Flu, Flu, Go Away, and Don't Come Again

For poets and birds, April is “Spring, the sweet spring, the year’s pleasant king.” For taxpayers in the US, April is the “Tax Season.” And for those who are like me, April is the “Allergy Season.” If you are allergic to pollens, you will know how dreadful this season is. This year, as with every year, I stayed determined to face those wretched pollens that roam around freely in open air. However, I was taken aback by a surprise ambush, not by the pollens, but by the virus that belong to the family of Orthomyxoviridae. Yes, Flu virus.

One morning I woke up with severe head ache. By noon the same day, all my body ached. I was tired by evening, and at night I had a temperature of 102 degree Fahrenheit. Wise men say ideal couple share pain and happiness. So I transferred some of my virus to my wife too, and she went through the same cycle after me. Fortunately, our two year old remained insulated from us. He had had flu shots few months ago. Why didn’t we too take those shots then? Damn!

Both my wife and I rushed to the doctor the next day. Thanks to the media for creating so much hype about Swine Flu. We wanted to rule out the possibility of H1N1 type affecting our body. What a sigh of relief when the result was negative for H1N1!

I didn’t have sore throat for the first two days. The third day when I opened my eyes in the morning, I felt as if somebody had placed a double edged knife inside my throat. I couldn’t swallow anything; not even my saliva. The pain peaked on the night after fourth day. I hadn’t had cough until the fifth day. Then cough showed up with vengeance. Cough was so bad that it seemed to be worse than the sore throat, body ache, or the fever. Now I am in my eighth day of Flu, and cough still persists. Same story with my wife too.

Lesson learned: don’t ignore the signs “Flu Shots Given Here.” If the signs say, “No appointment necessary,” never think twice. Walk in and get yourself vaccinated.