It’s winter 2015 and we have been hit by cold and flu season
in full force. Everyone I know is either sick, getting over being sick, or
feels like they are getting sick. I caught a nasty bug in early January which
morphed from a severe head cold with lots of congestion, to a sore throat, to
an intermittent stomach bug, which has only recently resolved. I was voted
“least popular” among my co-workers, who requested that I work from home until
I was able to breathe through my nose again.
My husband valiantly nursed me and even made me home-made
chicken soup with matzo balls, the Jewish equivalent of penicillin. I drank gallons
and gallons of ginger-ale and should have bought stock in Nabisco saltine
crackers. I became adept at opening the child-proof packages of Mucinex,
Sudafed, and Nyquil. Romeo, Elvis and LarryPug kept me company even as I
sniffled the day away.
Now that I’m on the road to recovery and regaining the
ability to breathe through my nose, I’m reluctant to take my good health for
granted. I’m eager to get back to the gym and I had a salad for lunch today.
I’m considering getting a flu shot, even though I keep hearing that they’re not
very effective this year.
My friend Wendy, who is a nurse, says that a simple key to
prevent illness is to wash your hands frequently. My husband Mike swears by
anti-bacterial wipes and has recently started taking Airborne every day. My
coworker Lauren liked Emergen-C, a dietary supplement with 7 B vitamins as well
as antioxidants and electrolytes.
How do you stay healthy? Have you had a winter cold yet? Did
you get a flu shot?
