Flu, Flu, FLU!!

It's been a really crazy winter so far with the flu virus.  I often wonder if it would be better if we had more snow and colder weather.  Would that be better for killing all the germs?  The weather's been so warm, it's like a giant petri dish out there!

Yesterday I spent the day with my granddaughter and her mom, my daughter-in-law.  Both were down with "flu-like viruses".   (I'm not sure if that's not just the flu in disguise.)   My son needed to go to work, I have lots of sick days, so I volunteered to take the day off and stay with them.

Emily was actually feeling pretty good in the morning.  Dad had given her some Tylenol at 5am, so she was not feeling feverish.  She was eating a popsicle in Mom's bed when I got there.  Mom was looking pretty ragged.

Since Emily complained of ear pain, and her fever  had gone up the night before, Mom called the doctor and we packed up and went in to have her ears checked.  All clear.  But the doctor did say that even though she didn't have a fever at present (7 hours after medicine) that didn't mean it wouldn't come back.

And it did.  As I was leaving at 5pm, they took her temp and it was a little above normal.  Apparently that's the way this thing is going.  And there's not really anything you can do for it except take medications to make you comfortable and wait it out.

And how am I avoiding the flu?   (so far...knock on wood).

1.  After almost 30 years of childcare, I believe I have a very good immune system.

2.  I also take echinacea every day.

3.  And I clear out my sinuses with a Netti pot periodically.

4.  I wash my hands with soap and water.  Not so much the hand sanitizer.

5.  I have a humidifier going in my bedroom. Dry nasal passages are an invitation for germs.

5.  Most importantly - I open windows.  Almost every night my bedroom window is open part of the night.     And on really nice days, I open the windows in the house for 1/2 hour.

I truly believe fresh air is the answer to the flu problems.  Get people outside!  Kids should be playing outside in the snow after school.  Go sledding, skating, tubing....whatever!   But also air out the house and get all those nasty flu germies out of here!!!