Life After Stomach-Flu

How quickly we learn to appreciate our health in times of sickness.

The Sunday before last my daughter had spent the weekend with my mom thus giving this single mom a small break to recharge.  She hadn’t been home more than three hours before she started complaining that her tummy hurt. I must to admit to not giving it much thought as she’s four-years-old and quite often a borderline hypochondriac; we all know it’s more than likely a “Mommy I need cuddles” moment. Usually we give the cuddles and the tummy ache disappears as quickly as it had initially come on and all is well.

Albeit, she proved me wrong with a vengeance, when she woke me up at two in the morning advising me that she was going to ‘choke’ (this is what she calls it when she pukes). I said, “Okay” and was ready to lay her down me when all of a sudden, “it”…began. It was violent, messy and not of the singular persuasion.

I helped her through it by doing what we Mommy’s do best and comforting her and then got her to lie back down so her belly could perhaps stop tossing and turning so she could rest. History repeated itself once more during the evening, but after that, the sky was the limit. Whatever it was that she had, had lasted a mere twenty-four hours…and she was done. All was well.

However, five days letter, I started noticing that my intestines were cramping something fierce. I chalked it up to an upset stomach. The following morning I knew something was about to transpire. I was cold, hot, sweaty, clammy, nervous, anxious and couldn’t seem too breathe right.

Somehow, in the course of it all, I get my daughter up, dressed and on the bus. I immediately walked back inside, grabbed a plastic bag, and the party began. I called my doctor to find out what was going around so I knew how to take care of it and that’s when I was advised that there was a 24 hour flu attacking the county where I live; oh wonderful.

So, I managed to keep a positive attitude and just told myself it was only 24 hours and to just rest until it passed. It was the longest amount of time I had rested since I had been in ICU about a year and a half prior. Yes, 72 hours later and I was still sick. There was absolutely zero appetite, stomach cramping when I did try to eat a little something, and severe physical exhaustion.

I’m by no means looking for sympathy (who doesn’t get the stomach flu even if only on occasion) with this blog as much as I want to inform; this thing is making its way from county to county across the United States; it’s horrible. In the small town that I live in there are  a ton of people who have this bug and a fine few who have admitted something along the lines of, “I can handle the flu, but this… this isn’t the flu. This is fierce.” It’s not even the vomiting that bothers you as much as the sheer physical exertion. I really can’t stress that enough.

Looking on the plus side, it’s not the already mutated H1N1 virus that is taking the world by storm, either. With that said, however, I feel it’s important to mention that I was so focused on H1N1 that this virus slowly crept up and bit me on my collective backside.

By the way, I am going to the doctor today to get my flu shot and a recommended pneumonia shot. I’ve decided I’ve donated enough of my time to medicinal purposes for the season – I much prefer being healthy!

As for those of you who have to meet the unnamed stomach virus of 2009-2010 – you have my utmost sympathy. Just remember to stay hydrated.