![]() A tough week battling the flu provided lots of opportunities for me to learn a thing or two about myself. In the past, I’d rarely shared with others that I was sick. I usually suffered through on my own, maybe sharing with one or two people but selectively if at all. This time I was glad that I had let quite a few people know that I was sick. Turns out, I needed them and was grateful for their support. Lesson #9 CHECK EXPIRATION DATES 2 Advil do nothing to relieve severe headache and fever pain..........when the meds expired in early 2009. Lesson #8 DESPERATION CAN REVEAL CREATIVE, even if ineffective SOLUTIONS I tried everything from frozen peas (organic from Austria no less:) on my head, to rubbing fresh pineapple on my forehead, to ice cubes rubbed on my neck to alleviate the pain. I taped a Tefla pad over a paste made of ginger and turmeric powders mixed with warm water on my forehead overnight too. Each of these helped a bit and gave me short periods of lessened pain. Lesson #7 CHECK EXPIRATION DATES In my ginger/turmeric paste making, I discovered more than half of my spices were also expired. Eeeesh. Lesson #6 A LITTLE BETTER DOES NOT MEAN GREEN LIGHT - GO On the third morning, after my body stopped expelling food, I felt a little better. In my determined and 'I Can Push Through It' way, I managed to make myself worse due to the activities I started doing during the morning. Too much and too soon Lesson #5 REPEAT - A LITTLE BETTER DOES NOT MEAN GREEN LIGHT - GO Nope, I didn’t learn from the prior morning, and instead I justified that I was doing different activities so it would be ok. I pushed ahead only to make myself worse again by afternoon. Lesson #4 WATER & TEA ARE NOT ENOUGH TO REHYDRATE following flu symptoms of vomiting, fever and diarrhea…………keep a bottle of Gatorade or two on hand or use following homemade recipe that I used thanks to my son in law. It was a lifesaver for sure. 1 liter water (5 cups) 6 teaspoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt Drink 3 liters within 24 hours. Only one day of this solution should be necessary. Lesson #3 LETTING OTHERS KNOW WHEN YOU ARE SICK IS REALLY OK, PROVIDES LOVING SUPPORT AND IS SAFER TOO I’m so glad that I had texted my kids and some friends about being sick. I would have likely ended up in the hospital with dehydration if I hadn't. Their love helped too. Lesson #2 CHOOSING HEALTH OVER A PARTY IS NOT EASY I had been looking forward to a friend’s birthday party on Saturday night for weeks. I like getting dressed up and dancing and having a good time as much as anyone does. I chose to sit this party out, and it wasn't easy for me to do. (watch for blog about this topic coming soon) Lesson #1 ALLOWING OTHERS TO HELP YOU IS LOVING YOURSELF AND LOVING THEM I had offers of help, even in the sub zero temps we were having in Chicago. A dear friend braved the frigid temperatures to go to the store. She bought me the fruits, oatmeal and soup that I needed to build some strength once I was rehydrated. Plus she added lovely tulips to bring a bit of a smile to my weary face and warm my spirit. And to think I almost didn’t let her. (another blog topic I think:) I encourage you to Leave a comment below or post one on my BestYOU facebook page. Sharing your thoughts is a gift to all of us! Please let me know if there is an issue you'd like me to write about. Your issue may be the one everyone is waiting to hear about. Thanks! If you know someone who may like to sign up for my blog posts, please share this link with them. Thanks! Comments are closed.
|
Categories |