I was in complete agony, says swine flu survivor

Derek von Sturmer says he's thankful his girlfriend Norma Rojas rushed him to hospital. Photo / Supplied.

A New Zealander who contracted swine flu just over a week ago has described it like being on fire.

Derek von Sturmer, who is currently living in Mexico City, was rushed to hospital last Saturday after what seemed to be the "normal" flu left him gasping for air, bedridden and with a scorching temperature of 40C.

"It just felt like I was on fire," he said. "It was incredible - I couldn't even see because of the heat. I was in complete agony."

The 26-year-old, from Wellington, has been coaching for a rugby club in the city for the past nine months.

After a routine training session on Thursday afternoon, he said he went home to lie down, complaining of a headache and feeling tired.

"I started to feel a little bit crook - I was just so tired. That was in the afternoon. By nine o'clock I had a temperature of 38 degrees and a terrible headache. The next morning I found it really hard to breathe - there was just so much phlegm, it was really hard to cough it up.

"I called the doctor and he had to come to my house - I couldn't get up."

Mr von Sturmer's girlfriend, Norma Rojas, was on hand with wet flannels she had put in the freezer to help cool her partner. Nothing helped, Mr von Sturmer said.

"Norma was basically running from me to the freezer, swapping the flannels. She would take the flannel from the freezer and put it on my face and in a matter of seconds it was hot," he said.

"I was so thirsty - I'd drink five glasses of water in a row and I would still be thirsty. The heat - it's just incredible."

After painkillers failed to relieve Mr von Sturmer's headache and with his temperature now at 40C on Saturday Ms Rojas rushed him to hospital where on arrival he immediately passed out because of the pain.

He was then given two injections - one for the pain and the other for the flu - and was put on oxygen.

Mr von Sturmer said it was not until this week - when he watched the news and saw the number people who had died from the flu - that he realised how close to death he had come.

"I was thinking: F***, what if I hadn't gone to the hospital?

"I'm pretty fit and healthy. I'm always at the gym and I play rugby. It took me this week to get rid of it but I'm still feeling a bit tired."

The suspected case of swine flu in New Zealand was not something Mr von Sturmer said was something to worry about, given what he now knew about the flu, having been through it.

"I can tell you that you'll know if you have it. It's complete agony."