It all started last Wednesday with L. getting a little sniffle. I wasn’t surprised. Since I’d worked the nursery that week, I was fully prepared to incubate and then manifest the germs that at least three of the children brought to church that week. But I figured, A cold? I can handle that.
Then Chad came home Friday night, ate dinner, wrestled with L., chatted with C.. And suddenly at about 7 p.m., he said, “I don’t feel well” and it all went downhill from there. The fever, the aches, the chills, the headache, the exhaustion. It was indeed the dreaded FLU. Since I don’t read the newspaper and primarily watch the news only to find out how miserable the weather will be, I hadn’t realized that this flu season was truly horrific. And that the flu shot is not proving to be very effective. Granted, L.’s the only one in our house who got a flu shot this year, but still, to have that little bit of protection taken away was not really what I wanted.
On top of my own family manufacturing germs galore, the guy who’s been doing our drywall bolted out of here last Thursday, rather ill. He’d had a stomach bug the day before, but assured me he was fine. Apparently, he was wrong. He’s been here briefly three of the five days since then, regaling me with stories about how his wife has been horribly sick and about how he was at the hospital yesterday with another family member who was “sick as a dog.” I am sympathetic toward him and his family members and hope they feel better soon, but must admit there is a part of me that wants to say, “Forget our basement! Just stay home until all your germs are eradicated! Drywall is simply not that important!” But I don’t.
My approach to dealing with all the germs goes something like this:
- Use hand sanitizer constantly
- Spray Lysol liberally
Lock Chad in the bedroomAllow Chad to stay in the bedroom where there is peace and quiet- When Chad makes brief excursions into the main living area, follow him around with Clorox wipes, swiping the remote, the computer mouse, the doorknobs
OrderRequest thatChadeveryone cover their mouths when they cough or sneezeor talk- Drink Emergen-C
- Sleep on an airbed next to our bed, so I am approximately 4 feet removed from
the Flu Incubatormy poor husband - Buy more hand sanitizer because I’m running out
- Avoid the basement — I don’t really need to see the progress right now and would rather wait until the germs die a natural death
So far, I’ve been successful. L.’s still the only one with a cold and Chad’s still the only one with the flu and no one’s caught any stomach ailments. However, Chad is sick and tired of being relegated to the bedroom and now sits mere feet from me, even though all the CDC literature I’ve read tells me that he’ll be contagious until at least tomorrow night. I’m slacking off in the Lysol department because I’m just plain tired. And I need to make sure I don’t irritate my family members too much more — they’re starting to look at me like I’m annoying and insane.
So I guess I’ll try to chill out a little. Or at least only whip out the Clorox wipes when no one’s looking.
Oh, tell him to GET BETTER!
Next year, we’re all getting the flu shot. And not leaving our house.
Oh, no! You’ve been hit, too?
They have some kind of a medicine you can take to head it off once they do the test to confirm that you’ve got it. What’s it called–”Tamiflu” or something like that?
Everybody I know has had it…it’s just a matter of time before it’s our turn.
I wish I could drop off a bottle of Lysol for you, and some paper towels. These are the times that I think of the verses about being a servant…that Jesus came not to be served, but to serve….
sigh…
I am so sorry, praying for a quick recovery. It is so hard being Mommy sometimes =) They need hip holsters for clorox wipes, I am sure if men used them more there would be. Hehehe =)
In November, we all got the stomach flu from an innocent little baby whose sisters had it, but she never did.
It was horrible. Bad, awful!!!
Unfortunately, the flu shot does nothing against the stomach flu. I did the lysol route too.
Sounds like you’re doing all you can to keep yourself healthy. I completely understand! Although sick men tend to not do well with isolation, do they?
EmergenC is some of the best stuff going to help your body fight off the bugs!! Hope everybody that is sick gets better quick and that those who aren’t sick don’t get any bugs!
I can’t believe you are sleeping on an airbed! That cracks me up – If it was me I’d probably make mic sleep on it so I could get well rested
But I’m a bully like that! Hope your boys get better soon.
I hope that you are still all well, and that’s good to know that contagion is ending soon.
Katrina, you and I are just alike. Even after a friend of Perry comes over to play, I’m “lysoling” and wiping down the minute they leave! You never know what they are bringing in!!
Hope you all stay healthy for the rest of this yucky flu season.
I am SO sorry. We have been battling the “yuck” around here for what seems like forever.
Feel better soon.
Lysol . . . I should buy stock in it. We’ve been battling the Yuck in our house too. Seems like everyone has. Can’t wait for spring!
Okay- so you’re a better wife than me … if my hubby’s sick – i’m on the couch – or in another room – i DO NOT want to be around him while he’s sick! I’m a germ-a-phob… Put me in a bubble and I think I’d be pretty happy!
After my baby having the flu right after new years, and me just a couple of weeks ago – I’m kinda glad we’ve already gotten it – does that make it where you can’t get it again??? *HOPE AND PRAY****
Hope your family gets better soon!