(When this article was written I still was recovering from the flu. I was taking a strong antibiotic that wiped me out every morning and kept me in a daze until evening. One particular evening I had my wits about me, so I compiled some thoughts.)
On
Christmas day I contracted Influenza A (the bad kind of flu). I was contagious and my doctor’s expression
was grave and serious. Sort of a “if you
feel any worse you are going to the hospital” look. Hmmm.
Well, it’s been a number of days now and I have followed her
instructions to a tee. So, between my
doctor’s instructions, my family’s advice and my own common sense, I wrote down
some tips about how to get over the flu.
(Tips are in no particular order)
Ø Wear a hat, scarf and closed toed shoes. It’s a funny story in my family about how
none of us can get rained on and not get sick.
We get it from our Mom. If even
one drop of rain hits our head or neck, forget it...our sinuses will flare
up. If we are lucky it will be only one
day of discomfort; however, if the temperature is cold, forget it again...we
will get a cold, slight fever and possibly the flu.
How did I get the flu?
I ran outside in the cold rain/snow for 2 minutes to pull cushions from
the patio furniture and didn’t wear a hat or scarf (and I wore sandals). The moral of this bullet point is save
yourself, not your cushions, and take the time to put on the right gear to
protect yourself. It’s worth it;
otherwise, you’ll spend 10 days recovering from a 2 minute error.
Ø
Keep plenty of tissue in the house. For years I’ve followed the practice of buying
extra paper products “just in case” I need them. If you look in my closets, you’ll find
multiple boxes of tissue, toilet paper and paper towels. Well, it paid off when I got sick because I
can walk to any room in the house and not have to worry if there is a box of
tissue in there. The flu brings
congestion, coughing and sneezing. Trust
me, the “just in case” tissue paid off for me.
Ø
Keep lemon and filtered water in stock. Another compulsion of mine is keeping plenty
of lemons in the house. It’s amazing how
a simple lemon slice in my water makes me happy. Ha.
When you have the flu the lemon compulsion pays off too because in order
to get over the flu, you must drink lots and lots and lots of water. There’s no way around it.
Ø
Don’t “Man Up” until you’ve been to the
doctor. This applies to men and
women. How many of us dismiss the
sniffles, coughing, sneezing, slight fever, headaches and joint aches for days
only to wake up one morning completely behind the flu-8-ball? Don’t do it!! (reverse Nike sign!) Just practice wisdom and humility and go to
the doctor soon after your symptoms begin.
If the medicine gets into your system early it will prevent the flu germ
from growing. Trust me when I say
everyone in your life will appreciate you going to the doctor. We don’t want to catch the flu from you!
Ø
It’s true…You do need plenty of sleep and
rest. I know not everyone has
the luxury of a precious house mate named Stanley (lol) who lets you sleep as
much as you need (and he sleeps by your side); however, let me just say that
going to the doctor isn’t enough. You
must sleep and rest. Sleep is when you
close your eyes and pass out for hours, day after day until the medicine kicks
in. Rest is when you sit on the sofa or
chair while avoiding the compulsion to clean your house, cook dinner for the
family, do laundry, etc. while you’re home.
If you live with someone who has the flu, don’t expect the
Sickly to keep doing what he/she did before.
Instead, you wash the dishes, do laundry, either cook or bring in food
for the family. You be the one who
drives the Sickly to the doctor, to the pharmacy to pick up the prescriptions
and who goes to the store for soup, lemons, water and 7-Up. Don’t be a burden to the Sickly! (ha)
Before I leave this point let me say something to those of us
who live with no one but a pet. We tend
to let work be our end-all, be-all. If
on Christmas Day or any day thereafter you are asked to participate in
conference calls and reply to a mountain of emails while you have the flu, you
just need to put your foot down and say either “no” or “wait.” A version of “no” looks like this: “I’m bedridden with the flu. Please loop Scott in for your answer.” A version of “wait” looks like this: “I’m bedridden with the flu. Cannot respond until tonight.” Sleep and rest need to come before any
transaction.
Ø
A few of my favorite things (that
kept me company while I recovered). Stanley,
Hallmark Movie Channel, Chick-fil-a chicken noodle soup, La Madeleine tomato
basil soup, Odwalla orange juice, long hot showers (to stop congestion and
coughing), Ugg boots, Advil, hand lotion, body lotion, lip balm, scrambled
eggs, and my favorite sofa throw to keep me warm. A daily prayer to God to heal me and to
restore my strength.
I
hope you don’t get the flu, but if you do I hope at least 1 of these tips helps
you get and feel better. Be safe and
well.
Love,
Car
PS: A heart felt “THANK YOU” to everyone who prayed
for me while I was sick.
