Oh I had almost the same experience about 15 years back. Caught dengue when I was on a work travel but did not know it. Had a high fever for three days and kept suppressing it with fever meds. It was almost the end of a two month assignment and I flew back to my home still carrying the fever. I was shivering throughout the flight back, and even requested the air hostess for a blanket which unfortunately they didn't have.

I somehow got through that 2.5 hour flight, took a one hour cab back home in the middle of the night, popped some more fever pills and collapsed into my bed. Woke up a couple of hours later, puked my guts out, had bone-jarring body pain but somehow convinced myself it would pass. Come morning, I still couldn't bear the pain, so dragged myself to my housemate's room and promptly collapsed in front of him.

He luckily did not panic, kept his calm and rushed me to the ER. I was barely conscious but could hear the nurses' highly concerned voices as they punctured my body and started pumping fluids.

Oh, did I mention I'm epileptic? The high fever reached a tipping point and I started seizing on the ER bed. Doctors rushed in, started pumping seizure suppressing meds and after another round of seizures, managed to stabilize me. I don't know what happened after that except for waking up two days later with my dad by my bedside in the hospital ward.

I'll always be grateful for the series of lucky incidents that saved my life that day. Somehow surviving the three days of fever while alone on a work trip, managing the long journey back home. The fact that my housemate was not at his girlfriend's place that night (he spent over half his nights with her leaving me on my own at home). And finally his presence of mind in reacting so quickly and calmly to the situation.

Kids, never ignore what your body's trying to tell you! You may be 23, feel on top of your physical powers but things can go very wrong at any time.