Life Upside Down

I remember being sick as a child, probably with the flu, and my grandmother telling me a story from her younger days working in an office. One of her coworkers had gotten sick, presumably with the flu, and joked that he opened the window, “and in flew enza!”

Definitely a 1940s Dad joke, I know. But it’s always stuck with me, and enza has definitely flown into my window.

Bali was wonderful. Rice paddies galore, fresh juices several times a day for no more than $1.40, massages and facials, glorious diving, scooter adventures… Pictures are forthcoming.

While I managed to avoid the nefarious Bali Belly,  I must’ve picked something up on the plane home. I returned to work feeling fine, but by the end of a long first day back, I was feeling cold-ey. Sore throat, runny nose, fatigued. I come down with a nasty, clingy sore throat about twice a year, generally as the seasons change, so this is nothing new.

Who has time to be sick? Not me! I don’t have time to be sick! I went into holistic treatment overdrive. I drank gallons of tea flavoured with honey and ginger. I drank chicken broth soups. I got as much rest as possible. I even ate raw cloves of garlic. Nasty, yes, but effective. Really.

Within two days, I started to feel better! My symptoms diminished, my sore throat disappeared and I had my energy back.

Homemade chicken soup. Looks gross, works like an elixir

Check ONE for the natural method! I patted myself on the back and decided it was okay to resume life as usual at approximately 100mph (or 160kmh, for you metric people.) Again, not only did I not have time to be sick, I didn’t have time to adequately recover from being sick!

Ain’t nobody got time for dat.

I attended activities and work as usual, hung out with friends, worked late, ate junk food. Aside from a runny nose, I forgot that I’d been sick at all.

That lasted for three days. Then it resurfaced with a vengeance, and far worse than before. Body aches and chills, high fever, a headache that feels like multiple beehives are doing battle in my frontal lobe, dizziness…. classic flu symptoms.

I spent a grand total of four conscious hours yesterday.

I am back to my holistic regimen, with far less energy than I put in the first time round. Not only am I feeling worse than before, I’m quite irritated with myself for making this classic Eva mistake. Given that I have no underlying conditions, I have complete faith in treating things naturally (i.e. without antibiotics and with minimal drugs). It’s not the method that’s the problem, it’s me.

Turns out some things, even the flu, are easier to treat than our default patterns. Food for thought as I sniffle my way through the next several days.