Not going to lie, I have been looking forward to this weather. I love summer and wearing flip flops, but I got these recently…
I know! Adorable, right? I couldn’t wait until we had highs in the 50’s so I could wear them along with my boot socks. But with the boot weather also comes lows in the 40’s and 30’s, and I am not ready to turn on the heat yet. So, I plan to use one of these babies this weekend so we don’t freeze. Continue reading
Truly, I did this to myself. A couple weeks ago, I was at a Red Cross event chatting with a donor about how he had been sick. Did I respond with general niceties and concern? Of course not! I said something no one in their right mind should ever say, “I haven’t been sick in a long time, knock on wood.”
FYI… The phrase “knock on wood” has no magical power.
I tried, I really did… Vitamins, avoiding sick people and getting sleep, and yet here I sit. I am at home on a January Friday that will hit 60 degrees. *sigh*
We are experiencing an earlier than normal flu season, and is it ever a doozie. Hospitals are overrun with sick people and in some cases, people have died. Many didn’t get their flu shot early enough and got hit with the flu. I was going to get my flu shot yesterday but they won’t give it to you if you have a fever.
Because I don’t want you to experience my current situation, here are tips from a girl with no voice who is cozied up on the couch with her cat…
1. Get your flu shot if you haven’t already. Sure, it doesn’t protect you from all strains of influenza but it helps to lessen the severity.
2. If you are sick, stay home. You want your coworkers to still like you after flu season, and if you get them sick then they won’t be your biggest fan.
3. Wash your hands a lot. Granted, it’s simple, but it can protect you from germs. Germy hands touching your eyes, nose and mouth can result in a day off laying prone on your couch with your cat who just doesn’t understand why you don’t want her laying on your face. (She has issues.)
4. If you have sick people in your home, bleach and disinfectant spray are your best friend. My boyfriend, who is a bit of a germaphobe, has been going a little overboard, but hopefully he and my son don’t get sick.
Of course, there are more tips you can get by clicking here.
So on this Finally Friday in the middle of flu season, go home early! Well, go home if you are sick… If you are healthy then go wash your hands! (Haha… At least I still have my sense of humor.)
We’re officially into that wonderful time of the year when many of us get a special visit from….the flu. You see, flu germs don’t care if you’ve been naughty or nice and they like to spread their own version of holiday cheer to millions of people every winter. In fact, a recent Center for Disease Control (CDC) report stated that the 2012-2013 flu season has gotten off to the earliest start in nearly a decade.
However, you need not tremble in fear of the seasonal flu – just say “now’s not a good time,” and do a few simple things to decrease your likelihood of catching/spreading the virus…
1) Eat a balanced diet, drink plenty of water, get enough sleep, and pack in the Vitamin-C. These will help strengthen your body’s immune system, which battles unwelcome viruses.
2) Wash your hands with plenty of soap and warm water. Flu viruses spread from person to person and coughing/sneezing, so you’ll want keep a little distance between yourself and an infected person. I’m not advocating walking around in a hazmat suit because that’d be weird, but the less you can touch your eyes, nose and mouth, the better. Recognize the symptoms of a flu: headaches, a runny/stuffy nose, body aches, sore throat, coughing, etc. Adults can actually spread the flu virus up to 5 days after originally getting sick.
3) GET A FLU SHOT! It’s never fun to get a shot, but it’s one of the most effective ways to minimize illness. And for goodness sake if you get sick, don’t be a hero – stay home! Your co-workers will most likely admire your dedication for about 5 minutes before internally freaking out that you’re going to make them sick.
4)If you’re living with a sick person – disinfect, disinfect, disinfect! All those commonly touched household places (doorknobs, phones, computers) – wipe them down. Avoid sharing items with your sick loved one and try to keep them and their things separate from other family members. They’ll understand!
You can also visit redcross.org for a full list of flu prevention/treatment tips or consult your friendly neighborhood healthcare provider. Here’s to a happy (and healthy) holiday season!
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