My pre-dialysis-days have finally come to an end...

[kristina]

… Unfortunately, what I thought was my urgent need to recuperate from the UTI, was - and still is - a terrible flu despite my having had my flu-jab. When I asked why I could suffer from such a terrible flu despite having had a flu-jab, I was told, that the flu-jab I was given did not accommodate this very new flu-variation everyone here seems to be suffering from and so I was prescribed another course of antibiotics just in case the flu might affect my lungs etc. and I am still struggling because it seems to be a very stubborn flu-variation this time... and it makes me wonder what sort of flu-jab I was actually given ...

... At the same time, we are having so many uncounted strikes at the moment (everyone seems to be on strike), including for the first time ever our hard-working nurses … and because of all these strikes, “things” look a bit bleak at the moment, especially since our costs of living have gone up immensely, they have practically doubled ... electricity has gone up to such an extend that everyone has to think twice before putting on the electric heater and not only the weather outside has become very cold ... and just about everything else has gone up in price and many people are really going through terrible struggles to pay their bills, which of course explains the understandable reason for all these strikes ...

[SooMK]

Oh Kristina, what a saga your health situation has become. I'm surprised to hear that the flu vaccine distributed doesn't match with the flu variety that is going around. I read that here in the US that the match is quite good. I'm so sorry to hear this and hope some good health will come your way soon. It's hard to see any upside when you feel terrible. Best wishes.

[kristina]

Many thanks SooMK for your kind thoughts and hopefully "things" are getting better soon and it is indeed very difficult to comprehend, that the flu-vaccination we have all received did not protect anyone from the current flu-variation "going around" right now ... this is certainly very hard to comprehend ... 
Many thanks again for your kind thoughts and I shall do my very best to get better as soon as is possible and I also send you my kind regards and best wishes for Christmas 2022 and lots of good-luck-wishes for the New Year and 2023.

Please take great care and many thanks again for your kind thoughts from Kristina.

[MooseMom]

Oh kristina, I am just horrified that on top of having to fight the effects of a UTI, you are also having to fight the flu!  I am so sorry to hear this and really regret that your flu jab didn't better protect you.  Like SooMK said, here in the US this year, the jab is considered to be more effective than it has in previous years.  But being immunocompromised does make most vaccines less effective, so I have to wonder if this is the case with yourself.

I have been reading a lot about the strikes in the UK.  Things must be really bad for the NHS nurses to decide to strike.  I know that fuel costs have risen dramatically this year in the UK, much more so than here in the US. 

Please take good care of yourself, and I hope you recover very soon.  The flu can be so dangerous.  I'm glad you've been given antibiotics just in case your lungs become affected.   

[kristina]

Dear MooseMom, many thanks for your kind support and you are quite right when you mention that things must be really bad for the NHS-nurses to decide to strike and I do hope they soon get a democratic hearing for a better income because our NHS-nurses do really work very hard every day and they are very dedicated about their work for very little pay and I have heard that some of them even need some help from foodbanks etc. which really sounds terrible. Our postal workers are also on strike and so are the train workers and it is said that they are being asked to become self-employed which would make them extremely vulnerable for exploitation since they would receive no-sick-pay when too unwell for work, less pay and no retirement-money etc. which, if true,  sounds really very grim indeed!

… I am not sure whether my kidney-transplant-immunocompromised system is the real reason why “my” flu-vaccine is not effective? I still suffer from this bad flu and the rest of the country seems to be in similar bother and many usually healthy people also suffer from the flu right now despite also having had their flu vaccine …  so, it does not really make any sense what is going on? Fortunately, my body seems to fight very hard against this flu, which is good news and hopefully it gets better soon … but it certainly takes its time…

This year is the very first year ever that hardly any Christmas-feeling or New Year-feeling is being noticed anywhere and perhaps this might be connected to the ongoing strikes even during Christmas and the New Year, or the fact that the country seems to have changed in such a very quick time so much, that "things" have become, on occasion almost unrecognizable ...

Please take great care of yourself and I send you my best wishes from Kristina.