The Flu is Evil

My journey with the flu began on the last day of 2012.  I had just had a birthday lunch with my mom because it was her birthday.  After lunch, I picked up my cousin (from NYC) who was finishing up her yearly visit with my grandmother and we made our way back to Amarillo.

Now we didn't have a huge New Year's Eve blow-out!  We went to dinner at Jorge's.  Some fajitas, a bit of queso, some chips and salsa.  Ole!  Then we went back to the house and it began, one sneeze, followed by another and another and another.

My cousin looked at me and said, "what are you allergic to New Yorkers"?  A sneeze.  So we rang in 2013 and then got up at the butt crack of dawn to take her to the airport to fly back to the city that never sleeps.

Then I went back home crawled on the couch and could not get warm, not ever after two very hot baths (which always gets rid of the chills for me).  That was it I was done.

I texted Mr. Rick Andrews to let him know that I couldn't move and I had what I thought was the flu.  Needless to say I didn't return from my Christmas vacation the the day I was supposed to return.  I found myself in a doctor's office the next day only to have them stick a Q-tip up my nose (yuck!) then tell me what I already knew I had the flu.

He gave me a rather expensive prescription and sent me on my way home, with the reminder to drink plenty of fluids and get lots of rest.  Luckily, I was able to ask a friend to take E to daycare each day so that I could get that rest.

However, Friday evening rolled around and guess who spiked a fever, started hacking, and sneezing, none other than my 5-year old.  So we battled over the weekend with this nasty stuff, hoping just hoping he would be well enough to go back to school and nope.

The fever just wouldn't break.  So Monday morning, I bundled him up, grabbed a sleeping bag, his favorite pillow, his DS and DVDs and off to work I came. I was stir crazy and it was time to come back to work.

We made our way to the doctor fairly early on Monday morning only to find out he had the flu, however, a different strain from mine.

I don't begin to understand the different strains of viruses, but I just don't understand how someone that has taken a flu shot still gets the flu?  I asked but apparently several different strains of the flu are just out there floating around, and the flu shot only covers one.

Lucky us, I would say.

I don't remember ever having the flu.  I will say that was the most miserable experience.  I literally hurt all over, I joked with a friend that my ovaries even hurt.  Honestly it wasn't a joke, they did. EVERYTHING HURT for days.

I can only imagine how E felt, however, despite his aches and pains he still found time to jump around, and play, and when he did feel the effects of this flu nastiness, he just looked at me with those big hazel eyes, "momma, can you get me some Gatorade because my body just doesn't want to move".  Sigh!  what else could I do besides get the Gatorade.

So if at all possible avoid this nastiness, no matter what strain, because it is out there and it is just plain evil.  It got E and I, and a few of our friends.  Will it get you?  I certainly hope not.