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Ever come down sick while on an overnight?

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I got sick on my last trip - last day felt a "twinge" in my throat - now on my 4 days off I'm trying to gt rid of it. Happens almost like clockwork this time of year - cooler temps then warm again - kids go back to school - dads/moms pick up germs from thoes little snot rag kids and bring it to work and get me sick.

More than likely I picked it up on day one of the 4 day (or the commute down the night before) then it takes 2 days to incubate thats why you always get it on the last day or so of your trip.
 
Yeah, I think you are right about the seasonal changes in temp coinciding with the start of school again, and the kids bringing it home to the parents, who then passing it along to their coworkers. I came down with it during the last week of August and over Labor weekend. And yeah, it started just as you described. First with the twinge in the throat for a couple of days, then it turned into a full on head cold with minor congestion in the chest and mild flu like symptoms. It took me about 4 days to get over the worst of it, but the congestion stayed for about 1 1/2 weeks.

It really is amazing just how much mucus the body can produce at times.:puke:
 
Got food poisoning once at the old downstairs employee cafeteria in DTW. Barely made it across the lake to CLE to the hotel before my insides came out. Spent the whole layover talking with Ralph on the big white phone. Managed the one leg back to DTW the next day and called out for the rest of the trip.
 
Two things to prevent and mitigate colds and stomach discomfort:
1. Wipe down the cockpit
2. Carry Airborne and Imodium. Airborne knocks a cold out very quickly and Imodium speaks for itself.
 
Capn Lucky said:
Two things to prevent and mitigate colds and stomach discomfort:
1. Wipe down the cockpit
2. Carry Airborne and Imodium. Airborne knocks a cold out very quickly and Imodium speaks for itself.
Click to expand...

This MIGHT help, but the fact is that if you share a 8 cubic yard box with someone over the course of 4 days, you WILL get whatever it is that they're carrying.

This time of year the kids bring a lot of crap home from school, and your flying buddy, who's a company man, decides he's gonna bring it to work. Then lucky you, you get to be sick on your days off.

But as far as the OP is concered, I've gotten sick on an overnight twice. I don't dink with it, and I just call in, and I certainly don't "carry it" just to get back to base (which, BTW, is a FAR violation waiting to happen). It's the company's problem at that point.

Nu
 
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I was hospitalized for three days due to extreme dehydration that came about from a nightmare case of food poisoning. Happened on a two-hour airport appreciation break right before the last leg into domicile on the last day of a four day.

Not much the company can do or say, really.

Oh, and stay away from the buffet at the airport Holiday Inn in OKC.
 
CRABCAKES on an overnight in BWI all 3 of us had to call off sick when we returned to base. Was chugging the pink stuff and tossing back Imodium like cashews.
*shivers inwardly at the memory*
fit to fly yes, pleasant company NOT so much.
 
And there's no better way to make sure you'll share the flightdeck with a snot blowing sneezer with a fever than to work at an airline that has a "Dependability Program."
 
BeCareful! said:
And there's no better way to make sure you'll share the flightdeck with a snot blowing sneezer with a fever than to work at an airline that has a "Dependability Program."
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Agreed. Once I see these guys are clearly sick, I tell them "you call in sick, or I will". Then they act all hurt.

You know, I love it when someone does something stupid or just plain wrong, and then they try to turn it all around and make you out to be the bad guy for calling them on it.

We had a name for these people in college...business majors.

Nu
 
Felt really bad on the way into PBI one night, hit the pillow in the hotel and knew I wouldn't be flying the next day. Called sked and called off sick. Took everything I had to crawl to the bathroom and get into a tub of cold water, was running a wicked fever. Checked out of the hotel 4 days later, rented a car at company expense, and drove myself home to TX with full blown chicken pox. Chicken pox is bad news in your late 20s. Had been on an 8 day around the world trip a few weeks prior, with several stops in India. You do the math.
 
The Blue Burrito in PHX terminal 4 got me good one time, the next morning out of BWI didn't happen, at least for me. I left the following day. I'm sure its happened to most everyone at least once if they have been flying for any length of time.
 
...

Go to the Ramada in SWF, Newburgh. Theyve got nice bedbugs to sleep with there. That will put you done for some time.

I slept in my jeans, shirt, and socks when I went there, not sure if that would do any good, but I never got 'em. One of our guys did. Said it was pretty nasty.
 
JohnnyP said:
Go to the Ramada in SWF, Newburgh. Theyve got nice bedbugs to sleep with there. That will put you done for some time.
Click to expand...

Worst hotel I stay in, plus throw in a Saturday night stay with a couple of wedding partys going on downstairs and you have yourself a real quality relaxing experience. I almost have to call in sick at the thought of staying there.
 
I actually kinda believe in that AirBorne stuff. It really seems to head a cold off at the pass, or at least shorten the duration. Almost every doctor I have talked to says it's probably not a whole lot diferent than taking a one a day vitamin, but it sure seems to help me out when I feel something coming on, even if it is purely psychological. Other guys I know swear by Zycam <sp?> a Zinc based stuff. Both kinda spendy, and neither have a particularly enjoyable taste. For me personally, I am prone to sinus infections, as is my sister. She's a nurse, so she picks up all kinds of stuff at work. Even though she similarly has access to free trial size antibiotics, she figured out and passed along to me a preventive measure in that department. Buy SALINE nasal spray (the others can be "addictive") "Ocean Drops" is a brand name but the generic equivalent is far cheaper, and flush your sinuses out with the stuff at the first sign. (This is not a nice-looking process, you'll want to wait until you get to the hotel as opposed to doing it in an airport bathroom.) Get PLENTY of that stuff in there, and roll your head around so it gets in all the nooks and crannies. It will come draining back out with all sorts of pleasant looking stuff. Repeat. Repeat Again. Yes, Susan, it's supposed to burn a little. The salt in the saline may be enough to kill a slight infection, and/or the repeated applications may be enough to flush the infected snot out. Haven't been to a doctor for a sinus infection in awhile now. Also, MAKE SURE to throw the bottle of saline away when you feel better, don't save it for next time.

