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| Scene from a pre-flu walk |
I’m in (what I hope will be) the last throes of a bout of stomach flu unlike any I remember. Maybe that’s just a result of how easily we forget misery—a good quality, overall. Or maybe it’s because this particular virus was especially nasty. Or maybe it’s because when you get old, everything hurts more and takes longer to recover from. I do recall a moment lying on the cool hard tile of the bathroom floor thinking, “So this is why they worry about old people dying from flu.”
I
was miserable. Hot and cold—from moment
to moment or, sometimes, simultaneously. Aching in ways I associate with major
injuries, but without the accompanying adventurous tales. Exhausted enough that
brushing my teeth (a frequent necessity) left me limp, propped against the
counter. Just climbing into bed set my heart racing in my ears. Early on, I was
optimistic. The … um … expulsionary aspects of the illness diminished
considerably by about 18 hours or so, and I was looking forward to the impending
24-hour limit to the flu that goes by that name. But it was not to be. Five
days later, I was still having residual gurgly, grumbly symptoms. And now six
days in, I find myself wiped out by a short trip to the bank and the grocery
store. (Ever heard of the BRAT diet? We ran out of applesauce.)
Maybe
this is all normal for stomach flu and I just forgot since the last time, which was many years ago. But I have a suspicion that there’s something more to it,
something having to do with the simple reality that nothing—skin, tendons, GI
system—is quite as resilient after seven decades as it was earlier on. My mom
used to say that the machinery just wears out. And in fact, I recently read an article saying
that’s basically exactly what happens. From our teeth to our hearts, things
just wear out—despite our best efforts at immortality, whether those entail diet, exercise,
meditation, medicine, surgery (reconstructive or cosmetic), or denial. We were
actually born as beings who age and, eventually, die. So, the notion that I’d
be less resistant to a flu bug and would recover from it more slowly makes
sense to me. Not happy sense, but sense.
In
any case, the persistence of this particular case of flu gave me some time to
reflect on what I might learn from this illness. And here are my top seven flu lessons:
- The stomach flu is not simply about your stomach and the anatomically connected parts (although all of that is most definitely involved!). It’s also about your energy, your balance, your headache, your focus, your mental clarity, your sense of composure, your patience, and your tolerance for humiliation, as well as your shoulders, hips, knees, elbows, ankles, and jaw.
- Even though the major symptoms may wane in a day or so, genuine, heavy-duty, industrial-grade stomach flu does not relinquish its hold so easily. At least not in all cases. Whether it moves along to find another host or settles in for a longer visit may depend on many things—initial health status, diet, age, fatigue, immune status, etc. But I’d say it’s not wise to make major international travel plans for day 2.
- Given lessons 1 and 2, I shall never again dismiss or trivialize another’s report of being “taken out,” “bowled over,” “flattened”—pick a metaphor—by the flu. I’ve sometimes pooh-poohed folks’ reports of their flu misery, thinking to myself, “Yeah, I know the flu is a bummer. But you still could show up (or help or call or finish ... whatever), because you said you would.” No more. Tell me you have the flu, and I’ll give you a full week’s grace before I even start to get cranky.
- The flu is a great equalizer. At least I’ll assume it is for the purposes of this lesson. I have never heard of any demographic group—defined by race/ethnicity, income, religion, geography, sex/gender—who do not get flu. Not that I’ve done a careful study of this. But this is a good lesson regardless: If any moment brings us all to our knees in abject misery, pleading for nothing but relief, it’s a hearty dose of stomach flu. How can I not empathize with anyone when I picture them in that position? OK, so this is still a lesson in process … there are admittedly a few people for whom I don’t feel great empathy, even in the throes, so to speak. I still think it’s a good thought.
- The flu is harder to deal with when you’re old. Certain of the requisite symptom-management positions are more difficult to assume, to sustain, and to recover from. Even sleeping positions are unduly complicated. Take, as a random example, me. I couldn’t lie on my left side because of a still-tender hip from a (not-so-recent) injury. I can’t lie on my stomach because of (a) bad knees and (b) a bad neck. I couldn’t lie on my right side, because that’s significantly more troublesome for upper GI issues (this is stomach flu, after all). And I can’t lie on my back because it hurts. Plus, I wake myself snoring. Now, all of those are somewhat issues any time, but add the exhaustion of flu, which begs for 24 hours in bed, and you have a sure recipe for misery. Everything aches. All the time. And lying down becomes as painful as not (well, almost). Old people should all be issued temporary, agile and resilient bodies for use during the flu.
- Whether or not individual older people get hit harder by the flu by virtue of their age, we’ve all been told that we do, and that alone can make it more difficult. During those exhausted but profoundly relaxing, cool moments on the bathroom floor, I considered the possibility that the comfort of the moment could be a bad sign. “Is this a sign of dehydration?” I wondered. “Or hypothermia (see “mental clarity” above)? Should I be calling a doctor? After all, flu is more dangerous for old people!” So if you’re old, you should read up a bit on flu before you get it (Mayoclinic.org and WdbMD.com are good). If you love someone old, be alert to the actual risks, but also to the (often unnecessary) fears.
- And the final lesson: Stomach flu is largely avoidable. This may not seem like a particularly clever insight, and I certainly “knew” it before. Still, I have to admit that I have not been faithful about singing “Happy Birthday” to myself or reciting the complete alphabet as I wash my hands with soap and hot running water after every single trip to the bathroom and before every single meal or snack. I could have gotten this flu bug through my own laziness. Or because someone else wasn’t sufficiently generous with her/his own self-directed birthday greetings. Also I could pass it on the same way. This is one lesson I “knew” before, and I just learned it again, big time.
So
those are my top seven my flu lessons. Today, I’m feeling better, and I plan for
tomorrow to be better yet. I’ll celebrate by washing my hands frequently and
thoroughly while singing the birthday song and/or the alphabet song (more fun
than the recited version).
And
I hope I’ll have no follow-up remedial lessons to share.
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| From another pre-flu walk. I wondered why on earth a neighbor had chosen a full wall of windows facing NW. Had they no interest in energy conservation? I turned around and saw that this would be their view. Priorities. |
© Janis
Bohan, 2010-2015. Use of this content is welcome with attribution and a link to
the post.
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