So Sunday night I have a little bit of a stuffy nose, and I'm not feeling too great. I think it's allergies. Monday I wake up—NOT ALLERGIES. I have a fever, the chills, everything that goes along with, you guessed it, the flu.
All day Monday I'm asleep, skipping class, behind on schoolwork. Stressful enough as it is, it doesn't even begin to touch on how awfully horrible having the flu actually is. You're either cold or sweating, and if you're as lucky as I was, you have a sinus infection too, so you can't breathe and your head is pounding.
So Tuesday, I wake up feeling exactly the same and call the health center to make an appointment. While the Tamiflu and Mucinex really did help, I still didn't go to class and was knocked out a good majority of the day.
Through this horrible week, however, I did learn a few things.
1. I learned not to take my health for granted.
Feeling healthy enough to go to the gym or go to class is a blessing. I was so sick I could barely get out of bed. Missing mundane tasks made me realize how important my health is.
2. Sometimes it's OK to admit you can't do things.
I had the hardest time skipping class, but sometimes you just have to admit that you're sick and you should skip class, skip a meeting, whatever it is. We all want to go to everything and make sure we're living up to all our commitments, but taking care of yourself is a necessity.
3. Chicken noodle soup really works wonders.
I've never really believed the hype about chicken noodle soup when you're sick but it's actually a thing. Campbell's is probably making a killing right now with how many people are sick.
4. Be grateful for people who bring you medicine.
Anyone who offers to do anything for you when you're sick—be it bring you food, get you medicine, or simply check in on you—is a blessing and deserves to be profusely thanked. Having the flu is no joke, and any extra help you can get is always appreciated.
5. Modern medicine is a blessing.
From Tuesday to Wednesday, I felt like a whole new person, and from Monday to Friday I feel like my body went through a transformation. Tamiflu and a Z pack will really have you recovering quick.
If you also have the flu, strep, or any of the other illnesses that are going around right now, I'm praying for you and a speedy recovery. Get better!