I also go nowhere without Immodium. Ya never know when you're gonna need a dose of "Liquid Cork" and need it NOW. Between my flight case and my rollabord, I carry enough of that stuff to plug an elephant up for a month and a half.
 
Hotel woes...

One of my co-workers was filling in for a another pilot in Baton Rouge about this time last year. Hotel space was sort of hard to come by you might say. So he often got stuck at the dirt-bag special. We're freight dogs, so he was doing a day rate deal and, unbeknownst to him, ended up in a room that had been made up- but not changed. The next day he was covered in red bumps. Finally the itching got so bad he went to the ER... Scabies!

I almost crapped my pants laughing when he told me, but mostly b/c he was too. The fact is that is just f-ing nasty.

The lesson there is: no matter how tired you are be sure to look around for the little things, like paper or plastic wrapping on the drinking cups, etc. Its happened to me twice.
 
super88 said:
One of my co-workers was filling in for a another pilot in Baton Rouge about this time last year. Hotel space was sort of hard to come by you might say. So he often got stuck at the dirt-bag special. We're freight dogs, so he was doing a day rate deal and, unbeknownst to him, ended up in a room that had been made up- but not changed. The next day he was covered in red bumps. Finally the itching got so bad he went to the ER... Scabies!

I almost crapped my pants laughing when he told me, but mostly b/c he was too. The fact is that is just f-ing nasty.

The lesson there is: no matter how tired you are be sure to look around for the little things, like paper or plastic wrapping on the drinking cups, etc. Its happened to me twice.
Click to expand...


Very, very true. It makes me think of the old days where there would be the "Sanatized for your protection" strip on the can. Meh...now that I think about it miss Howard Johnson's too...any other old timers remember eating at everyone's favorite oranged topped eatery? I loved the clam chowder and a hot dog. I liked the fried clams, too, but they gave me the winds something terrible....

Nu
 
I called in sick twice and both times I was called a liar. The first time I quit and DH called me back and said he would not accept my resignation and had to do it in person (talked me out of it) and the second time it was with ND. I just kept telling him to ORDER me to report to work and he kept asking me why, he finnaly figured it out and backed down. After 24 years in the Mil, ASA was the first place I have ever been questioned. No wonder I am back on MLOA! Good luck to all of my ASA buddies out there!!
 
super88 said:
One of my co-workers was filling in for a another pilot in Baton Rouge about this time last year. Hotel space was sort of hard to come by you might say. So he often got stuck at the dirt-bag special. We're freight dogs, so he was doing a day rate deal and, unbeknownst to him, ended up in a room that had been made up- but not changed. The next day he was covered in red bumps. Finally the itching got so bad he went to the ER... Scabies!

I almost crapped my pants laughing when he told me, but mostly b/c he was too. The fact is that is just f-ing nasty.

The lesson there is: no matter how tired you are be sure to look around for the little things, like paper or plastic wrapping on the drinking cups, etc. Its happened to me twice.
Click to expand...

I once climbed under the covers at a Holiday Inn on an overnight and found an open bottle of hand lotion (from a previous user, not mine) in bed with me.

I have since learned to look for wrinkles on the bottom sheet that run lengthwise to determine if someone has slept on the same sheets.
 
Dirty Sanchez said:
I once climbed under the covers at a Holiday Inn on an overnight and found an open bottle of hand lotion (from a previous user, not mine) in bed with me.

I have since learned to look for wrinkles on the bottom sheet that run lengthwise to determine if someone has slept on the same sheets.
Click to expand...


You know most of the time, it is one of your own company crew members who stayed in the room the day before. So if you find something nasty, figure out who it was from the front desk records. Then, carefully put the item in a secure plastic bag (use gloves, maids will give them to you), take it back to base (hopefully they are in your base, check that as well before doing this), and drop the item off in their mailbox. Did this when a FA from our company left an open bottle of vagasil in the bathroom. I dont know why the maids did not clean it up, but it worth it in the long run. Oh yeah, and make sure to get a new room as well. Gross....yes, Laughing to myself everytime I see her....priceless. Telling others the story....also priceless.
 
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Drinksonme,

That's classic! I can hear the story starting now as you're sitting at the gate and you see her walking by, you say "Do you know _____?" Well, let me tell you a story.....

This last summer in SAT, I was doing my usual bed bug check, lifted up the mattress and found a half dozen or more empty mini vodka bottles. Wondered if it was one of our crew so I asked the FAs what our minis look like, but they were different.

As far as the sick thing, don't work sick, call in sick when you get sick, go see the doc and document it. Do this and the company has no leg to stand on, BS Dependability programs or not. I personally know the Federal Air Surgeon and one of his biggest pet pives is pilots flying sick.
 
Grassstrippilot said:
As far as the sick thing, don't work sick, call in sick when you get sick, go see the doc and document it. Do this and the company has no leg to stand on, BS Dependability programs or not. I personally know the Federal Air Surgeon and one of his biggest pet pives is pilots flying sick.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advisory; I'll keep that in mind. And thanks to everyone else as well for sharing your comments and personal experiences.
 
Even if it is placebo, Airborne (or my brain) seems to cut the duration of a cold in half. I also carry Pepto tablets in my flight bag incase of mud slides.

I always keep the hotel comforter away from my face and always flush toilets with my feet.

My last airline...I remember hearing someone got bit by a Brown Recluse at the overnight hotel.
 

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