Interesting Fictional Diseases

[deird_lj]

Apparently I have whooping cough!


As a long-term reader of old novels, I've always felt a bit left out. All these characters would be getting german measles, and mumps, and consumption - and I, boringly, lived in a world with vaccinations, and couldn't get anything more exciting than a virus.

NOW, though...

Whooping cough!!!


So far? Not so excitingly romantic and fictional. It mainly seems to involve lots of coughing, losing your voice, and doctors sighing and giving you heaps of antibiotics.




(For my next trick, I plan to wear a long dress, participate in a taffy pull, and become a one-room-school teacher.)

Comments

[simonf.livejournal.com]

Apparently gout is making a comeback.

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

There's a huge epidemic of pertussis in the US, so evidently it's becoming world wide. And, it's extremely dangerous and catching so take really good care of yourself.

Sending along massive healing vibes.

[mangosorbet007.livejournal.com]

I had it a few years ago, and it was annoying. Be prepared to swoon in the presence of eligible bachelors of independent means though!

[ikona-rakasha.livejournal.com]

hugs! now go inhale some steam and make sure you wear your hoop skirt with pride!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I was just about to mention the steam too - and I think the hoop skirt will, certainly, be a most useful addition!

[diebirchen.livejournal.com]

Yup, it's still around, and folks do get it. The "P" in the DPT shot is for Pertussis/whooping cough. What often happens is that as adults we cease to get the shot, and ta-daaaaa, we get it. Get well soon.

[louise39.livejournal.com]

:gentle hugs: feel better.

Whooping cough is on the rise in America, too. Take care of yourself.

[menomegirl.livejournal.com]

Having had both the measles and mumps, I can safely say that you didn't miss a thing.

Take care of yourself, sweetie.

[velvetwhip.livejournal.com]

Don't forget about rolling a hoop across the ground by pushing it with a stick.

(and get well soon)


Gabrielle

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

I had that when I was an itty bitty baby. Not fun, or so I'm told. And I didn't even get a meaningful and metaphorical stay at a sanatorium out of it. Hope you're feeling better soon!

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

There was just a piece on the morning news today about an outbreak of whooping cough in the US, too. Unfortunately, it sounds like it's making a comeback.

Hope you get feeling better soon!

[mauvedragon.livejournal.com]

My brother had Whooping cough some years ago. It really isn't exciting.

[xlivvielockex.livejournal.com]

*hugs* Like so many others have said, they have been having articles and reports all over about how it's on the rise. They really do romanticize those old timey diseases huh?

Just get better though. Lots of rest, fluids, I'm sure you know the drill.

[brutti-ma-buoni.livejournal.com]

You sound pretty cheerful, considering. Long may you remain so!

Now I feel all old fashioned - I've had mumps (not bad; best friend also sick with it; lots of time off school and ice cream), German measles (itchy but fevery so I didn't care; missed a trip to York because of it which annoys me still in retrospect); chicken pox (vilely itchy, missed a school trip which then turned out to be the basis for a term's project work which I never caught up); and whooping cough (too small to remember). Also, I just had a near-faint in the supermarket due to heat exhaustion (or more likely going into super-aircon after heat). I'm a catalogue of old time illnesses!

*swoons fetchingly, takes up tatting, learns to curtsey*

[rebcake.livejournal.com]

Yup. Dear mere_ubu's entire family came down with it last year. Not fun, AND long-lasting. Also, you have to stay away from babies, 'cos it kills 'em. Ask your doc about the nephews...though I think they're old enough to be out of serious danger range, plus they're probably vaccinated. Still.

My fun one was when McDiva was diagnosed with Scarlet Fever! Visions of Little House on the Prairie and many others flashed before my eyes, lemme tell ya! Then the doc says, "It's just strep with a rash. Have her take the penicillin and it'll be fine." What?! No blindness? No permanent heart damage? Parenting is so much less stressful than it was 70 years ago. Thank you, not-so-modern-anymore science!

[willowy-dawn.livejournal.com]

Nasty superbugs are out there.

Maybe you can try for brain fever next time?

[snickfic]

I cannot tell you how disappointed I was with my university's orientation-week "ice cream social." It was a bunch of kids moshing to overly-loud rock while staff handed out ice cream bars around the edges.

So, yeah. I feel your pain. (Emotional! I have, very fortunately, never had whooping cough.)

[lavastar.livejournal.com]

Wow, didn't think that one existed anymore!

My closest to old-fashioned diseases has been my neato trick of pneumonia and strep throat at the same time. Definitely no taffy pull.

[draconin.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately you've been caught by the prevailing trend towards misinformation about immunisation. Whooping Cough had been almost completely eradicated before the false information about the perils of having your children immunised started being circulated. The result, unfortunately, has been the resurgence of this disease (and others such as measles) and, tragically, the unnecessary deaths of children who've caught it from adults.

If you want more info from a balanced source, see here (ABC RN Life Matters Nov '08) and here (ABC News report on resurgence in Qld & baby Dana McCaffery's death). There are links on these to other sources. Such as a NSW Health Fact Sheet on the disease.

In the meantime, my sympathy! I gather it's a nasty illness even as an adult - take care of yourself and take all the medications! (I hear that chocolate is considered to be a great cure for it!!) Rug up, take it easy, watch some TV and read fanfic.

[jl-in-the-lane.livejournal.com]

I was wondering how come you'd managed to score that one, seeing as we all got immunised - but apparently they wouldn't give it to you or something!?! Silly people.

If you wanted to be truly romantic, you'd get consumption, which would involve ladylike fainting and delicate blood-coughing.

[1c2k3p4p5c.livejournal.com]

Consumption (TB) also leads to death as well as the ladylike fainting.
They gave you a double antigen, so at least you should miss out on tetanus and diptheria anyway. Blame your overreaction to egg at a young age.

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

Congratulations! ;)

Whooping cough always sounded so ... exuberant. I am guessing that such is not, in fact, actually the case.

I've only ever managed to get Victorian Heroine Illness before--there are no gross symptoms, but you are pale and weak have to stay within ten feet of a fainting couch and get dizzy if you stay upright for too long.

[fireflyfaery.livejournal.com]

Oh noes! Be careful you don't die of consumption ...

:D