And I’m already a week behind with these posts, sort of, but I can explain!

I had a great post working in my head last Thursday afternoon as I sat down to write.  After I typed about three words, I realized that I ddn’t feel well.  I sat for a moment and decided that I did not feel good at all.  I abandoned the keyboard and went to rest on the couch for a few minutes.  That few minutes turned into five days.  With the exception of going to the doctor on Friday afternoon, I didn’t get dressed or leave the house until this morning.

I was a statistic, one of the many who was struck by this year’s vicious flu epidemic.

Thanks to starting Tamaflu within the first twenty-four hours of noticing symptoms and also being prescribed an antibiotic to protect against any kind of secondary infection, I was not miserable…tired, but not miserable.  For the most part, I was able to rest, which is what my body seemed to want most.  I’d say I’m back to about 85-90% today.  Considering the stories in the news about others with the flu, I consider myself to be one of the lucky ones.

I’ve never had the official flu before.  And, I’ve never had a flu shot.  Even being around students on campus during the yuckiest of sicknesses, I’ve always managed to escape the flu.  And I never really worried about getting it because I don’t consider myself to be in one of the high risk demographics. I figured that after thirty some years of teaching, I’ve built up immunities to almost anything.   So why this year?  Is it an age thing?  Or, is it just the severity of this year’s flu strain?  I’m going to choose to believe it’s the latter.  The flu has not discriminated in any way this year.  It has struck young and old and everyone in between.   I am grateful that I was not any sicker than I was.

My experience with the flu does make me wonder if I need to rethink all those recommended vaccines – flu, pneumonia, Shingles – that I have never gotten because I was not “old enough.”  I think I will mark it on my calendar for next fall when the vaccines are given at school.  It may not help a whole lot as this year’s vaccine is said to be only 10% effective.  No vaccine, however, is 100% ineffective.  Lesson learned!

I am happy to be on the road to recovery.  Though I did go back to work today, I’m still taking it easy.  I did not keep any of my classes for the full period today and I’ll probably do the same thing tomorrow, allowing myself to ease back into the regular grind.

Take care, my friends!  If you start to feel bad, head to the doctor.  If it is the flu, the earlier you can start taking Tamaflu, the better off you will be!  I know that is what kept things from becoming more severe for me!

Stay tuned for what was supposed to be last week’s installment of Sailing Toward Sixty. 🙂