From Man Flu To Death's Door

From Man Flu To Death's Door

- Emma Rossiter

Feeling my hubby Rob’s forehead, I noticed it was hot. ‘I don’t feel well at all,’ he groaned. ‘Stop being dramatic, it’s just man flu,’ I teased.

It was February 2017, and me and Rob, 43, had been together almost eight years – but had only married the previous September.

Rob had been complaining that he felt unwell for a couple of days.

Tired and feeling grotty, he’d taken himself off to bed.

I’d not thought very much of it.

I was a nurse, and Rob had all the classic symptoms of flu.

Fever, aching, shivering, tired, loss of appetite.

Plus, he’d recently suffered abdominal pains and been diagnosed with problems in his gall bladder. He was having an op to remove it that March. That, and the flu, seemed to have hit him hard, though.

No wonder he’s feeling rubbish, I thought.

But a few days into his illness, Rob was still in bed, shivering, barely eating.

‘More rest,’ I ordered. Thought he’d be back to his old self in no time.

I still watched him closely, just in case.

After a couple more days, Rob seemed to be getting weaker.

That morning, I was getting ready to go to work and went to say goodbye.

Rob was in the bathroom –only as I wandered in, I got a shock. Under the bright lights, something looked wrong with Rob’s skin. It was bright yellow. He looked like