The price we pay

The month of February is nearly gone and that means just around the corner is spring. I love spring! Flowers start to bloom, warm weather starts to creep in, the birds fly back, but most importantly....it means the end of flu season!!

I have done so well this winter about not getting sick and being defeated by the frickin flu, which is amazing considering every person in my department has had it. You know that feeling your body gets when you can feel it trying to creep opon you? The throat becomes just a little scratchy and your nose is a little runny and your body is just a teeny bit achey. That's when I start overdosing on Vitamin C and intoxicating my body with orange juice. That usually helps fight it off before it has a chance to surface.

I don't know why I thought I was lucky enough to have escaped the long-lasting plague that has been floating around our office. But I honestly thought I would make it this entire winter without being the recipient of such an annoying illness. I say annoying because most of the time when you have the flu you aren't throwing up, so its hard to use just burning eyes, throat, and body as a reason to stay home from work. So even though you are miserable you suck it up and work anyway. And by doing that, you make it worse, so by the third or fourth day you can barely walk because your body aches so bad and your eyes are burning like bacon in a frying pan and your throat is so swollen you can barely force the once appreciated Vitamin C and orange juice down it.

This morning I woke up and I realized that I had become its next victim. I had not escaped the attack of this dreadful fate and found it very difficult to get out of bed. I poured the Vitamin C down my throat wincing in pain as it slowly edged its way down my very red and very swollen scratchy throat. I hear my mom in the back of my head scolding me, "You need to gargle salt water, Amy. It will help heal your throat." I HATE gargling salt water--more so than taking any other pain medicine. I'm not entirely sure what it is about the salt water that I don't like...probably the overwhelming feeling that takes over me making me want to gag every time I spit out. Too much information, I know.

I thought I was doing everything possible to shield myself from the hands of the Flu Bug. Unfortunately for me, the Bug won the fight and continues to battle my body. I am hoping to rise up and overcome him quickly and enjoy my extra long weekend that is soon to arrive.