The patient who suffered Norovirus for a year

[SilentFrog]

In 1998 the Dalai Lama wrote a book called The Art Of Happiness in which he taught that we should compare ourselves to those less fortunate in order that we be thankful for what we've got. In the spirit of that concept, I want to write a little about the people who suffer Norovirus for months, not days, including the case of one patient who suffered from an average of eight bouts of d* and frequent v*, every single day for an entire year. These people all have one thing in common, they are 'immunosuppressed' - that means their immune systems don't function correctly and struggle to fight off infections.

Norovirus is about the most unpleasant illness of them all, it can be violent and unforgiving - we emets fear it to such an extent that we go to extreme precautions to avoid getting ill. But the illness on average lasts about 36 hours, of which about 10-15 minutes of that is spent actually v*. Just 36 hours, imagine if it lasted 8765 hours (an entire year).

One patient - who had a compromised immune system - was unlucky enough to catch the Norovirus. He spent months being misdiagnosed by doctors, all the time enduring every single day, what for many of us is utterly unimaginable terror - large quantities of explosive d* and violent v*. He was lucky not to have dehydrated and died. Needless to say, it wasn't until doctors tested his stool for Norovirus particles that they found the answer and prescribed him an antiviral drug (yes, believe it or not there are drugs which can treat the Norovirus). His symptoms cleared up within a few days.

So the next time that you're feeling ill, remember to put things into perspective. 36 hours isn't all that long. 15 minutes isn't a long time to spend v*. If there are people out there, who can survive Norovirus infections that last for months, or even a whole year, then you can most definitely survive a day and a half, even as an emet

Think about those less fortunate, and be thankful for what you've got.

[mamabear93]

My gosh, I had no idea it could even last that long for anybody. Poor people!
but that thought is exactly what kept my emet under control for 7 years. Really, dealing with one or two days of v*. for those who have children maybe a week really isn't that much compared to a year!
Its funny how our emet brains work though =/ (not funny ha ha.)

[anna81]

Wow, I never knew that was possible! I totally agree about trying to keep things in perspective. I am terrified of my girls getting ill, but when I think about it remind myself that if they get an sv it is (hopefully) short lived and remind myself to be grateful that they don't have a more serious illness!