Influenza

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It's late Friday afternoon.  We have just made a Walmart run.  It happened because we are stuck in the house tonight when we had planned to do something else.  Why?  Influenza.  Precious spiked a temp at 4:30am this morning of 102 so I kept her home from school and couldn't take her to the dance camp event she was registered for.  Josiah had a low temp 2 days ago so he has been home for a few days already, trying not to spread the germs.  They feel fine.  They are bored, playful, making a mess everywhere and demanding things that little kids demand all day long....but because of those fevers we are home. 

I got sick last Sunday morning on our very rare and extremely hard to negotiate night away.  By the time we got home mid-afternoon on Sunday I had fever, aches, chills......I was miserable.  I have fought the aches, the fevers, diarrhea, sore throat, tight cough, loose cough, runny nose, headaches, etc all week.  I no longer have a fever and am not contagious but I am trying to protect the world from anything my family may be carrying.  Today Isaac came home and said he thinks he is getting sick, too. 

I am feeling very sorry for myself tonight.  I've been trying to recover for days and cannot indulge in that luxury because the people here need me.  I am up with feverish children at night so I am not getting good sleep.  My household duties are falling behind because I don't have the energy to clean and do laundry and get groceries.  Mamas shouldn't get sick.  We don't have that luxury.  According to the news there is no end in sight for this influenza epidemic.  It could be a long winter yet.

I take vitamins and probiotics.  I exercise and eat fruits and veggies.  I use essential oils.  I even got the daggum flu shot because I work for a health care provider and would get fired if I refused......and it didn't help me at all.  I spent the past week watching more daytime television than I ever knew still aired, I didn't get an exercise and I sure didn't get any work done.  I am salt-y.  Crabby.  Punchy.  Frustrated. 

I don't have a tropical winter vacation to look forward to, to get me over the winter blues.  We can't afford one.  I'm feeling so so so sorry for myself tonight.  Josiah is whining that he wants supper.  Guess its time to engage again.  Sigh. 

If you are sick, please stay home.  If you have a fever please don't share it.  Other families with lots of kids could end up really crash and burned because you chose to not stay the heck home. 

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