Flu Vaccine: Do it or not?

[Fidel_Castronaut]

I had no idea you were a diabetic too, Ben.

I did have a viral infection which caused my immune system to cannibalise my eyelets of langerhans. It was one of the most painful experiences of my life at the time and I can't remember ever being so ill. It could have been influenza thinking back to it, but I didn't get diagnosed until a month after being ill so there was no way to work out what had ultimately triggered my immune reaction.

But I echo the above. Get the vaccination.

Sounds nasty, Fidel. Mine was less painful (thank goodness) but messy. I caught flu but had a shitty work sickness policy meaning I couldn't get enough rest to recover. Flu got in to my renal system (probably the dehydration...) and attacked my pancreas. I didn't realise (I had a fever & wasn't thinking straight) so when I started feeling sick, I assumed that I needed energy drinks, fruit, basically sugary stuff! Little did I know... Upshot was, for a few years, I held Europe's record for the highest blood-sugar level of anyone who's lived: 88 mmol/l - 1586 mg/dl (for those who don't know, that's just over 4 times the fatal level). I'm not resistant to insulin and my islets are still intact, they just don't produce any insulin. It's weird and unfixable.

Anyhoo...

Vaccinations!

Holy Shit! That's bloody high! Honestly, it's amazing that you survived that, truly amazing.

How weird is it though that I did exactly the same thing as you when I was ill. I just drank Lucozade and Red Bull when I was ill which, unbeknownst to me me, rapidly increased my sugar levels causing me to get worse.

I can't compete with you (like it's a competition, lol), but I had almost fatally high keytone levels when I was admitted to hospital (7mmol/L). Any longer and I'd have been in a coma. Sad thinking back, but glad I/we're ok now.