Mamamontezz's Mental Rumpus Room

Christmas Influenza

Flu is bad. Let there be no mistake. Here it is, two days before Christmas Eve and the Spousal Unit's familial seasonal frolic, three days from Christmas and My familial seasonal frolic, and I have come down with what I can only believe is the flu. No birds about, only ratties and cats and the dog, so it certainly isn't avian, but it is punifying none the less.

Sad thing is, my dad has COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) in a rather advanced stage. He has been on oxygen for years now. The last time I spoke to him, it was like listening to someone speak from the bottom of a swimming pool filled with glue. His lungs are filling, his condition is weakening, and any exposure to respiratory illness could easily kill him. If this truly is the flu, I will be missing Christmas with the Parental Units again this year, even though I was lucky enough to actually get the day off.

So, in the interest of getting well, I stayed home from work today, slept as much as possible, took aspirins for the fever and aches, drank hot chai, ate a little bit, cut back on the smokes... You know the drill. I have apple juice for later, and some green and echinacea teas to break this up. The Spousal Unit even bought a bottle of brandy with which to spike my honey green tea so I would sleep well tonight. Yes, yes, I know. A little brandy in the tea, not a little tea in the brandy.

I do hope all of you are well this weekend so that you can enjoy Christmas with your families. Have a joyous one.