I used to get the flu shot when my husband's mother was alive. She had chronic obstructive pulmonery disease, along with her cancer, and it would have been deadly for her to get the flu. So my husband made sure that any of us who were around got the flu shot. I've gotten one occassionally since then, but I haven't actually had a bout with the flu for probably 13 years. I did get it back then, and I was down for the count. If I remember correctly, I think I was reallllly sick for about a week and a half, then just miserably sick for another couple of weeks. I got bronchitis on top of it. What a misery. I was living alone at the time, and it was a major effort just to get out of bed and open up a can of chicken soup and try to eat it. I had friends drop by and bring me a little food, but I still lost about 12 pounds. Of course, as soon as I felt better, I gained it right back.
I've never been plagued much by the flu, but upper respiratory problems were something else altogether. This is the only place I've ever lived for any length of time where I haven't experienced serious bouts of brochitis, asthma and pneumonia, even pleurisy (on a couple of occasions) on a fairly regular basis. I used to panic when I'd get a sinus headache or a stuffy nose, because that's how it would start. Sometimes it'd be downhill for weeks from there.