/24/2003
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One in a Million. I'm truly sorry that You were affected this way by the Flu Shot. There are however Millions of Us out there that do not have any allergic reactions to Flu Shots who would be downright miserable and unable to function properly If we contracted the flu , H1N1 or Other.
I hope You are feeling Better soon!
Rob & Jean
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skipnchar
Topeka Kansas USA
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Joined: 12/17/2003
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That's pretty scary stuff. Glad you're doing better now. Regardless of HOW safe a vaccine is there are always SOME percentage of those who have a bad reaction to it. It's only an insignificant number of patients until someone you know or you yourself is one of them. Remember there are people every year who actually die from something as routine as a tonsillectomy but that's not a good reason to not have the procedure if you need it. Good luck and wishing you continued progress back to good health. / Skip
* This post was
edited 11/05/09 11:08am by skipnchar *
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We have enough YOUTH...how about a fountain of SMART
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RandACampin
Kathleen, Georgia
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FLUKE!
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distaff
Alberta
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Unless you had your flu shot while sitting in your RV, I don't think this is an appropriate forum for this posting.
Paul
2006 Beaver Patriot Thunder
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DRSmart
Ontario, Canada
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Joined: 03/12/2004
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Glad you're on the road to recovery. I couldn't imagine what you went through. You'll have a story to tell for years to come. Did the thought of getting back on the road in that beauty in your sig help at all?
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Mr.Mark
California/Tennessee
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distaff, you can clearly read that I was going to take an RV trip soon after (that counts right?).
MM.
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JUrban
Delaware
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distaff wrote:Unless you had your flu shot while sitting in your RV, I don't think this is an appropriate forum for this posting. I, for one, am glad to know about things like this and think it VERY appropriate. Thanks to the OP for letting me know.
I still intend to take an H1N1 shot when available and have already had my annual flu shot.
Thanks again, MM for the post. Hope your recovery is total and swift.
John
2008 Tiffin Allegro Bus 40' QSP
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FXSTOHIO
Ohio
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Joined: 01/27/2009
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Thats one of the main reason I have never taken any flu shot since they started giving them back in the 60s. I will take my chance with the flu its easier to get over than the side effects of the shot are.
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WadenCeeJay
Spring, Texas
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distaff wrote:Unless you had your flu shot while sitting in your RV, I don't think this is an appropriate forum for this posting.
Hey man, it kept him from taking the trip in his coach... perfectly
appropriate to warn others who may have upcoming trips, like me!
* This post was
edited 11/07/09 10:38am by an administrator/moderator *
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