Me & My Flu. A page full of whinging! -

After an utterly dreadful five days of sleeping/sweating/shivering/shaking in a sweaty bed, my flu seems to be finally abating. I can stay awake for more than 60 minutes! I can walk again! (albeit tenderly)

One thing I’ve learnt after this miserable NYC-holiday-depriving episode of my life: I’ve never had flu before.

I may have thought that previous weekend-long collections of pathetic sneezes and snivels qualified as flu, but what happened this week was a whole different kettle of fish to any cold I’d ever had before. This mutha laid me completely out, and there was nothing else I could do but dose myself up with painkillers and sit it out.

If you’re unfortunate enough to find yourself being hit with the same kind of shit, trust me – there’s only one course of action:

Bed. Paracetamol. Aspirin (don’t overdo them). Water. Juice. Sleep.

The second you feel hungry, get a piece of toast down your neck. Keep it simple. Let your body do the talking and if it says, “Bed! Now!”, don’t fight it!

And if you’ve got a loving girlfriend/boyfriend/parent/flatmate/pet-cat on hand, all the better.

One strange thing was that my food tastes went all medieval on me: all I could eat was boiled potatoes, toast and porridge. Old serf skool stylee! Broccoli proved way too exotic for me. And tea? Uuurgh! All I could drink was juice, water, juice and more water. Lots of the stuff.

Worst of all was the muscle aches. Lordy it hurt! If any of you unfit fellas (and fella-esses) have ever unwisely been talked into playing a ‘proper’ football match when you’re completely out of shape you’ll know how much your body can hurt next day, with unheard of muscles in previously unannounced parts of your body introducing themselves at every step. Well, flu makes those pains seem like the patter of a feather winged pixie.

But today I’ve managed to make it back down to the kitchen and I’ve stopped accompanying my movements with a selection of noises that sounds like a mutant steam engine on the tracks, “OOh!, Aah! Ooh! Ooh! Aah! Sssssscccow!”

Let’s hope I get closer to full fitness tomorrow.

(Makes mental note to self: never take being fit & healthy for granted and consider yourself damn lucky…)

**Big thanks to Em for being such a wonderful nurse!