Published: Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Just what will it take for the flu to go away?
By Sarri Gilman
Special to The Herald
I have lived on the south end of Whidbey Island for 22 years and I have never seen my community hit by the flu the way we have been hit this winter.
I'm sure the tourism fairy wouldn't want anyone to say this too loudly, but this is my only way to fight the flu. I have taken to shouting at it.
At this point a sudden wave of hopefulness is passing over me. What if writing about the flu actually makes it go away?
Three rounds of antibiotics haven't even slightly fatigued this thing. There isn't a single place where you go in my community where people are not talking about the flu.
It is as if the pope has come to visit and left us all stunned. The fevers, headaches, runny nose, coughing, more fevers, swollen glands, have the community functioning in a daze.
I go to my local clinic, nearly in tears -- I can't take another day of this -- and then I see my nurse. She looks worse than I do.
I feel guilty for complaining. I stare at my shoes and I explain that it's all worse at night, the fevers, the throat thing, I can't swallow, I can't sleep, and my immune husband is getting weary.
She tells me her husband too is worn out from her coughing.
I apologize for what I'm about to say, but I say it anyway.
"You really need some rest."
She scowls.
I know that scowl. It's the same one I have for my husband, the school principal, my daughters home from college.
The fact is no one can rest as this much as the flu is requiring. I have been sick since December. It is April as you read this column. Rest is a weenie in the face of the flu. The only thing that sends the flu running is murderous antibiotics.
I work with kids in a middle school and the coughing, weakening eyes, running noses, are everywhere. We are engulfed in The Flu at school. Many of the kids are on their third round of this illness and no kids can miss that much school. When I see the kids bundled up trying to fend off the chills, I have to plead with them to let us call parents and get them home. They plead with me not to call parents. "My mom can't miss any more work."
South Whidbey residents may need a few extra sick days this particular season. The flu visiting us has stayed far longer than anyone expected, and we really don't know what to throw at our guest to make it leave us all in peace.
I no longer know what to say when I'm invited somewhere. I don't want to give this to anyone, and the isolation is just pointless here because everyone else has a version of this. If you are sick from December to April, people aren't so understanding. They are expecting something more serious than the flu. Sympathy, understanding that you are turning down a dinner invitation yet again, starts to insult people. How can you still have the flu? Didn't you have that last time?
So here I am, resorting to the only defense I truly have, I'm going to write about it.
Just what will it take for the flu to go away?
By Sarri Gilman
Special to The Herald
I have lived on the south end of Whidbey Island for 22 years and I have never seen my community hit by the flu the way we have been hit this winter.
I'm sure the tourism fairy wouldn't want anyone to say this too loudly, but this is my only way to fight the flu. I have taken to shouting at it.
At this point a sudden wave of hopefulness is passing over me. What if writing about the flu actually makes it go away?
Three rounds of antibiotics haven't even slightly fatigued this thing. There isn't a single place where you go in my community where people are not talking about the flu.
It is as if the pope has come to visit and left us all stunned. The fevers, headaches, runny nose, coughing, more fevers, swollen glands, have the community functioning in a daze.
I go to my local clinic, nearly in tears -- I can't take another day of this -- and then I see my nurse. She looks worse than I do.
I feel guilty for complaining. I stare at my shoes and I explain that it's all worse at night, the fevers, the throat thing, I can't swallow, I can't sleep, and my immune husband is getting weary.
She tells me her husband too is worn out from her coughing.
I apologize for what I'm about to say, but I say it anyway.
"You really need some rest."
She scowls.
I know that scowl. It's the same one I have for my husband, the school principal, my daughters home from college.
The fact is no one can rest as this much as the flu is requiring. I have been sick since December. It is April as you read this column. Rest is a weenie in the face of the flu. The only thing that sends the flu running is murderous antibiotics.
I work with kids in a middle school and the coughing, weakening eyes, running noses, are everywhere. We are engulfed in The Flu at school. Many of the kids are on their third round of this illness and no kids can miss that much school. When I see the kids bundled up trying to fend off the chills, I have to plead with them to let us call parents and get them home. They plead with me not to call parents. "My mom can't miss any more work."
South Whidbey residents may need a few extra sick days this particular season. The flu visiting us has stayed far longer than anyone expected, and we really don't know what to throw at our guest to make it leave us all in peace.
I no longer know what to say when I'm invited somewhere. I don't want to give this to anyone, and the isolation is just pointless here because everyone else has a version of this. If you are sick from December to April, people aren't so understanding. They are expecting something more serious than the flu. Sympathy, understanding that you are turning down a dinner invitation yet again, starts to insult people. How can you still have the flu? Didn't you have that last time?
So here I am, resorting to the only defense I truly have, I'm going to write about it.